Review: The Bigger Lights - Fiction Fever

The Bigger Lights - Fiction Fever
2008, Doghouse America

Fairfax, Virginia's The Bigger Lights have a big sound that culls the best from 1980's Pop, Arena Rock and Modern Rock. Highly infectious melodies and a driving energy are the key ingredients on the band's second EP, Fiction Fever, due April 7, 2009. Closer (Time Stops Breathing) sounds like an instant hit, featuring the dynamic voice of Topher Talley and an energy that just won't quit. Revved And Ready keeps up the energy without sacrificing the melodic aura or pop sensibility The Bigger Lights established on the opening track. Apocalypse! trades in the urgent rock vibe for a frenetic pop/rock energy that is perhaps even more infectious. It's like taking a supremely melodic pop group and girding them with a Punk Rock stage energy, and that's just on CD. I'd love to see what this band can do live.

Romance In A Slow Dance plays with harmonic structure in some almost uncomfortable ways but always manages to resolve at the right time. Goldmine Valentine is the song that will hook you on The Bigger Lights. You'll have this one on continuous replay. While there is no such thing as the perfect pop song, we occasionally come across an entry that approaches that vaunted status. Goldmine Valentine is in the conversation. If The Bigger Lights have any more songs of this quality in their collective songwriting well then we'll still be talking about them in twenty years. As it is, this is the sort of song that can turn an unknown band from zero to hero overnight. Fiction Fever closes out with When Did We Lose Ourselves, a memorable pop/rock anthem that might be the best song on the album of many bands, but takes secondary status here.

The Bigger Lights have something special. Don't be surprised if these guys stick around for the long haul. There is real songwriting talent here, and a distinct and charismatic energy that will sell albums, downloads and concert tickets. Fiction Fever is a dynamic and outstanding effort, worthy of significant attention and praise.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Bigger Lights at www.myspace.com/thebiggerlights. Fiction Fever hits shelves on April 7, 2009. You can pre-order the CD from Amazon.com, or you can get the downloads now through AmazonMP3.

Review: Lori Lieberman - Gun Metal Sky

Lori Lieberman - Gun Metal Sky
2009, Drive On Records

Lori Lieberman has seen the highs and lows of the musical industry. Her debut album, Lori Lieberman, was released on Capitol Records in 1972. It featured a song developed from a poem Lieberman wrote about Don McLean that was moderately successful for Lieberman, but which would become a major hit for Roberta Flack a few years later. Killing Me Softly (With His Song) still gets regular play on Adult Contemporary stations throughout North America. Lieberman release five albums in the 1970’s (three for Capitol), then took a break to have a family in the 1980s. Making her way back into the music scene as an independent artist in the mid-1990’s, Lieberman has gone on to record 6 additional albums with Pope Music and now Drive On Records. Her latest, Gun Metal Sky, may be her finest to date.

Gun Metal Sky opens with Early Wednesday Morning, a vibrant and poignant bit of musical autobiography that will stick with you. A great country-tinged folk arrangement is accompanied by powerful lyrics and a memorable melody line. Lori Lieberman has a wonderfully textured voice that is straight to the point with intriguing layers in the middle. Another Galaxy is an allegory for the concept that sometimes cowardice is the bravest step. Gun Metal Sky is put forth here in a wonderfully textured semi-orchestral arrangement that will definitely grab your ears attention. The highlight of the album, perhaps even a bit of a diva moment is When You Were Mine. Lieberman's cover of The Beatles Bus Stop also stands out. Lieberman has an enjoyable visit, but in song after song its the arrangement and musicianship that really stands out on Gun Metal Sky. Other highlights include the Tori Amos-ish More Than This, Killing Me Softly and Takes Courage.

Lori Lieberman puts forth powerful interpretations and distinctive arrangements on Gun Metal Sky. With a voice that will draw attention without being over the top, Lieberman draws listeners in slowly. It took a couple of listens to really get into this CD, but the effort was well worth it.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Lori Lieberman at http://www.lorilieberman.com/. You can purchase a copy of Gun Metal Sky at www.cdbaby.com/cd/lorilieberman6.

Review: Alesa Lajana - Celtic Gypsy

Alesa Lajana - Celtic Gypsy
2008, Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Alesa Lajana is a native of Southern Queensland, Australia; a musician with poise and maturity well beyond her years, Lajana has played alongside folks such as Scottish guitar wizard Tony McManus, Jeff Lang and Lucky Orleans. Lajana blends styles from Ireland, Scotland and Eastern Europe into her own musical patois that has garnered praise at both Australian and international folk festivals. The performer with the soaring voice makes the brave choice of going instrumental on her CD, Celtic Gyspy, a collection of primarily Irish and Scottish-influenced guitar pieces that display just how truly talented a musician Lajana is.

Celtic Gypsy is a musical experience for Celtic fans. Lajana strips down some amazing jigs and reels and illuminates them on classical guitar. Opening with a medley of Ceol Si, Banish Misfortune and The Twins, Lajana does more guitar gymnastics than you can shake a shillelagh at, turning in a virtuosic performance. Work Song features some pretty mean slide guitar work in a dark and roiling arrangement. Lajana goes for a more straightforward classical feel on Prelude From Cello Suite No. 1 in one of the highlights on the album, but my personal favorite is Autumn Child, one of the darker and more intriguing songs presented here. Make sure you listen all the way to the end of Breizh/The Seagull as well, as Lajana does some truly inspired guitar work here.

Alesa Lajana hits all the right notes on Celtic Gypsy. Economic arrangements, unusual musical choices and virtuosic play make this a real keeper. Be prepared to give Celtic Gypsy your full attention. It demands it.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Alesa Lajana at http://www.alesalajana.com.au/. You can purchase a copy of Celtic Gypsy through ABC.net.

Review: Modest Midget - Partial Exposure

Modest Midget – Partial Exposure
2008, Modest Midget

Based in The Netherlands, Modest Midget is the musical extension of Lionel Ziblat’s psyche into the world. A prolific composer, Ziblat writes Rock N Roll, Jazz and Classical style compositions for ensembles, film and his own projects. Born in Israel and raised in South America, Ziblat has a multitude of musical influences that run across national, cultural and ethnic lines. Add to this a melodic sense that would make Paul McCartney weep with joy and you have an extremely intriguing debut EP from Modest Midget entitled Partial Exposure.

Partial Exposure opens with Troubles In Heaven, carrying a minor key melody so infectious you won’t be able to shake it. Influences here range from the classic rock style guitar to the new wave keyboard flourishes, the almost Klezmer style violin fills and the quasi-classical orchestra transitions. This is a highly interesting song that will keep you interested from start to finish. Baby plays like a dark lullaby or night time soliloquy. Again, you won’t be able to shake the melody, presented here in a smooth and lush arrangement reminiscent of another era without surrendering its modern edge. Home I Seek employs a layered vocal harmony sound reminiscent of Brian Wilson’s compositions in a lushly layered, almost orchestral pop arrangement. Evolution closes out the EP and is my personal favorite here. Opening with a strongly Klezmer-flavored violin riff over a rhythm with vague South American roots, Modest Midget plows through a wonderfully melodic Progressive Rock arrangement. This is the most musically dynamic and brave choice on the EP and is worth the price of admission on its own.

Modest Midget, to judge from the four songs presented here, has the potential to be a musical dynamo. Casual fans will enjoy the contrast of mellow lush arrangements and high energy. Musicians will love the choices Ziblat makes in his writing, and his ability to brings styles and sounds together you might not have imagined. Partial Exposure is aptly named, but its more than enough to intrigue a whole lot of listeners and leave them asking for more. Well done.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Modest Midget at http://www.modestmidget.com/. You can purchase Partial Exposure as a download through iTunes, Napster or Amazon.com.

Review: The Loudhorns - One For Maynard

The Loudhorns – One For Maynard
2009, Loud Conversation Pieces

The Loudhorns are a collective of some of the best studio brass players Nashville has to offer. Various members have worked with folks such as Garth Brooks, Elton John, Paul Simon, Maynard Ferguson, Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, Randy Brecker and Larry Carlton. The Loudhorns offer electrifying live performances and a mix of jazz classic, pop covers and original songs. The forthcoming release from The Loudhorns, One For Maynard, is a tribute to the great Maynard Ferguson. Featuring six Ferguson covers and three pop covers (in the spirit of Ferguson); One For Maynard is a dynamic collection that is certain to please.

The Loudhorns mean business. Right from the opening notes of Give It One, The Loudhorns literally blow the listener away with an aggressive and musical style that is compelling. The Loudhorns don't just play jazz, they hunger for it. That drive and devotion to the art is in every note and every phrase. Even on the more laid back tracks (La Fiesta, Left Bank Express, Fly Away Home) The Loudhorns play with an energy and vivacity that escapes many modern jazz musicians. It hearkens back t a time when musicians played music because it was all they had. It's so refreshing to hear that energy and desire in a form that's been so thoroughly explored as jazz.

Highlights abound. Birdland is a musical master piece, and Superbone Meets The Badman has a spunk to it that's absolutely infectious. The cover of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody is well meant, but doesn't play as well on brass as I might have expected (particularly the quieter passages). A personal favorite is the funky and flavorful Foreign Correspondent; guaranteed to get your feet moving.

The Loudhorns are very much in demand both individually and collectively as session musicians and it's easy to see why. One For Maynard is classic jazz with a modern touch. Don't pass this one by.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Loudhorns at www.myspace.com/loudhorns. You can purchase a copy of One For Maynard at www.cdbaby.com/cd/loudhorns.

Review: KeyDragon - Dragon Mythos

KeyDragon – Dragon Mythos
2008, KeyDragon Studios

Heavy metal, programming and dragons are the three pillars of KeyDragon, the California band led by singer/screamer/synth player/programmer Ron Langford. Dealing exclusively in songs about Dragons, KeyDragon thrives in a gothic metal style with elements of Thrash, Darkwave and Prog. Langford is joined by Tamara Venus Star on vocals, Bobby “Bob-O” Blackmon on electric and bass guitars, Dan Marshall (DJ/Programmer), Holly Rains (drums) and Andrew Grant (guitar/bass). KeyDragon’s latest, Dragon Mythos, continues down the path of musical dragon lore.

For those of you not familiar with KeyDragon, the California band writes and performs only songs dealing with dragons. Some songs focus on folklore surrounding dragons while others take on original story lines based loosely on dragon myths and stories. The music is a subdued Darkwave Metal sound that is instantly recognizable particularly if you were ever a fan of bands like King Diamond, Type O Negative or mid-to-late Metallica. This is, of course, a niche record, playing to a very limited market of fans. That being said, it’s a decent album. Tamara Venus Star is always pleasant to listen to, and the juxtaposition of her voice with that of lead screamer Ron Langford is entertaining. The primary problem with Dragon Mythos is the uniformity of sound. The songs don’t sound all the same, but there is little enough sonic variation to bog down less than dedicated listeners.

Heart Of A Dragon is the high point of the album, and the midnight undertones of Jawzhar are sure to please metal fans. The Promise is the one true break in style here, slowing things down a bit in a sonic rest before the stretch run. In the end, there’s not enough here to hold the attention of anyone aside from diehard Dragon Metal fans. But those folks will be very happy.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about KeyDragon at www.myspace.com/keydragon or http://www.keydragon.com/. You can purchase a copy of Dragon Mythos at www.cdbaby.com/cd/keydragon10.

Review: The Indiana Jones Scores by John Williams

John Williams – The Indiana Jones Expanded Scores
2009, Concord Records

In the aftermath of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Concord Records has released expanded editions of the original scores of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom and Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade. Originally available as part of a very limited edition box set, the three individual scores have all been significantly expanded from the original commercial releases. Fans will recognize this as some of the most memorable work from the legendary John Williams (The Star Wars films, The Poseidon Adventure, Jaws, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, E.T., Born On The Fourth Of July, Jurassic Park, the first 3 Harry Potter films and many others). Williams has an unheard of 45 Academy Award nominations and 5 Oscars on his shelf, but this is the first time you can get essentially the full, uncut scores of the first three Indy films.

There is nothing I can write about Williams or his work that hasn’t been written already. Across the three scores you’ll get an almost an hour of new music. If you’re a fan of pops classical music then you’ll love any of the three (although I would suggest that Raiders Of The Lost Ark is the best of the three). Williams has always had at least one foot planted in the classical world when composing, allowing a certain gravitas to creep into his music that finds critical acclaim coming from quarters who normally stay dourly silent about movie scores. Don’t miss this chance to own a bit of music history.

Ratings:
Raiders Of The Lost Ark 5 Stars (Out of 5)
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom 4 Stars (Out of 5)
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about the Indiana Jones films at www.indianajones.com or www.myspace.com/indianajones. You can learn more about the inestimable John Williams at www.johnwilliamscomposer.com. You can purchase any of the soundtracks through Amazon.com using the links below. You can also find these soundtracks in any major music retailers (Borders, Barnes And Noble, Best Buy, etc.)

Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade

Review: Eilen Jewell - Sea Of Tears

Eilen Jewell - Sea Of Tears
2009, Signature Sounds

Eilen Jewell gets right to the heart of the matter in each and every song on Sea Of Tears, her third album, due April 21, 2009. With a powerful yet melancholy voice that demands to be heard, Jewell goes right for the roots of Rock and Country music in a performance that is likely to be lauded in critical circles. Rain Roll In takes on mortality and acceptance in a moderately optimistic sounding song reminiscent of Blue Rodeo. Sweet Rose is a beautifully maudlin frame in which Jewell's voice shines like the morning sun. Shakin' All Over gets in a good dose of early Rock N Roll with that same powerfully reserved vocal approach that makes Jewell so distinctive. It takes a lot of talent to sing in such a reserved fashion so well. Jewell manages it without every sounding flat of lifeless; a feat in itself. Sea Of Tears edges into more of a 1960's Brit Rock sound, ala The Kinks.

The highlight of the album may well be I'm Gonna Dress In Black. The dirge-like sway of the song is matched by the forlorn quality of Jewell's vocal line. One Of These Days seems to shake off the hopeless chic that pervades Sea Of Tears in a mildly optimistic venture based on hidden opportunities. As the song unfolds we learn that even with the upbeat approach there's still danger in the air. The Darkest Day has the most upbeat music on the album, funny that. Jewell gives her best vocal performance of the album here, sounding like a classic 1950's country singer. Other highlights include Everywhere I Go, Sea Of Tears and Final Hour.
Eilen Jewell is a distinctive artist with a voice that sinks into your head and just won't leave. Some folks won't like the melancholy sorrow that pervades Sea Of Tears, but Jewell wears it like a second skin, making it seem more like a palpable human picture than an artistic affectation. Her backing band is as good as they come. Don't be surprised if Sea Of Tears ends up on year-end "Best Of" lists. It's that good.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Eilen Jewell at http://www.eilenjewell.com/ or www.myspace.com/eilenjewell. Sea Of Tears goes on sale April 21, 2009. You can pre-order it from Amazon.com.

Review: Cedar Hill Refugees - Pale Imperfect Diamond

Cedar Hill Refugees - Pale Imperfect Diamond
2009, Effigy Records
Its East meets West, Uzbek style. American-Uzbek jam band, Jadoo joins forces with heavyweights of American Roots music to release Pale Imperfect Diamond on May 19, 2009. Co-producer Jack Clift founded Jadoo while living in Uzbekistan, and approached John Carter Cash about an album that mingled traditional American folk music with Uzbek instrumentation. Clifton And John Carter Cash were joined by The Peasall Sisters, Dr. Ralph Stanley, Marty Stuart and John Cowan to become Cedar Hill Refugees. Drawing on the strong similarities between traditional Uzbek music and Appalachian folk, Cedar Hill Refugees gets much closer to the traditional roots of American folk than many American artists. Their debut album, Pale Imperfect Diamond truly is a gem.

There's a lot of attention given to the Celtic roots of Appalachian music that grew into American Folk, Country and Bluegrass styles. Whitehouse Blues is an interesting construct, focusing on a previous period of economic uncertainty in the United States. History buffs will get a kick out of this one as it focuses on Presidents McKinley and Roosevelt. Keys To The Kingdom dwells upon the power of faith in dark times with strong imagery and a gorgeous vocal line. The title track is an original tune written in a traditional vein that is both ancient and modern at the same time. Stormalong is vibrant and reverent and Green Grows The Laurel is inspired, but Wildwood Flower is the star of the album. Angelic vocals by The Peasall Sisters and flawless instrumental execution will have you returning to this track again and again. Other highlights include Sailaway Ladies, Candle and Oh, Bury Me Not.

Cedar Hill Refugees marries traditional American Roots music and Uzbek instrumentation so perfectly you might not have noticed if I didn't tell you. The stylistic and sonic similarities on our roots speaks a great deal about the universality of human experience and expression. Pale Imperfect Diamond is as much an allegory for the cultures of both countries and their people as anything else. The music here is both reflective and instructive of our shared paths and our divergences. Pale Imperfect Diamond is bound to be one of the highlights of 2009.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Cedar Hill Refugees at www.myspace.com/cedarhillrefugees. Pale Imperfect Diamond will hit shelves May 19, 2009.

Review: The Rye - The Rye

The Rye – The Rye
2006, The Rye

Galway, Ireland is home to one of the more impressive and energetic Celtic acts you’re likely to come across. The Rye take the energy (and to a degree, the sound) of The Pogues and combine it with the lyrical acuity of Tom Waits. Add in some of the tightest, most impressive ensemble play on the West Coast of Ireland and you have not just a band but a musical experience. The Rye’s debut EP, The Rye, was released in 2006, but unless you’re a denizen of the pubs of Ireland you’ve likely not heard of The Rye. It’s too bad, but it’s not too late. Trust me; you want to add The Rye to your library.

The Rye opens with Banana Song, with lead vocalist Kevin Melly sounding like Shane McGowan, complete with nearly indecipherable lyrics. It’s a great tune, and lively; I just wish I could make out much of what he’s singing here. Square Peig is a wonderfully complex reel that will have you up and dancing. Lonely Mary is a sad but sweet love song full of loss and the fear of loss. Polcat Blues is a great acoustic Blues/Rock hybrid that will get your toes tapping and that you’ll be humming for days. The Rye closes out with the memorable instrumental Katie Lie Over.

Melly is a memorable and distinctive vocalist, and fans of The Pogues really will do a double take when they hear him. Anna Falkenau plays the meanest Irish fiddle since Ashley Mac Isaac’s quart-a-show days. The rest of the band, Alan Walsh (guitar, banjo, vox); Barry Wallace (bass, banjo) and Dessie Harrington (drums) are top notch. I finished up listening to The Rye wishing for more, and also that they’d be playing a date here in Buffalo very soon. The CD is great listening, but this is a band with the potential to own an audience. They just need the opportunity.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Rye at http://www.therye.ie/. You can purchase a copy of The Rye at www.cdbaby.com/cd/therye.

Review: Anarbor - Free Your Mind

Anarbor - Free Your Mind
2009, Hopeless Records

When Anarbor set out to craft a new EP last year in Los Angeles they did so with a goal in mind: to save the music scene from itself. Fresh out of high school, Slade Echevarria (vox/bass), Adam Juwing (guitar), Mike Kitlas (guitar) and Greg Garrity (drums) set out to create a pop album that isn't a slave to the current trends of dance pop. Produced by Mike Green (Paramore, Good Charlotte), Free Your Mind blends Pop and Rock in a way that will get your feet moving but won't fade from your mind with the last note. Anarbor eschews electronic effects and instrumentation for the organic sounds the quartet can reproduce live. The result is a classic pop/rock album that is likely to make a big splash.

Free Your Mind opens with Let The Games Begin, a frantic rocker about voyeurism and manipulation with roots in the classic rock sound of the 1980's. The Brightest Green has a delicious rock n roll sound that is perfect for big auditoriums. This is an incredibly commercial tune even today, although the sound is a bit of a throwback. Echevarria is an incredibly nimble and provocative vocalist who is more than capable of matching the frantic tendencies of the rest of the band. Where The Wild Things Are (Monsters) is a bit more straight forward, but features a memorable melody and a chorus you'll be singing along to in no time. Halfway Sober hints at tendrils of an Americana sound in the opening but opens up into a wonderful pop/rock arrangement that is golden. You And I is three minutes of pop perfection that is bound to garner significant attention for the band. This is one of those songs that could become a summer anthem if marketed correctly. Passion For Publication sounds like it might take a different track at opening, but explodes into a signature rock song that is likely to be a concert favorite.

Anarbor should be impossible to ignore. Varied and rhythmic songs featuring catchy melodies, strong harmonies and an innate pop sense that can't be taught make Anarbor a band to watch. Free Your Mind should generate a lot of excitement.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Anarbor at http://www.anarbor.net/ or http://www.hopelessrecords.com/. You can purchase a copy of Free Your Mind at Amazon.com, or you can download the album through Amazon MP3.

Review: Tireless Sedans - Parts + Labour EP

Tireless Sedans - Parts + Labour EP
2009, Superbob Records/SOCAN

I've always felt a sort of vague enmity flowing out of Moncton, New Brunswick. It all goes back to my childhood days as a fan of the (then) Adirondack Red Wings of the American Hockey League. Games against the Moncton Hawks always seemed to go badly, with lots of fights and Majors, Match Majors and Game Misconducts always coming in the way of victory. The Wings left Glens Falls, NY many years ago, but that vague sense of unease has remained. I am happy to say that the Tireless Sedans have given me something positive to think of when I ponder Moncton. Their debut, Parts + Labour EP, is a pleasurable alt-country/rock mix with some quirky personality traits.

The musicality of Wilco is there, with the depth and jangle of Sloan, and a bit of unusual song construction ala Ed Robertson. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Dave Rahmer is supported by a strong cast of fellow musicians. Mark McGinnis keeps it lively and thriving on skins and whatever else falls into his hands while Chad Lifford helps to nail down the rhythmic heart of the band. Jenna Gallant brings a vintage guitar sound to the band while kicking in some great background vocals. The EP opens with Old Home Town Pain, a song about returning home with the figurative tail between your legs, and finding out it perhaps wasn't as bad as you'd always thought, yet not what you'd hope. Alberta is a quirky whine set to a killer guitar riff about a relationship gone bad.

Stretch is aptly named. Thus far on Parts + Labour Tireless Sedans have shown strong musicianship and songwriting, but on Stretch Rahmer shows an ability to craft lyrics that are not only intelligent and clear but also subtle and profound. The chorus is perhaps a bit predictable, but the verses show some real creative spark as a word smith. Even The Sheep is a wonderfully quirky guitar oriented bit of Americana/Rock with an early Chicago-Style horn section thrown in. This is the most sonically interesting piece on the CD, playing around with progressive song construction and some interesting guitar fill work playing tag with the vocal line. Foreword serves as an instrumental introduction to Can't Move Forward, which has the energy and melody to be a Lo-Fi pop/country single.

Parts + Labour EP is a strong introduction to Tireless Sedans. Rahmer and crew show real promise as a band, crafting alt-country nuggets that will have you hitting re-play many times over. Between the strong musical lines and intelligent lyrics lay a spark of magic that is neither describable nor forgettable. They're not flashy, but Tireless Sedans will get inside your head.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Tireless Sedans at www.myspace.com/tirelesssedans or http://www.superbob.ca/. Parts + Labour does not appear to be currently available on line, so keep checking their Tireless Sedans’ MySpace page.

Review: Sam "Shake" Anderson - Stories From Sammie Lewis

Sam “Shake” Anderson – Stories From Sammy Louis
2008, Sam “Shake” Anderson

If you’re ready for some classic mid-western R&B and Soul, then check out Sam “Shake” Anderson’s Stories From Sammie Lewis. Marching to a beat somewhere between Marvin Gaye and Al Green, Sam “Shake” Anderson lays down twelve classic sounding tracks on the CD The cover of Set It Off is sublime, and Anderson will lull you into reverie with songs like Don’t Come Roun’ Here No Mo’, Sold Me Down The River and The Only Game In Town. Anderson possesses a sugar-smooth voice, but finds the Rock N Soul sound when called for. Be sure to check out Shine On, That Won’t Mean and We May Never Get Out Of Here, but there really isn’t a weak track on the disc.

Sam “Shake” Anderson plays and sings like he built the old school. There are a lot of pretenders out there, but Stories From Sammy Louis proves that Sam “Shake” Anderson is a champ.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Sam “Shake” Anderson at www.myspace.com/samshakeanderson or http://www.shakeanderson.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Stories From Sammy Louis

Review: Kerri Powers - Faith In The Shadows

Kerri Powers – Faith In The Shadows
2009, Gritty Dirty

Kerri Powers’ career is a study in promise and shadow. One of the more distinctive voices in Americana/Alt-Country (think Bonnie Raitt crossed with Tina Turner). Powers’ rise was nearly derailed a few years back by a dishonorable record distributor. Taking some time off to focus on her family, Powers made her way back to writing and performing in 2005. Teaming up with producer and friend Crit Harmon (Martin Sexton, Mary Gauthier, Lori McKenna), Powers found her voice again amid a set of musical short stories she co-wrote with Harmon. The seeds of Powers latest CD, Faith In The Shadows were planted.

Faith In The Shadows opens with Do You Hear My Footsteps?, a wonderfully dark yet catchy tune. Powers’ voice is a substantial quality in her music, hitting you with a physical force and demanding to be heard. Powers has a smoky, rough edge to her sound that is distinctive and yet has a lyric, melodic quality that is darkly beautiful. On Trying To Make My Way To You, Powers edges into a 1960’s film noir style of story-song, complete with wailing guitars Nobody Minds My Drinking is a modern country classic in the making. Powers and Harmon have managed to capture in five minutes a perfect portrait of one person in their pain and need that is more powerful than any photo you could produce. Powers digs into a real bluesy sound on Low Down Low. On this song in particular she reminds me significantly of Joan Osborne in her pre-Relish days. My favorite track on the CD is Tallulah Send A Car For Me, a delicious acoustic blues vignette that had me hitting repeat time and time again. Other highlights include Magdalene and Fireworks And Cheap Repairs.

Kerri Powers has emerged from darker days and lights up her corner of the music world with Faith In The Shadows. She may have come into the light of day, but Powers hasn’t forgotten the shadows that inform and enhance the performances here so perfectly. Kerri Powers is a first-class talent, and Faith In The Shadows is an essential listen.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Kerri Powers at http://www.faithintheshadows.com/. Songs from Faith In Shadows will be featured on FX’s Rescue Me. You can purchase Faith In The Shadows at www.cdbaby.com/cd/kerrip.

Review: Gregory Douglass - Battler

Gregory Douglass – Battler
2009, Emote Records

Look up Indie Musician in the dictionary and you’ll find a picture of Gregory Douglass. Douglass has released seven albums on his own imprint, Emote Records, touring all over the US and winning accolades at almost every turn along the way. Compared favorably with artists such as Tori Amos, Rufus Wainwright, Jeff Buckley and Fiona Apple, Douglass has a unique sound and vocal style that you’ll be able to identify immediately once you’ve heard it. His latest CD, Battler, was inspired by serious soul searching and a Vermont winter shuttered in watching HBO’s Six Feet Under.

Douglass writes gloriously melodic and dark story-songs that give categorization a wide birth. Opening with Broken Through, Douglass builds on a minor-key piano riff into a dynamic and shadowy story. Day Of The Battler bring uniquely stilted rhythms into the mix, like something Kurt Weill might have written if he grew up in today’s musical environment. No Apology strips nearly all of the instrumentation away in a haunting vocal harmony peace you need to hear. Madeline is a lush harmonic rock song that sounds like it could have been co-written by Tori Amos and Lou Gramm. This Is My Life might be a signature song for Douglass as it perfectly captures the dark undercarriage that seems to be his unique musical cornerstone. Other highlights include Sadly (with Anais Mitchell), Ordinary Man (with the talented Grace Potter) and Harlequin.

Gregory Douglass walks, marches and sings to his own drummer. Listening to him sing and play is like hearing one half of his communication with another world. The results are dark, exciting and lovely, even when you know there’s a whole other part of the conversation you can’t hear. Douglass is a unique talent, and the music glimpses he’s offered to us here could be considered gifts. Battler is not a recording to pass up.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Gregory Douglass at www.myspace.com/gregorydouglass or http://www.gregorydouglass.com/. You can purchase a copy of Battler at www.cdbaby.com/cd/gdouglass9.

Review: Raul Malo - Lucky One

Raul Malo - Lucky One
2009, Fantasy

One might guess Raul Malo was raised on the classic music of Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Roy Orbison, Jim Reeves and other greats of the golden eras of Rock and Country. On his latest CD, Lucky One, Malo pays vocal and stylistic tribute to that bygone era, moving through the sounds of that time like a musical chameleon. On the first three tracks alone Malo channels Tom Jones (Lucky One), Elvis Presley (Moonlight Kiss) and Roy Orbison (Something Tells Me). Crying For You is perhaps the biggest moment here, sounding like something Sun Studios and the country side of Nashville might have gone to war over at one time. Malo has a classic sound that would have fit in easily anywhere from the late 1940's to the 1960's heydays of Las Vegas. While looking decidedly modern, Malo has captured a sound and style here that becomes stale in the hands of many artists of this generation. Few have the charisma and showmanship to bring this type of music the way Elvis or Tom Jones did, much less in the fashion of Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. or other contemporaries of The Rat Pack.

It's a little too early to tell, but Raul Malo might just find his name mentioned in those circles one day. He has the voice and the presence to be there. If you're a fan of great vocal music in general, or of 1950's and 1960's pop vocal music in particular then you need to check out Lucky One. You won't regret it.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Raul Malo at http://www.raulmalo.com/ or www.myspace.com/raulmalo. You can purchase a copy of Lucky One at Amazon.com.

Review: Cara Luft - The Light Fantastic

Cara Luft - The Light Fantastic
2007, Black Hen Music

Winnipeg’s Cara Luft is a musical tour-de-force that you might never have heard of if you live outside of Canada. An integral part of folk trio The Wailin’ Jennys, Luft chose to follow her own path in 2005 after three years, two albums and one Juno Award for Best Roots album. Nicknamed “Jenny Van Halen” for her raucous guitar style, Luft is as accomplished with an axe as she is behind the microphone. Her album, The Light Fantastic, is a wonderful mix of the spiritual and the mundane, the certain and the in-between. Produced by Neil Osborne (54-40), The Light Fantastic features multi-instrumentalist Hugh McMillan (Spirit Of The West, James Keelaghan), Richard Moody (The Bills) and Christian Dugas. It a rare gem in popular music; a spending musical experience with outstanding storytelling.

Cara Luft shows an ability to capture moments and people in song that is uncanny. Whether her subjects are real or imagined, or even herself, Luft opens a window in each song on a person, place or time that is so believable you can almost touch them. Her voice is perfectly suited to this style of country/Americana; a warm alto with a bit of small-town country sass. The Light Fantastic opens with There's A Train, a song about escaping a relationship that's an emotional tempest, even if it means leaving home. Luft has a subtle power in his voice and is deft at using it to accentuate the emotions the protagonist feels here. This leads into No Friend Of Mine; with a lyrical economy that packs a punch, Luft tells someone who's no good for her to get lost. Turning the tables, Talk For A While is inspired by a bit of non-committal vulnerability; it's an incredibly human emotion in song, caught perfectly like a photograph set to music.

From a pure musical standpoint, Black Water Side is one of the more memorable moments on the album, with a wonderful arrangement that captures motion and movement within the notes and rhythms of the song. Luft's version of Lord Roslyn's Daughter may have officially transplanted the Great Big Sea rendition as my favorite version of this traditional tune. Luft delivers a stirring vocal performance, blending with unforgettable harmony vocals that are full of urgency you can almost reach out and grab. For all of this, however, Give It Up is by far my favorite song on the disc. It's a statement of self-worth from a woman who knows who she is and what she wants. It's probably one of the best takes on this subject since R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

No Strength takes a deep angst, partners it with a wonderful hook and some amazing rhythmic guitar playing and turns into a highly memorable song. Wilcox explores the utter surprise and wonderment of a person taken out of their normal element and caught on the Canadian Prairies for a time, while Jerusalem addresses the need for an inner spiritual or philosophical life. It's an interesting tune that uses Jerusalem as an allegory for this spiritual destination, and comes off sounding like a classic Indigo Girls tune. Settle For Grey is a subject most artists touch on at some point in their career, the loss of clear black and white in choices that seems to occur over a lifetime. It's a moralist message that's decidedly amoral, and an intriguing epilogue for Luft.

Luft is an extremely talented songwriter, encapsulating person, time and place with the skill and temerity of Randy Newman. Vocally she's up there with the best, and the musical arrangements here are anything but typical. Luft sounds like she's still challenging herself on each song, and enjoying it in the process. The Light Fantastic is a terrific listen. Luft is a master songwriter and performer. You don't want to be without this disc.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Cara Luft at http://www.caraluft.com/ or www.myspace.com/caraluftmusic. You can purchase a copy of The Light Fantastic at www.cdbaby.com/cd/caraluft.

Review: Loretta McNair - Intimate Portrait

Loretta McNair - Intimate Portrait
2008, Loretta McNair

Call her Rosemary Clooney for the 21st century. Los Angeles-based Loretta McNair writes and performs everything from standards style to blues to jazz to country to classic singer/songwriter material. Her latest album, Intimate Portrait is part Clooney, part Billie Holliday and part Doris Day. McNair sings a mellow torch style tempered by a contemporary spirit.

The music on Intimate Portrait is first class, from the songwriting to the execution; enthusiasts of American Standards will love the list of potential new standards on Intimate Portrait. McNair thrills on Someone Who'll Stay and That's What I'm Here For. Don't be surprised if That's What I'm Here For becomes a heavily covered song in the next generation or so. Talk, Talk, Talk is also a treat. McNair is a throwback; she would have fit in perfectly in the 1940's and early 1950's. Today, of course, the demand for the music of that era is diminished in the pop realm but still has a significant draw for the boomers and WWII generations, as well as significant pockets of fan across different regions and demographics. There's little weakness shown on Intimate Portrait, McNair delivers these songs in spot on fashion. And while she sounds a bit like Clooney or Holliday, don't expect the same level of dynamics. McNair is good, but not quite of that legendary ilk. Nevertheless, she's definitely worth spending some time listening to. Intimate Portrait is a solid outing.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Loretta McNair at http://www.lorettamcnair.com/ or www.myspace.com/lorettamcnair. You can purchase a copy of Intimate Portrait at www.cdbaby.com/cd/lorettamcnair2.

Review: Derek Jordan - Identify

Derek Jordan – Identify
2009, Derek Jordan

Derek Jordan comes to Los Angeles from Pittsburgh by way of Chicago. His debut CD, Identify, is entirely self-produced and self-funded. Starting out with a classic rock background and a modern rock education, Jordan exudes the confidence of a rock n roll star while writing about the ins and outs of the human psyche.

Identify starts out on a promising but familiar note. The hook underlying Goodbye Jupiter is practically the same rockabilly hook that runs throughout Stray Cat Strut. To open with something so blatantly familiar either calls for a formula that resides in offering familiar sounds and then taking them new places or just totally blowing the lid off the album. Jordan does neither, settling for a comfortable, vaguely angry white male blend of rock n roll. Jordan's voice is good but isn't particularly discernable from a host of other rock vocalists. His guitar playing is technically proficient but doesn't seem emotionally driven or profound. The songwriting is fairly standard issue rock material with one exception. Hold On Tight could be a moderate hit in the right market, but more importantly is very accessible and listenable with something like a pop sensibility to it. Otherwise, songs like Vaccine, War With Your Love and Living For Two all sound too much like stuff that comes and goes on the radio all the time.

Jordan shows flashes of brilliance with the guitar, but just doesn't seem to find the inspiration on Identify to really sell himself or the material. He's a strong performer with good skills, but just doesn't display the dynamic catalyst to make you seek him out.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Derek Jordan at www.myspace.com/derekjordanrock or http://www.derekjordanmusic.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Identify. You can also download the album from iTunes.

Review: Hiram Ring - Breathe Deep

Hiram Ring – Breathe Deep
2009, Ring Records

Hiram Ring is a Lancaster, Pennsylvania based singer/songwriter with a strong Contemporary Christian bent and a sound that’s been likened to Ray LaMontagne and Jack Johnson. Growing up in far-flung places such as Ghana and Afghanistan, Ring has viewed various cultures from both inside and out, giving him an unusually universal sense of the world. This comes across on Breathe Deep, his solo debut on his own imprint, Ring Records. Breathe Deep is built upon Ring’s Acoustic Folk sound and his love of African Rhythms; melding two distinct sounds into one you won’t forget.

Breathe Deep opens with Go From Here, a great Folk/Americana arrangement. Ring’s bright and airy vocals are a pleasure, making each song go down like sugar water. Go From Here uses great visual imagery to tell a story about navigating the waters of life. What runs deep through Ring’s music is a Christian faith that Ring fails to beat listeners over the head with. It’s not so much like Ring is proselytizing through his music; he’s telling you stories about his life, and that faith happens to be a part of who he is. This may open up Ring’s music to folks who won’t usually go within several yards of a Contemporary Christian CD. And well it should, because even if you don’t agree with Ring’s beliefs you’re going to appreciate his ability as a songwriter and word smith. Plays Switch is rhythmic with cogent lyrics delivered in that easy vocal style that Ring possesses. Chasing Shadows is highly enjoyable; setting a seedy tone from the opening notes that is perfect for the song, which is vaguely bluesy. This is wonderful writing.

Living Water is an overt statement of faith that is stated intelligently without forcing Ring’s ideas on the listener. Consider it like a diary entry set to music. Ring shines here by appealing to thought rather than the shallow emotion that much popular Praise music hooks into. Voices is an amazing song about conscience that is one of the stars of Breathe Deep. Another is One Girl For Me, a sweet love song set to a jazz arrangement. Ring is in perfect voice here. Breathe Deep stays with the jazz flavor in a true crooner moment. Ring saves his best for Eternity, a call to walk together into forever. This could be a song from a creator to the created of from one person to another (as a love song), depending on how you hear it. Either way you hear it the song is inspirational and powerful. Those hearing it as a love song with have it on mix tapes, and those hearing it as a call will be substantially moved. I Am Not A Thief is another powerful entry that extends far beyond its religious connotations. The song is artfully delivered in a folk/rock arrangement you won’t soon forget. Ring closes out Breathe Deep as he started, in a Folk/Americana style on I’m On A Journey. It’s a classic folk song with religious or philosophical implications that is worth contemplating regardless of your perspective.

Readers of this blog have probably picked up on the fact that I can be a little cynical of Contemporary Christian artists, and also that I am not afraid to offer kind words when one overcomes that cynicism. Hiram Ring overcomes it by leaps and bounds. Ring writes and sings music about what he knows, believes, feels and sees. The music is allowed to become what it’s meant to be, artistically mature and intelligent songs that happen to have Christian themes, rather than music slapped together around a forced message. Hiram Ring could easily excel in either CCM or secular markets because the music is honest. Breathe Deep is an incredible listen. It’s a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc, and it’s worth checking out.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Hiram Ring at www.myspace.com/hiramring or http://www.hiramring.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Breathe Deep. You can also download Breathe Deep through Amazon.com and iTunes.

Review: Mar Harmon - Mr. Froggy's Friends' ABCs

Mar Harmon - Mr. Froggy's Friends' ABCs
2007, Music With Mar

Maryann “Mar.” Harmon is the creator of Music With Mar.; a nationally known music education program for children. Harmon has produced music for over twenty-five recordings, winning two Children’s Web Awards and one Silver Parents’ Choice Award. Harmon holds a Bachelors in Music and a Masters in Education (Early Childhood Education), and manages to balance education and musical enjoyment for her fans/students. Harmon’s latest CD, Mr. Froggy’s Friends’ ABCs continues in the same vein Harmon has followed since her debut in 1993.

Mr. Froggy's Friends' ABCs opens with the title track, capitalizing on the mascot of Music With Mar's shows, Mr. Froggy. Mar explores the alphabet using children’s' names and mnemonic devices to help your young one remember their ABC's. Up next is Green, Yellow, Red, a cute song that helps teach the meaning of the light colors in a traffic light. From having seen it live I can say this is a particular favorite of Mar's fans. Brush Your Teeth is a tutorial set to a catchy rock arrangement that will be fun for both parents and little ones. The song provides a fun teaching moment from parent to child that has both educational and social value.

Mar. puts her own spin on Old McDonald, injecting a little more action and her trademark sense of humor into the mix for a fun listen/play along song. Five Hip Hoppy Frogs is a counting song that was a big hit with the kids when we saw her live. Set to a mild hip-hop beat, Five Hip Hoppy Frogs is a fresh approach that the kids will love. Tell Me The Word is a teaching song about objects in the sky that seems to play well with the kiddos, and Colors helps to learn primary and secondary colors in a fun music setting. Five Monkeys Swinging In A Tree was one of the real crowd favorites when we saw her live show. The song features a message on how to act that is as apt for adults as for their children, and also features Mar's monkey squeal, which you really have to hear to believe. Mar closes out with Watch The Monkey That Moves, a funky action song that will get your kids moving around (and you too!).

Mar Harmon has been doing Music With Mar shows since her debut album in 1993. There are a number of local classes in various parts of the country these days (particularly in Western New York). If you get a chance to check out one of the classes with your little one(s), they're a treat. But the CDs are great listening for the kids and provide a great opportunity for interactive learning between parent and child or for playgroups. In a market glutted with children's albums, Mar Harmon rises with the cream on Mr. Froggy's Friends' ABCs. Check it out.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Mar Harmon at http://www.musicwithmar.com/. You can purchase Mr. Froggy’s Friends’ ABCs in her store.

Review: Melting Point - Get On The Bus

Melting Point - Get On The Bus
2009, Banana Man Records

Berkeley, California has been the home bass and hiding place of Melting Point since 2005. While in relative seclusion the band has been cooking up a mix of classic sounds and downtown rounds to try to add something new to the rock n roll stew. The result is their debut CD, Get On The Bus, a mix of Garage and Noise with a Seattle poise and a lot of testosterone thrown in.

Melting Point gets right to the cusp on Get On The Bus but never quite gets gaseous. A steady mix of Garage, Noize and Psychedelia is punctuated with the occasional Reggae jam or Grunge outpouring as a means to purvey the testosterone-laden lyrics Melting Point thrives on. More American Pie than American Idol, the quartet runs through thirteen decent to good tracks with no real, "Hey, who is THAT?" moment. The closest thing on the disc is Rainbow Tincan, which sounds a bit like heavier Jethro Tull. It's the most coherent and directional songwriting on the album and you could actually here this one getting played on the radio. The other material is interesting, from the Pearl Jam/Soundgarden hybrid Ishmael to the pure teenage male chutzpah of Core and Get On The Bus. Melting Point is great party music, particularly if its a frat party, but Get On The Bus is too steeped in its influences to really get original. There’s a definite demographic for Get On The Bus, but its not a large slice of the commercial pie.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Melting Point at www.myspace.com/meltingpointband or http://www.meltingpointband.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Get On The Bus.

Review: Mammoth Life - Kaleidoscopic Art Pop

Mammoth Life - Kaleidoscopic Art Pop
2009, Mammoth Life

Chamber Pop Quintet (and occasionally sextet) Mammoth Life hails from Lawrence, Kansas, where among the cornfields, under the hot Kansas sun they've been distilling a brand of alt-pop sweeter than corn bread and more powerful than ethanol. Kaleidoscopic Art Pop is the name of their debut album, and an apt description for the mellifluous music creates as easily as they breathe. Producer and bandleader founded Mammoth Life in 2004 with keyboardist/vocalist Elizabeth Mead. The band is rounded out with lead vocalist Bobby Sauder, Melicent King (violin, synths) and Rachel Mulford (drums).

Mammoth Life works because of strong songwriting and a sense of joy that comes across in their music. Its not that the songs are particularly happy or bouncy, but there's a real sense that Mammoth Life is having a ball doing what they're doing, and it rubs off on the listener. Bicycle Rider is frenetic, chaotic and tuneful with great harmonies and an almost classical song structure highlighted with quirky Folk/Pop instrumentation. Convoluted I starts out as a Gypsy/Klezmer hybrid led by the violin before resolving into a quirky pop confection. These are the sort of contradictions you'll encounter when listening to Mammoth Life, although they sound less like contradictions than happily coexisting musical improbabilities. At Once is a prime example. After several listens the only honest description I can come up with is that it’s bizarre, yet strangely catchy. You'll have to form your own opinion on this one, but the intrigue factor is enough on its own to keep you coming back.

Word Salad plays like a pop symphony masquerading as an alternative folk song, which serves as a warm-up for First Semester Of College. This may be the most inventive song on the album, opening as a Baroque harpsichord composition that devolves into what I can only describe as highly rhythmic toddler punk. Unburden Your Heart To Me is also highly unique, playing like a Medieval musical play. The instrumentation is a bit surreal but the song is highly entertaining. The biggest surprise on Kaleidoscopic Art Pop is Our Prayer, a classic mixolydian secular hymn played on what sounds like Organ and Sanctus Bells. Our Prayer is a beautiful piece of musical expression.

Mammoth Life looks like they might have just stepped out of the late 1960's. The creativity and ability to look at musical creation from outside the box is refreshing and enervating. Not everyone is going to get this music. It's definitely not the status quo, but it might just be the most original sound you're going to find this year. Kaleidoscopic Art Pop contains a couple of songs that just don't gel, but on the whole it’s an outstanding effort.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Mammoth Life at http://www.mammothlife.net/ or www.myspace.com/officialmammothlife. You can purchase a copy of Kaleidoscopic Art Pop at www.cdbaby.com/cd/mammothlife.

Review: Mouse Kills Tiger - Music Is The Weapon Of The Children

Mouse Kills Tiger - Music Is The Weapon Of The Children
2008, Mouse Kills Tiger

Mouse Kills Tiger is a Los Angeles based dramatic alt/goth rock ensemble with a decided proclivity for depressive, or at the very least, repressive musical melodrama. Their debut EP, Music Is The Weapon Of The Children, follows a path that Robert Smith would pay tribute to. With recording help from Barak Shpiez of Beware Fashionable Women, Mouse Kills Tiger has released their musical wares upon the world.

Music Is The Weapon Of Children opens with She's Hungry, a highly repetitive piece that builds in intensity but never reaches a climax before it sort of fades away. I See Mephistopheles is a surreal, sonic overload. Minor keys bend into other minor keys, leaving the listener without any real sense of aural resolution. Chasing Foxes didn't leave much of a distinct impression either way, whereas Racer Ready was a long, drawn out musical exposition that again, never seemed to reach a plateau or a sense of sonic completion. Music Is The Weapon Of The Children had a more compositional sense to it but still fails to really connect with the listener.

Music Is The Weapon Of The Children is the sort of vaguely disturbing, depressive rock music that The Cure or The Smiths would have made had they not had their inherent pop sensibilities. It is somewhat impressive as a musical exercise in tenacity, but doesn't reward the listener for traveling through such dark musical lands with even one bit of sonic resolution. Mouse Kills Tiger will find a demographic that enjoys this music, but its not highly marketable. For my own part I found it a difficult listen but not without artistic merit.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Mouse Kills Tiger at www.myspace.com/mousekillstiger. You can download Music Is The Weapon Of The Children for free here.

Review: Teressa Edwards - Days Ahead

Teressa Edwards – Days Ahead
2009, Teressa Edwards

Teressa Edwards cut her musical teeth singing in gospel choirs. By the age of 16 she was singing in a professional choir and traveling all over the Caribbean. The sudden, tragic death of her mother put a stop to the non-stop touring, but music remained as a source of comfort and a means of creative catharsis. Edwards’ energies were put into writing and recording her debut album, Days Ahead.

Teressa Edwards has an interesting and entertaining voice; there’s a rough edge built into the center of her sound that keeps her voice from being pretty, per se, but its memorable and unique enough to catch and hold your attention. Such a sound builds an expectation in the listener that the material that follows might follow a similarly atypical path, but it is not to be on Days Ahead. Edwards sticks to pretty standard R&B/Hip-Hop formulae, but fails to really distinguish herself from the vast pool of other singers/performers in that pool. Cookie-cutter dance songs are the order of the day (How You Want It, Honey Trap, Hypnotised, Crazy Baby), with some Hip-Hop (Don’t Be A Fool) and even Latin-flavored Hip-Hop (Dance With Me) thrown in. What is absent is even a single song that lets Edwards really open up her voice and show you’re the powerful, gorgeous sound she is capable of. The closest Edwards comes is I Love You, a decent R&B ballad that is unfortunately introduced as if its being played on the radio.

Edwards is flat out better than the material on Days Ahead. The music itself is average and is, quite frankly, carried by Edwards’ voice. Days Ahead is worth hearing for flashes of what Edwards possesses vocally, but even that is giving short shrift to Teressa Edwards. She’s better than what you’ll hear here.

Rating: 1.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Teressa Edwards at www.myspace.com/teressaedwardsdebut or http://www.teressaonline.com/. You can purchase Days Ahead as a download through either Amazon.com or iTunes.

Review: Jim Allchin - Enigma

Jim Allchin - Enigma
2009, Sandy Key Music

If it weren't for a serious illness you might never have heard of Jim Allchin unless you were a true techno-geek. Allchin helped run the Platforms & Services Division of Microsoft until retiring in 2007. Allchin was recognized by none other than Bill Gates as "a brilliant technologist, visionary and a strong leader". Staring mortality in the eye, Allchin didn't flinch. Like so many great achievers facing adversity he simply re-prioritized his life and moved forward. A trip to Montenegro and Croatia turned Allchin on to the pop music of that region, and the passion for music he'd experienced the first time he listened to Jimi Hendrix as a youth, and soon he was playing and writing up a storm. Recording almost exclusively on his own, Allchin went on to create Enigma, his 12-song debut album that was just released on March 17th.

Jim Allchin kicks off Enigma with Enigma Machine, a stylistic and driven guitar instrumental that is a musical throwing down of the gauntlets to the listener. You are hereby noted that this isn't just a vanity project, but a serious effort at musical creation that is going to challenge you. Allchin doesn't have the greatest singing voice, but he uses its best effect on Enigma. Take A Chance On Love is an easy-feeling pop song that's a great prologue for I'm About To Fall. I'm About To Fall is a sleepy and succinct tune about the inevitability of love. Let's Play is a true highlight. Allchin makes the most of a song that could be a true pop hit in the right hands.
Allchin takes us to the islands on She's In Love With Me, a peppy and danceable pop song with real legs to it. I was particularly impressed with I'm Your Man. Allchin serves up some deliciously lyric guitar work here, embellished with vocal harmonies built in classic rock triads. I'm Your Man is a sonic treat. The true standout of Enigma is the Roadhouse Rock N Blues of Rockin' Chair. Allchin stays with the Blues on the Stevie Ray Vaughan styled Killer Shuffle. The album closes out back in the roadhouse with Kick It, an agressive Southern Rock/Blues hybrid that allows Allchin to show off stylistically on his way out the door.

Alright, I'll admit it, I was a bit cynical when this one first came across my desk. Celebrities, politicians, athletes and captains of industry all want to be musicians, and most have the resources to do it even if no one's listening. There are some out there with real talent, but these are few and far between. Jim Allchin is already an accomplished guitarist and performer, and a better than average songwriter. I am also convinced that if you listen to this disc and find flaw, when you hear the next one those flaws will be greatly diminished. Allchin is not the sort of man to stand still. He's always reaching and stretching and perfecting whatever he applies to himself. Enigma is a great start, and if his past is any indication, whatever comes next will be even better by leaps and bounds.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jim Allchin at http://www.jimallchin.com/. You can purchase a copy of Enigma at www.cdbaby.com/cd/allchin.

Review: David Grissom - 10,000 Feet

David Grissom - 10,000 Feet
2009, Wide Lode Records

David Grissom is something of a legend within the music industry, but the casual music fan won't know his name in spite of hearing him play many times over. As a session and touring guitarist, Grissom has worked with the likes of The Dixie Chicks, John Mellencamp, Joe Ely, Buddy Guy, Storyville and The Allman Brothers. His songs have been recorded by Tricia Yearwood, John Mayall, Montgomery Gentry, Webb Wilder and more. We reviewed Grissom's debut album, Loud Music last year. Now he's back with 10,000 Feet, mixing Stevie Ray Vaughan style blues and AOR rock with good old fashioned Texas songwriting for one of the most accomplished classic rock albums of the year, thus far.

10,000 Feet opens with Keep A-Rollin' On, with Grissom channeling Gary Richrath on guitar in an energetic guitar rocker. 10,000 Feet is a classic song; strong vocals highlight this highly melodic song. Take Me Back To Texas is a love song for that state, and Butterbean Friday is a tribute to the sort of Blues Stevie Ray Vaughan made famous. Good Day For The Blues is bound to be a concert favorite, complete with Bic or iPhone lighting scheme. Three songs in particular stand out from the rest as exceptional. True Love Don't Work That Way is the strongest entry, a driving blues/rock hybrid that you won't be able to get out of your head. Jet Trails In The Sky may be the deepest track here; an allegory for unrequited love that is poetic and reverential. My other favorite is Sqwawk. Built on Blues riffs, Sqwawk is set against a 1970's anti-punk arrangement that is intriguing. This is what it might sound like if Kim Mitchell ever jammed with Eric Clapton.

Grissom is a more than capable vocalist, but his guitar playing is the true standout on 10,000 Feet. This is a highly enjoyable album that just doesn't quit. Grissom hits you with great song after great song without sounding formulaic or tired. 10,000 Feet is a must-hear CD.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about David Grissom at www.myspace.com/davidgrissommusic. You can purchase a copy of 10,000 Feet at www.cdbaby.com/cd/davidgrissom2.

Brother Dan Palmer - The Nashville Sessions
2009, Brother Dan Palmer

Carson City, Nevada crooner Brother Dan Palmer is back with an EP of songs he re-recorded in Nashville. All the songs presented here were on Brother Dan's previous release, Nothin’ Better Than This, but are given full life on The Nashville Sessions, set for release on May 22, 2009.

The songs are originally recorded by Brother Dan were great, but what he has done on The Nashville Sessions is fill out the sounds and bring new life to fan favorites. Natural Love is funkier than the original and full of energy. Meant For You is probably the most improved version, in a funk/rock arrangement that will have you movin' and groovin'. Time Keeps Tickin' Away has a much fuller sound than the original version and frames Brother Dan's voice better. All I Ever Wanted is captured in a fantastic Americana arrangement. The EP closes out with Where You Are. This is a great love song, wrapped up here in a Country/Americana arrangement you won't forget.

Fans of Brother Dan Palmer will eat this up. The original album is an excellent recording and document of where Brother Dan was at the time musically. The Nashville Sessions represents an artist who has grown, and provides measurable proof by revisiting song that were good as they were and enhancing them in ways that improve their marketability without sacrificing the quality of the music. The Nashville Sessions is definitely a worthwhile venture.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Brother Dan Palmer at www.myspace.com/brotherdan2 or http://www.brotherdanpalmer.com/. The Nashville Sessions will be released on May 22, 2009.

Review: Brother Joscephus And The Love Revival Revolution Orchestra

Brother Joscephus And The Love Revival Revolution Orchestra - Self-Titled
2009, Righteous Enough Records

Today we get to hear the words of the secular gospel of Brother Joscephus And The Love Revival Revolution Orchestra, an 11-piece band from New York City who sounds like they just stepped off the steamer from New Orleans. Ray Charles Soul and R&B, southern Gospel and New Orleans Jazz all get thrown into the mix to create one of the most dynamic and enjoyable recordings to come out of the New York City scene in quite some time. Brother Joscephus And The Love Revival Orchestra was released in February of 2009 and has already made a splash in New York, but something this good can't be contained even in a city the size of New York. Brother Joscephus brings his message of universal love, harmony and peace wrapped up in some of the warmest feel good music you can find.

The CD opens with A Child Shall Lead, done in classic southern gospel style. It's an amazing listen and poignant regardless of your belief system. Like many of the songs on Brother Joscephus, A Child Shall Lead is written from the perspective of the downtrodden; the folks who know they can't live up to the standard of perfection but continue to try to be good and hope for one to come along to lead them all into the path of righteousness. The same ideal has transcended philosophical and religious thought in culture after culture, and there is a strong history of this resigned persistence in jazz in particular. Brother Joscephus captures this heavy dynamic perfectly in a song that is deep yet entertaining. Bon Temps Roulez is a New Orleans expression in French Creole meaning Let The Good Times Roll. The song is written in a jazz fueled style reminiscent of some of Randy Newman's best work and is a definite highlight.

Brother Joscephus channels the late, great Ray Charles on Can't Help Myself, getting the same sort of gritty soul and pop mix that Charles practically invented. O Moses and More Than I Need fit into the secular gospel model that Joscephus brings to this CD and to his live shows, whereas Bury Me In New Orleans hits the perfect blend of Rock, R&B and Jazz. It's hard to pick one or two highlights here, as everything on the disc is a great listen.

Brother Joscephus is a showman in the most classic sense. It would be easy to imagine seeing Brother Joscephus on the same stages as greats such as Louis Prima and Bobby Darin. Brother Joscephus And The Love Revival Revolution Orchestra is a must-listen, must own CD. While the style isn't original, there are so few people doing this sort of music these days that it will sound new and original, much like Brian Setzer reintroducing the world to Louis Prima and swing a decade ago. You don't want to miss this Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Brother Joscephus And The Love Revival Revolution Orchestra at www.myspace.com/brotherjoscephus or http://www.brotherjoscephus.com/. You can purchase a copy of Brother Joscephus And The Love Revival Revolution Orchestra at www.cdbaby.com/cd/brotherjoscephus.

Review: The Rippys - Lost And Found

The Rippys – Lost And Found
2009, Afterever

Ron and Leticia Rippy form two partnerships. The husband and wife duo are also known as The Rippys, the Los Angeles based music duo that throws out distinctions between religious and secular music and writes from a diverse well of influences. From artists such as Chicago, James Taylor, Wilson Phillips, Amy Grant and Steven Curtis Chapman, The Rippys gather influence and inspiration to write about subjects ranging from relationships to God. Their debut CD, Lost And Found, seeks what all people seek: meaning, purpose, fulfillment and love.

Lost And Found opens with You And Me, a great pop arrangement with lots of energy. Is It Me moves to a big classic rock guitar sound with soulful vocals. Is It Me is a bit lyrically awkward, but highly listenable. Can You Hear Me (L) is funky with lots of soul. Maker is musically pleasing, but lyrically simplistic and repetitive to the point of distraction. Move Me is a reggae Praise song that works more for its quirkiness than anything else. Other songs of interest are Cries Out, where the Rippys manage to sound a bit like later Yes and My Whole Heart.

The Rippys remind me a great deal of Sixpence None The Richer, a band that is primarily Christian in content but occasionally delves into secular subject matter. There’s real talent here but also a tendency perhaps to force their desired subject matter into song rather than letting the songs be what they want and then finding words to fit. The music here is quite enjoyable, but the lyrical constructs can be awkward at times. Nevertheless Lost And Found is an interesting listen.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Rippys at http://www.rippys.net/ or www.myspace.com/therippys. You can purchase a copy of Lost And Found at www.cdbaby.com/cd/rippys.

Review: Melissa Axel - Transition [EP]

Melissa Axel – Transition
2009, Melissa Axel

Denver’s Melissa Axel is a woman with a piano. Following in the footsteps of Tori Amos, Axel uses the piano as more than just an instrument, it is the narrow focus through which she delineates the world using her personal perspective. The Berklee College of Music grad is working on a full length album at the moment, but in the mean time sent along her first EP, Transition, for review.

Axel has an interesting and pleasant voice that is deep and full, with a lot of implied strength. There’s no breathy pop maven quality here, but a sound reminiscent of earth and nature. Consequently Axel puts the listener instantly at easy (la Carly Simon or Joan Baez). The music is quite enjoyable as well, but Axel does run into some issues with the wordiness of her songs. Axel comes across as well spoken in her songs, but is wordy to the point of losing the listener at times. Fall This Hard opens the set with a wonderful piano and violin-sourced Pop ballad. This song is lovely and a joy to listen to and Axel manages to stay somewhat lyrically succinct. On Transition (No More Fairytales), Axel delivers what sounds like a Broadway soliloquy in song. The word count rises here and borders on distraction, but the song is so good it doesn’t quite intrude on the listening experience. By the time we get to Transparency and Madness the verbosity has become too much to bear. This is unfortunate as its somewhere in here that many listeners may choose to turn off the disc; the best song is yet to come. Transition closes out with Out Of Nowhere. Axel has reined herself in here, delivering a gorgeous piano/pop ballad with incredible harmonies.

Melissa Axel has a voice you’ll love listening to, and when she stays in control of the lyrics her songs are a pleasure. Axel appears to have a tendency toward extreme verbosity in her lyrics that detracts from the essential beauty of the music she writes. When Axel controls this tendency the results are sublime. Transition is a pleasure when she does and a difficult listen when she does not.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Melissa Axel at http://www.melissaaxel.com/ or www.myspace.com/melissaaxel. You can purchase a copy of Transition at www.cdbaby.com/cd/melissaaxel3.

Review: Last Charge Of The Light Horse - Fractures

Last Charge Of The Light Horse - Fractures
2008, Curlock & Jalaise Records

Last Charge Of The Light Horse is no stranger to praise. The New York trio's debut CD, 2005's Getaway Car was named Independent Album of the Year for 2005 by The Daily Vault. Their song The Second Time Around was even featured on the PBS show Roadtrip Nation. Not afraid of the sophomore slump, Last Charge Of The Light Horse barreled into 2008 with Fractures, a Folk/Americana celebration of life's trials and tribulations. Vocalist/guitarist Jean-Paul Vest, Bassist AJ Riegger and drummer Jimmy Romanelli have captured lightning in a bottle the second time around.

Vest is a true wordsmith, creating aural oil paintings in music and lyric. The depth and movement of the music is surprising given that we're talking about a bare-bones trio. Fractures opens with The New Year, a wonderfully dark celebration of the turning of time with highly melodic and ethereal effects. This song is very catchy but in a quiet way that will surprise you. Face To Face has a Dire Straits feel to it. Vest has a similar vocal sound to Knopfler at times, and his guitar style goes there at times, although he never quite captures the level of subtlety Knopfler is capable of (who does?). Something Out Of Nothing is a poignant vignette that sounds like it might have been born of jam session between Dire Straits and Toad The Wet Sprocket.

One of my favorite tracks here, sprinkled with wry humor, is A New Expression. This is a song about being in the doghouse that will hit home for those in the know. Even if you're not it's a great song. The Switch Is On is a great rhythmic rock song, expressing change both in the lyrics and in the movement evident in the musical arrangement. Time is a great Americana/Rock song. Fans of The Cash Brothers or Skydiggers will love this tune. The last three songs on the CD are perhaps the best songwriting of the bunch. These aren't flashy songs in any fashion, just good, solid songwriting with a touch of magic. A Song Like Yours couldn't be any plainer but in its ordinariness finds a subtle beauty that shines out of its plaintive arrangement. Spring Ahead is aural painting, perfectly framed; a vignette on a relationship forever captured in song. 100,001 is story song about the day-to-day details of life that can bog people down, but turns the tables to find magic in the mundane.

Last Charge Of The Light Horse keeps it simple, and in simplicity finds magic and a complexity that is amazing. Fractures is a thing of beauty, a musical aesthetic that is destined to be under appreciated in a music business with an attention span shorter than that of Tom from 50 First Dates. The overall dynamic here will be too mellow for some, but there is an incredibly vibrant energy that runs through even the coolest of moments on Fractures, but it’s a disc that really requires your full attention. You'll get out of it what you put into it. Fractures is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc; A classic.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Last Charge Of The Light Horse at www.myspace.com/lastcharge. You can purchase a copy of Fractures at www.cdbaby.com/cd/lcotlh2.

Review: Blue Turtle Seduction - 13 Floors

Blue Turtle Seduction - 13 Floors
2008, azugasrecords

Party bands were originally an organic outgrowth of family get-togethers. In the days before television or radio, a family get together would usually bring in a few instruments, and the "band" would be filled out by various attendees picking up anything that might make a musical noise and chiming in. This guaranteed that the sound was always different, always changing, and accounts for many bits of inspiration that led to the diverse musical styles played around the world today. True party bands don't happen much anymore, unless you happen upon a kitchen party up in Newfoundland or some other such place, but Blue Turtle Seduction has captured the dynamic perfectly on their album 13 Floors. Based in South Lake Tahoe, California, Blue Turtle Seduction mixes Rock, Bluegrass, Hip-Hop and Reggae in a blend that is nearly beyond description. Infused with lively melodies and intelligent, socially conscious lyrics, Blue Turtle Seduction's music comes alive on CD.

Blue Turtle Seduction is like the weather here in Buffalo, NY, if you don't like what they're playing wait five minutes, it will change. 13 Floors opens with the Punk acoustic rock anthem What's My Name? You can slam dance with the violin until they transition into the aptly named Antidote, which uses Brian Wilson-era Beach Boys style harmonies to bring you back to earth. Perfect Gentleman made me think of Blues Traveler playing Ska music, whereas Haley sounds a bit like Tom Waits in a baroque musical arrangement. My personal favorite here is El Camino, with its Punk Rock verse, Country/Americana chorus and a Celtic/Gypsy blended style of fiddle playing that words just can't do justice to. Also noteworthy is the energetic and driven Foot By Foot, White Flags and the 13-minute musical odyssey known as Roses And Big Belt Buckle.

Blue Turtle Seduction are a true original. If there is anyone out there that sounds quite like Blue Turtle Seduction I've yet to hear of them. This is an eminently listenable disc. There's a real party vibe running through the album with only a couple of slow moments. It may be a bit of an acquired taste, but Blue Turtle Seduction's 13 Floors is a taste worth acquiring. This leaves us looking forward to what they might do next.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Blue Turtle Seduction at www.myspace.com/blueturtleseduction or http://www.blueturtlemusic.com/, where you can purchase a copy of 13 Floors.

Review: Stephen Luke - No Man's Land

Stephen Luke - No Man's Land
2009, Sweet Lucy Records

Cincinatti's Stephen Luke returned to music as a form of physical therapy after severing two tendons in his left hand. Taking lessons from guitarist Kelly Richey, Luke quickly reignited the fire he once felt as a teenager performing at local dances in the 1970's. In the process of learning from Richey, Luke started writing songs that caught his teacher's attention. Once fully recovered, Stephen Luke signed with Richey's Sweet Lucy Records and has released his debut CD, No Man's Land. Filled with classic roots rock sounds reminiscent of Tom Petty, Steve Earle or James McMurtry, No Man's Land also features Kelly Richey on guitar.

The CD opens with the title track, a straight-up classic rock tune with great harmonies. Long Way From Home has a funky/blues feel to it that's a pleasant listen. Powered By Love is the standout track; a Clapton-esque blues rocker with a rough feel. The second half of the album is a bit on the slow side, although Santa Ana Winds, I Must Dreamin' and Hurricane are all decent. Stephen Luke has a pleasant if not overly dynamic voice, but the guitar work here is excellent. Overall the disc is a pleasant listen but didn't bowl me over by any means. Guitar players, particularly those interested in electric blues will find a lot to like here. No Man's Land is a decent listen.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Stephen Luke at http://www.stephenlukemusic.com/. You can purchase a copy of No Man’s Land at www.cdbaby.com/cd/stephenluke.

Review: Falling Blind - Falling Blind

Falling Blind – Falling Blind
2008, Trip Six Records

Seattle’s Falling Blind claims heavy influences by both Incubus and Nirvana, and lays those influences out for all to hear on their debut EP, Falling Blind. With roots in Redding, California, this West Coast band has garnered a lot of industry attention already. They are touring the West Coast this Spring with their eyes on a wider audience in the future.

Falling Blind opens with Spoonfed Morality, a big guitar rock song with interesting arythmic sounds. Just A Distraction is up next, a classic sounding Pop/Metal ballad with some real kick in the bridge. Vocalist Clayton Marquiss is at his most soulful here. Where I Stand is your prototypical driving rock song with big guitars and heavy rhythms, whereas Modest Opinion marks a band that’s doing more than just cranking out tunes. Modest Opinion opens with one of the filthiest guitar licks you’re likely to hear and slams through a tight, compact rock arrangement that is a pleasure to listen to. This is an Indie classic. Dirty brings back the arrhythmic guitar style of Mike Davidson in a song with great movement running through the music. Falling Blind closes out with Is There A Reason, a classic, 1980’s Hair Metal sounding rocker.

Falling Blind is sure to find fans across the hard rock spectrum. For how much they stress influences like Nirvana and Incubus, Falling Blind ends up sounding wholly like themselves and no one else. Guitarist Davidson is a special find, with a style that could become distinctive and even signature over time. This is an excellent start.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Falling Blind at www.myspace.com/fallingblind. You can purchase a copy of Falling Blind at www.cdbaby.com/cd/fallingblind.

Review: Tingstad & Rumbel - Leap Of Faith

Tingstad & Rumbel – Leap Of Faith
2008, Cheshire Records

Eric Tingstad & Nancy Rumbel are a Grammy Award winning duo with 19 albums on their resume. Their 2003 release, Acoustic Garden won a Grammy, and 1998’s American Acoustic was honored as “Acoustic Instrumental Album Of The Year”. Tingstad & Rumbel have been playing together since 1985 and have toured all over the world together. Their latest album, Leap Of Faith, debuted at #6 on the NAR charts.

Leap Of Faith opens with the title track, instigating a lovely vibrant energy in the interplay between guitar and clarinet. A sweet rendition of Georgia On My Mind makes way for Zacatecas, which will definitely get your feet moving. It’s a little too mellow to really dance to, but enjoyable nonetheless. Spring Maiden is a Celtic piece that sounds like it could have come right off of the Braveheart soundtrack. San Antonio Rose is a profound musical moment. The guitar work here is outstanding. If you don’t listen for any other reason, this is worth it. Summertime is another bravo moment. The guitar style here is unique and beautiful. Other highlights include the Klezmer-light To Life, Medicine Tree and Happy Trails.

Tingstad & Rumbel make acoustic instrumental music that is too good to be classified as elevator music or even dinner music. This is music you sit down and give a serious listen to. Musicians with a true passion for their instruments will love Leap Of Faith. Others will have an appreciation for the artistry here, but it might take someone who’s worked for months or years to perfect their craft to really get it. Either way, it’s a great listen.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more and Tingstad & Rumbel at http://www.tingstadrumbel.com/. You can purchase a copy of Leap Of Faith at www.cdbaby.com/cd/tingstadrumbel3.

Review: Garry Jackson - Something's Got A Hold On Me

Garry Jackson – Something’s Got A Hold On Me
2007, Wild Oats Records

Garry Jackson is a Toronto native who splits his time between Schomberg, Ontario and Nashville, Tennessee. Jackson has several recordings under his belt, and for the past few years has been recording for Wild Oats Records in Nashville. His most recent effort, Something’s Got A Hold On Me was produced by Steve Haggard and release in 2007. Jackson writes classic country/folk/Americana singer/songwriter material in the tradition of John Prine, Neil Young and Jackson Browne. Jackson has a pleasant, easy-going voice that fits perfectly into the web of his songs; dynamic without overwhelming the music. What is most impressive is the music itself, which is flawless and tight and full of movement. This isn’t cookie cutter folk by any means, Jackson and his band are top flight musicians

Something’s Got A Hold On Me opens with Fair Belfast Town, a Celtic flavored ode to that great city. It is a sweet tribute. Mixed Up Crazy is a musical extravaganza with amazing harmonies and some very intriguing pick work on the guitar. Its A Crying Shame is one of my favorites on the disc. It’s an upbeat song about hidden sins that is thought provoking. Mourn For Me No More is one of those songs where I love the arrangement but just didn’t like the song all that much. It’s done as a classic story song but just moves too slowly; great instrumentation though. The best song on the album is No More Are We To Paint This Town. It’s a song of heartache and sorrow that is well-written and well-delivered.

Garry Jackson starts with the songwriting style of Neil Young and John Prine and fills it in with Celtic and Appalachian influences on Something’s Got A Hold On Me. Jackson has an easy vocal style and is surrounded by some outstanding musicians, and most of the time this is enough to carry the album. The material is a little uneven, but generally quite good. Something’s Got A Hold On Me is a definite must for Folk and Singer/Songwriter fans.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Garry Jackson at http://www.garryjackson.ca/ or www.myspace.com/garryjacksonmusic. You can purchase a copy of Something’s Got A Hold On Me at www.cdbaby.com/cd/garryjackson2.

Review: Spike Nicer - Mystery Time

Spike Nicer – Mystery Time
2008, Spike Nicer Records

Clarksville, Tennessee’s Spike Nicer is quite a find. Playing almost solely around his home base and in Nashville, Nicer has gained a strong following for his strong musical arrangements, vibrant story telling in song, and a quirky ability to show you the world you know in a different light. Blues, Rock, Gospel and Country all have free reign here depending on the song, and Nicer digs into each with a confidence and grace that puts the listener immediately at ease. Spike Nicer’s second sophomore album, Mystery Time, came out in 2008, and is really something you ought to hear.

Mystery Time opens with E.I.L.L.Y., where Nicer is the consummate showman. Elements of Blues, Rock and Gospel are all evident here in a song that will stay with you. Up next is Back-Up Man, a lively autobiographical song of a home wrecker played as the ultimate con man. This song will get you dancing with its classic R&B/Funk sound. The guitar and piano work here are sublime. Rain is a true highlight. Nicer finds perfect voice in a classic singer/songwriter tune with real pop implications. Nicer brings on the wry humor in Sarah, a song of melancholic obsession that’s either hilariously funny or eerily creepy depending on how you listen to it. Tangled Webs is also an interesting listen, like Bob Seger doing a Country/Gospel tune.

My favorite song on the disc is 99 Parts Dust, a musical metaphor for aging that relies on the “ashes to ashes, dust to dust” concept of death. Not nearly as morbid as it sounds; the song identifies the passing of years and of innocence with the collection of dust. It’s a powerful, poetic and beautiful musical statement. Longtime country fans will also dig The Day Chris LeDoux Died, a loving tribute to the great country singer/songwriter and rodeo man. From this solemn moment Nicer takes us on a wry remembrance of a near-miss on a train, reminding us that some moments can never be recaptured. Mystery Time closes out with Turn The Lights Off, Baby, a tongue-in-cheek treatise on middle-aged love that will have folks of a certain age nodding their heads, and the younger set swearing it will never be them (right).

Spike Nicer is the sort of artist who deserves a bigger stage than the ones he sits upon right now. He is a troubadour in the classic sense, making you think, feel and laugh with his music. You’ll become so involved in the music and stories that the end of Mystery Time will come around and you’ll wonder how it went to fast. Nicer has a voice and style that have been influenced by Johnny Cash and Tom Waits, among others, but as an artist he is his own person. Mystery Time is an outstanding listen.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Spike Nicer at http://www.spikenicer.com/ or www.myspace.com/spikenicer. You can purchase a copy of Mystery Time at www.cdbaby.com/cd/spikenicer2.

Overnight – These Days Are Over
2009, Overnight

Overnight is the sort of musical collective that isn’t far removed from the term super group. Members of overnight have played in various bands/ensembles, including Rye Coalition, NAS, Lauryn Hill, Breech (with members of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Brian Jonestown Massacre), Mary J. Blige and Gliss. This range of influences and exposure form the basis of the sound of Overnight. Lush Rock N Roll with electronic trimmings is the special on These Days Are Over, Overnight’s soon-to-be-released sophomore album.

These Days Are Over opens with Harlem River Drive, 6:45; a near-ambient prologue to This Is How, a U2-style epic rock song that is perhaps the best on the album. Strange Love is a wonderfully off-kilter arrangement that relies heavily on electronic instrumentation. Oh The Life! is also highly catchy and memorable, with lead vocalist Philip Watts sounding quite a lot like Bono. I also enjoyed Other Side, a mellow yet energetic rocker and I Know, where Overnight ends up sounding like a more refined version of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Suspect Genius is also worth a spin or two for its punk rock energy.

Overnight definitely hits some high notes on These Days Are Over. This is a musician’s record, and as happens sometimes when musicians really get into a project, there are points where the attempts to perfect a certain sound or style perhaps overwhelm the pure musicality of a given song or part of a song, but on the whole this is a very worthwhile listen.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Overnight at www.myspace.com/overnight or http://www.overnightmusic.net/. A release date for These Days Are Over was not available at publication time, but keep checking Overnight’s web site for additional information.

Review: James & The Rainbros - Self-Titled EP

James & The Rainbros - James & The Rainbros
2008, James & The Rainbros

James & The Rainbros is a Detroit, Michigan quartet with one of the more unusual sounds I’ve come across. Reggae elements mixed with the sort of free-flowing music we’ve become accustomed to hearing from The Counting Crows and even some hints of Led Zeppelin rear their heads on James & The Rainbros, their debut EP. Founded in 2006, James & The Rainbros have made a steady diet of the Metro Detroit club scene, but seem likely to expand their sphere with this EP.

James & The Rainbros opens with Apple Alphabet, a great bit of eclectic pop with a great hook. This is energetic, danceable Rock N Roll. Vocalist James Linck is enigmatic in sound and thoroughly memorable. His is a voice that isn’t pretty, but is eminently interesting to listen to and thoroughly memorable. Our Own Thing is my favorite track here because it has chutzpah. This is, quite literally, what Led Zeppelin would have sounded like with a Reggae rhythm section. Tiny Island also gets into the mix for top track with some unusual song construction and a Reggae/Roots Rock mix. Lord Got Bored is a bit of musical fluff, of the sort that would be a great concert tune. James & The Rainbros closes out with Chase You, a catchy but mellow reggae tune that will have you reaching for the playback button again.

James & The Rainbros are unique, mixing Reggae, Rock and Americana into something of a new blend. The EP James & The Rainbros is a highly entertaining and fun listen. Don’t be surprised if James & The Rainbros break out of Metro Detroit and start making their name on a larger scale in 2009.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about James & The Rainbros at www.myspace.com/jamesandtherainbros. At this time you can download James & The Rainbros from iTunes, or you can purchase a hard copy CD at one of their live shows. Although I think that if you ask nicely in a MySpace message they’ll figure out how to sell you one over the net.

Review: Under Your Bed - Under Your Bed

Under Your Bed – Under Your Bed
2008, Under Your Bed

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s Under Your Bed was born in a coffee-house open mic night in 2005, when guitarist Jim Marchione saw vocalist Elissa Sapp perform with “an acoustic guitar that was bigger than she was”. The voice and charisma that poured out of that tiny little vocalist impressed Marchione, and the seeds for Under Your Bed were born. Adding Brayne Jennings (bass), Zach Brown (drums) and Jon Rossi (rhythm guitar) over a period of time helped to flesh out both the sound and the creative process of Under Your Bed. The culmination (thus far), is the CD Under Your Bed (self-titled), released in 2008. Compared to bands like No Doubt, David Bowie and Stone Temple Pilots, Under Your Bed also works in a little bit of old school punk attitude and energy.

Under Your Bed opens with Unmanageable, with lead vocalist Elissa Sapp sounding like a cross between Gwen Stefani (in her No Doubt days) and Courtney Love. Unmanageable is a perfect introduction to Sapp and the rest of Under Your Bed. The song is anthemic for a lost generation and completely in the spirit of the classic punk bands of the 1970’s without sounding dated. Sapp revs up the adrenaline with Leave The Lights On, a great Rock N Roll come on song. Shut Your Trap shows the band in full frenzy with Sapp like a tigress on the prowl. This is a classic song and likely to be a concert favorite. My favorite song on the disc is Inertia, which is built around one of the nastiest guitar licks you’ll find. Full of great hooks and a sing-a-long chorus, Inertia would have real commercial potential. Be sure to check out Piss On My Parade and S.F.I. (So F### It) for your fill of classic punk attitude.

Under Your Bed could be many things to many people. They are a punk band, an alt-rock band. A melodic hard rock band or Modern Rock band. Vocalist Sapp is a charismatic front woman with a voice that grabs your attention, but Jim Marchione really drives the sound here; an excellent guitar player with some highly creative tendencies in song construction. Under Your Bed is a fun listen and mostly hits the right notes on their debut, Under Your Bed. It’s definitely worth checking out.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Under Your Bed at www.underyourbedmusic.com or www.myspace.com/underyourbedcpr. You can purchase a copy of Under Your Bed at www.cdbaby.com/cd/underyourbed.

Review: Officer Roseland - Stimulus Package

Officer Roseland - Stimulus Package
2008, Officer Roseland

Take a bit of Beatles style pop sensibility, the testosterone-laced flamboyance of Cowboy Mouth and a little trash/punk attitude; mix it all up and let it simmer in the underground Philadelphia Punk scene and you get Officer Roseland. Ironic and wry in an in-your-face fashion, Officer Roseland offer up their cure for what ails you with 2008's Stimulus Package, their fourth release.

Dan Daidone (bass/vocals); Brian Jones (guitar/keys); John Ilisco (drums) and Rob DiJoseph (guitar/bass) mix it up on Stimulus Package, running between highly precise pop/punk anthems and reckless rockers straight from the mosh pit. The CD opens with We Want Your Money, a tongue-in-cheek diatribe on the "selling out" side of the music business most bands deride from the stage as the practice from the souvenir booth. Up next is Modern Rock extravaganza Spiders, sounding a bit like Three Doors Down crossed with Matchbox 20. Exploding from the genteel disposition offered on the first two tracks, Officer Roseland blows up in pure punker glory on That's Armageddon. These first three tracks offer an excellent triangulation of the depth and breadth of Officer Roseland's style. It's not so much that Officer Roseland can't pick a direction; they just refused to be tied down into one sound.

Cracked Harmonies has a great minor key twilight sound to it that keeps this driving rocker coming back into your head, whereas Don't Even packs a testosterone-laden punch ala Cowboy Mouth's John Thomas Griffin. Other highlights include the frenetic The Day B4 U Almost Died, Letting You Go and Bloo Bloo.

Officer Roseland knows how to mix it up in the mosh pits as well as on the big rock stage. Stimulus Package is full of humor, strong melodies and punker attitude tempered by a strong pop sensibility (most of the time). Stimulus Package is a highly enjoyable listen that I imagine could only be enhanced in a live setting. This is good time Rock N Roll.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Officer Roseland at http://www.officerroseland.com/. Officer Roseland will pay you to download Stimulus Package from their website. We’re not kidding…

Review: Timothy Cooper - East Wind

Timothy Cooper - East Wind
2008, New Piano Age Music

While not as inspiring as Light On The Water, Timothy Cooper turns out a solid set of new age piano instrumentals on East Wind. Cooper's latest is a pleasant listen, providing the perfect musical setting for relaxation, good dinner conversation or meditation. Cooper is very adept with the piano at his fingertips, but the energy and urgency of some of his previous works just never quite materializes here. At 30 tracks, East Wind is more a series of musical vignettes than full constructed compositions. There are some interesting excerpts here, but I'd almost prefer to hear Cooper take the ten or twelve most promising pieces and take the time to flesh them out and give them full life.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Timothy Cooper at http://www.new-age-piano.com/. You can purchase a copy of East Wind at www.cdbaby.com/cd/timothycooper.

Review: Max Morgan - Interrupting The Silence

Max Morgan - Interrupting The Silence
2009, Chime Entertainment

Max Morgan has already been heard all over American media outlets and his debut CD hasn't even been released yet. Placement on televisions shows such as Gray's Anatomy and Private Practice; on networks such as The NFL Network and ESPN; and on websites such as Seventeenmagazine.com, AOL Music and NYPost.com have made Morgan omnipresent of late. No one doubts Morgan has a good publicist, but a publicist just pries the door open. Morgan has garnered so much attention and press because he is an uncommonly talented and charismatic singer/songwriter/musician. The Liverpool, England native and Southern California resident brings a highly melodic and lyric vocal sound to a broad cross section of musical styles on his debut CD, Interrupting The Silence. Produced by Marc Tanner (Aerosmith, Madonna, The Calling), Interrupting The Silence is a bright comet currently circling the pop/rock scene; when it lands on March 31, 2009, the impact will be amazing.

Interrupting The Silence opens with the plaintive and melodic Loneliest Man In The World. As songs go this is up there in the Paul McCartney stratosphere of epic melodies. In another era this song would have been a multi-platinum single. Morgan has the sweet vocal essence of Chris Martin and the poise to deliver this song like an epitaph in waiting. Sold Out To The Scene brings a little 1980's pop/glam to the album in a crossover dance/rock package that is unforgettable before pulling on your heart strings with the gorgeously sad Wait For Me. Morgan follows up with the big time guitar rock anthem Suffer, which is a great deal more upbeat than the title may imply.

Morgan stomps and howls through hair rocker Ya Better Believe with all of the machismo and flamboyance that defined the more over-the-top front men of the 1980's. Having shown so many sides, Morgan settles next into the dramatic Nobody's Coming To My Rescue. Not since Freddie Mercury has any vocalist in Rock N Roll shown the breadth and stylistic vigor to tackle so many divergent styles and sounds and do them all successfully. Max Morgan has that kind of talent and appeal, and don't be surprised if this guy reaches the pinnacle of the rock world at some point in his career. Other highlights include Trouble, Don't Stop, the urgent rocker Fell and Prayer For No One.

Max Morgan is a rare, rare talent. It's impossible to say how things will pan out in the long run, but Morgan could be one of those once-in-a-generation talents who will transcend stardom to the point of attaining icon status. The musical and vocal talent is here, as is the charisma to reach out across the various voids that exist between artist and listener. Interrupting The Silence is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc, and is the sort of debut that can be very difficult to top. But something tells me Morgan can and will.

You can learn more about Max Morgan at http://www.maxmorgan.com/ or www.myspace.com/maxmorganband. Interrupting The Silence will be released on March 31, 2009. You can pre-order copies of the CD through Amazon.com.

Review: Pat Flanakin - In The Land Of Make Believe

Pat Flanakin - In The Land Of Make Believe
2003, Pat Flanakin

Pat Flanakin is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who often gets compared to James Taylor (their voices are somewhat similar). Flanakin has over 400 songs to his credit and has been playing both solo and in bands most of his life. His children's album, In The Land Of Make Believe, was released in 2003 and is flavored primarily by pop and country styles. Full of bouncy, upbeat music and Flanakin's understated vocals, this is a great listen for the younger set.

In The Land Of Make Believe has an almost surreal feel to it. Flanakin creates music with a child-like wonder that can be so difficult to capture while still appealing to adult listeners as well. The songs speak to young listeners without ever speaking down. Flanakin is a top-notch songwriter, crafting sweet and sincere melodies in uplifting songs and delivering them all with the minimalist nature practiced by the likes of James Taylor, Jim Croce and Harry Nilsson. All I Want To Be Is Tall perfectly captures the desire of children to grow up quickly than parents may want them to, and Bumblin' Billy will have the little ones (and their folks) dancing all over the room. Nonsense is very memorable, and Rumble Fish is a treat with young April Anyse on lead vocals. Flanakin even gets a little early Rock N Bop sound in on Jammy Jammin' Time.

In The Land Of Make Believe is the sort of album that makes children's eyes light up, and the parents will dig it too. Pat Flanakin comes across as slightly reserved on CD, ala Raffi, although I suspect he's a bit more dynamic in person. This is a definite find in the children's music category; I highly recommend it.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Pat Flanakin at www.broadjam.com/patflanakin. You can purchase a copy of In The Land Of Make Believe through CDBaby. Radiohead

Review: Pan Am Down - One

Pan Am Down - One
2009, Imperfect Smile Records

Brooklyn's Pan Am Down offers up a collection of acoustic guitar based folk songs on One. This is a pleasant listening featuring a plaintive, bland guitar style and the pleasant lead vocals of Joshua R. Kraemer, but fails to excite or challenge the listener. There are no real highs or lows to the album; Pan Am Down maintains pretty much the same intensity, volume and presence throughout the disc. Consequently songs pass without a distinct sense of individuality. While Winter Near A Great Lake and How Long With It Take do peak above the horizon, One stays consistent to a fault.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Pan Am Down at http://www.imperfectsmilerecords.com/. You can purchase a copy of One at www.cdbaby.com/cd/panamdown.

Review: The Hollyfelds - Black Heart Blue

The Hollyfelds - Black Heart Blue
2009, The Hollyfelds

When two of the best female vocalists in country music happen to be part of the same band you know you've got the start of something good. Eryn Hoerig (vocals, autoharp, ukulele, piano) and Kate Grigsby (vocals, 6- and 12-string guitars, banjo, autoharp and mandolin) create harmonies that are absolutely angelic. Add into the mix Tim Mallot (dobro, mandolin and lead guitar); Sam Spitzer (drums, cowbells, accordion) and Keith Hoerig (bass) and you have The Hollyfelds, a band that should inspire you to rename the alt-country genre in their honor. On April 3, 2009, The Hollyfelds will release their third CD; a 5-track EP entitled Black Heart Blue. It's hard to imagine The Hollyfelds topping 2008's Saratoga, but it appears they may have done so.

Black Heart Blue opens with 2 a.m. and the enthralling harmony vocals of Hoerig and Grisgsby. Hoerig has a classic country voice with just a touch of brass; a "tough girl" sound that is balanced out by Grisgby's sweet, lyric soprano. 2 a.m. is the perfect opening; showing off the tight musical interplay of the band beneath the vocalists. Bad Timing has a folk/rock feel to it and a melody that is thoroughly infectious; you won't be able to sit still. Hey 52 plies an early country/rock sound (mellow rockabilly) to a song about getting out of town. The vocals are superb as always, but instrumental work underneath on this one is particularly exceptional. She's Got You is a classic country heart breaker ("I've got your picture, she's got you"). Black Heart Blue closes out with a little bit of redneck country on Ain't It Something, a song about the aftermath of a one night stand.

The Hollyfelds will be touring on a regional basis during 2009 in support of Black Heart Blue. I highly recommend that if you're near one of their shows you take the opportunity to go see them. Ten years from now you'll be paying big money for one of their tickets and telling people about the time you saw them in a small club in the southwest. It's rare to find a mix of talent with the magical spark that The Hollyfelds possess. All it will take is for the right break to happen and The Hollyfelds are going to be as huge as huge can be. If you don't believe me (or even if you do), check out Black Heart Blue, a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. You won't be sorry.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Hollyfelds at http://www.thehollyfelds.com/. You can order copies of Black Heart Blue through CDBaby.

Review: The Handsome Family - Honey Moon

The Handsome Family - Honey Moon
2009, Carrot Top Records

The Handsome Family is husband and wife duo Brett and Rennie Sparks. The Albuquerque, new Mexico tandem decided to celebrate their 20th year of marriage by releasing their eighth album, the aptly titled Honey Moon. Their previous CD, The Last Days Of Wonder was recognized by Mojo magazine as one of the top ten American albums of 2006, as well as recognizing their third CD, Through The Trees as one of the ten essential Americana albums of all time. Inspired by classic brother duos (Monroe, Everley, Louvin) of early country music and the great vocal R&B groups (Mills Brothers, Ink Spots, Platters), The Handsome Family crafted twelve highly melodic and deep songs for Honey Moon.

Honey Moon opens with Linger, Let Me Linger, which sounds like it might have come right out of the Grand Ol' Opry itself, circa 1952. Little Sparrows comes to a bit more modern sound, hitting a classic country stride that might have haunted AM radio in the 1970's and early 1980's. Brett Sparks has a very full and somewhat heavy voice that is something of a period sound. Rennie Sparks is the perfect vocal counterpoint, with a light and airy sound that illuminates the darker edge of Brett Sparks. The Loneliness Of Magnets explores the junction where early rock, jazz and country meet in one of the aural highlights of the album. Other highlights include The Petrified Forest, When You Whispered, Wild Wood and The Winding Corn Maze.
I am not as enraptured with The Handsome Family as some critics seem to be, but they are certainly very talented. The Sparks show a strong sense of melody and harmony, and lyrically there is a real sense of movement to the songs on Honey Moon. Fans of classic country and Americana will definitely dig this one.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Handsome Family at www.myspace.com/thehandsomefamily or http://www.handsomefamily.com/, where you can purchase Honey Moon.

Review: Coal Mine Canaries - Greatest Hits, Vol. 3

Coal Mine Canaries - Greatest Hits, Vol. 3
2008, Wayward Canadian Music

Coal Mine Canaries' EP, Greatest Hits, Volume 3 is a tongue-in-cheek collection of musical wisecracks that is a fun, if light listen from the Toronto quartet. Cheater is an angry and energetic get lost song that gets high marks for its vibrant sound. Don't Cry Angel is a straight up rock rune and the closest thing to a single here. The Canada Song is an off bit of Canadian name-dropping set to a quasi-punk arrangement. The most interesting track here is a distorted guitar version of The Wedding March. This is a cute rendition but its been done by wedding bands for as long as there's been rock bands at wedding receptions, and the arrangement here doesn't offer anything new to the listener. Coal Mine Canaries bring a fairly generic alt/punk sound to Greatest Hits, Volume 3, although they do sound like they'd be fun live.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Coal Mine Canaries at www.myspace.com/coalminecanaries or http://www.coalminecanaries.com/.

Review: Fractal - Sequitur

Fractal - Sequitur
2009, Fractal

Fractal is an original Progressive Rock quartet based out of San Jose and the San Francisco Bay area of California, beginning as a trio in 2000 and expanding to their current lineup in 2004. Their second album, Sequitur, moves mostly away from the improvisational approach of its predecessor, Continuum, while containing some of the most stylish and artful Progressive Rock of the decade. Fans of King Crimson, Yes, Rush, Radiohead, Pink Floyd and even Dream Theater take note; Fractal may just be the second coming of Prog.

Sequitur opens with Ellipsis, a busy instrumental that reminds me of some of Rush's later instrumental work (perhaps a wayward cousin of the Where's My Thing trilogy). Aftermath is the band's response to the events of September 11, 2001 and the loss of personal and cultural innocence. At over nine minutes, Aftermath covers a lot of musical ground, churning through musical mourning, anger and fluctuations of fear before a soaring guitar solo lifts your hopes heavenward. Mantra: Eternal Spring Of Life was perhaps not intentionally written as an epilogue to Aftermath, but does seem to capture the resilience of human spirit springing back to health even after the tragedy and burgeoning recovery of Aftermath. Soft, legato guitar solos capture the fragile first steps of confidence inside the tougher shell formed by guitar, bass and drums.

Coriolis is one of only two pure improvisations on Sequitur, taking on an ethereal, Pete Namlook/Fax type feel, particularly when the keyboards are in full force. Coriolis is somber and serious and other-worldly. Fractal slips into an almost Radiohead-like transcendentalism on A Fraction Of One, imbuing a quiet sense of urgency on an almost supernatural soundscape. Pataphysics, the other improv on Sequitur is an angry and impetulant rage on musical canvas that neither progresses nor devolves, but simply sits as a sonic mass to be passed through on the way to Mauve and The Great Pain. Influenced by a Jimi Hendrix blues feel and Fripp/Belew guitar stylings, Fractal takes us on a 13/8 time odyssey of sound that is closer to improv than pure composition. The Monkey's Paw is a jumbled mass of musical styles that persists in its chaotic state rather than evolving into something new. Imagine if Rush jammed with Gibby Haynes and you might have an idea of how this one will go, except that it's a lot more pure Prog than you might expect.

The epic Churn opens with a classical style overture that leads into the three movements or parts. Part I is eerily reminiscent of classic Yes, with Steve Howe-style guitar chops highlighting a highly rhythmic piece. Part II goes more for a Floydian disposition with an incredibly funky bass line adding musical commentary to randomly dubbed voiceovers; all played against a varying sonic landscape of dark intent. Part III brings a sonic resolution of acoustic guitar and keys that plays like an outro to one of the classic Styx albums of the 1970's. Closing things out is Bellerophon, a bit of musical sleight of hand that is like aural vertigo compared to the rest of the album. Bellerophon is an electronic composition that the band describes as a non-sequitur.

Sequitur is far and away the most exciting and original pure Prog album of the decade. There is a vibrancy and sense of creativity running through the work of Fractal that you have to go back to the early days of Prog to duplicate. It's easy to picture Fractal sharing a stage with groups like Yes, Rush or King Crimson in their heyday. If you have an ear for Progressive Rock then this album is definitely for you. if you're not familiar with Prog but love classical music, musical with unusual time structures or even some of the more experimental electronica then you would do well to give Sequitur a listen. Fractal got it right.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Fractal at http://www.fractal-continuum.com/ or www.myspace.com/fractalcontinuum. You can purchase a copy of Sequitur at www.cdbaby.com/cd/fractal3.

Review: Gary Stuart King & Amigos - Life Of Its Own

Gary Stuart King & Amigos - Life Of Its Own
2007, Gary Stuart King

Guitar maestro Gary Stuart King lets loose with some ripping Progressive and Classic rock solo guitar work on Life Of Its Own. Influences from Eric Johnson to Yngwie J. Malmsteen abound, with occasional bows to Jeff Beck, Joe Satriani and even Steve Howe. King finds a serious groove on songs such as Schmack, Ruf Tup and Little Dreamers, throwing around riffs like nobody's business. King even shows a softer, melodic side on Spring Rituals and Song For Sheila, although the latter breaks out into some pretty serious lick trading in the middle. Beyond X, the lead track, is probably my favorite, with its urgent, post-jazz fusion and sensibility and mellotron accents.

Life Of Its Own is one of the better rock instrumental albums I've heard. Gary Stuart King can play guitar with the best of them, and doesn't waste your time with endless runs when he can use his prodigious skills to construct, destruct or accent inherent melody line of each composition. Of course, he does get some pretty mean runs in as well. This one is a must for novice guitar rockers. This is how you do it well.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Gary Stuart King at www.myspace.com/garystuartking. You can purchase a copy of Life Of Its Own at www.cdbaby.com/cd/garystuartking.

Review: Ben Maney And Countless Sheep - Drinking The World From A Glass

Ben Maney And Countless Sheep - Drinking The World From A Glass
2008, Ben Maney And Countless Sheep

Ben Maney And Countless Sheep's Drinking The World From A Glass is a dark and lush sonic landscape for Maney's minimalist and mildly depressed folk/rock songs. Musically the disc is interesting and full of a repressed energy that catches your attention. Maney is a talented composer and arranger. On the performance side things come off a bit flat. This is likely more of a stylistic choice than a deficit in performance, but it made the CD a bit difficult for me to get into. Maney works within his vocals limitations to provide a coherent reading of his songs, but the general lack of range leads to a monotone feel that is hard to shake. That's not to say that Maney doesn't step out of that lull from time to time. Panther In The Snow is particularly intriguing because of the unusual string arrangement, and The Missing Frame stands out as an energetic song that strays into experimental jazz territory towards the end. The other big moment is the bluesy Green Apple Tree, where Maney shows the most vocal vibrancy of the album. The rest of the songs are well written/arranged, but the monotone feel becomes a distraction.

Ben Maney And Countless Sheep are an interesting listen. There are definite high points here, but the homogeneity of the vocals can distract you from the wonderful things happening underneath. This is a musician's album through and through.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Ben Maney And Countless Sheep at www.myspace.com/thebenmaneyband. Drinking The World From A Glass does not appear to be currently available online. Keep checking Maney’s MySpace page for availability.

Review: Son Of The Sun - Before And After [EP]

Son Of The Sun – Before And After [EP]
2009, Son Of The Sun

Son Of The Sun may be the hottest new band in Upstate New York. The Buffalo quintet mixes the ethereal languor of Radiohead with the orchestral complexity of The Moody Blues and the Country/Rock spirit of Blue Rodeo on their EP, Before And After. The EP, a preview of their full length CD The Happy Loss (due Spring, 2009) is revelatory in the depth and breadth of styles and musical choices Son Of The Sun braves. Guitarist/vocalist Zak Ward and multi-instrumentalist Joseph Stocker create a moving target of musical styles across the six songs presented here. Their job is made easier Jeremy Franklin (guitar), Steve Matthews (bass) and Brandon Delmont (drums), who provide an incredibly tight and musical base.

How Can It Be and Big Record Breaker had me thinking of The Moody Blues circa Days Of Future Passed. Singer Ward has a lyric vocal style that first perfectly with these lush, almost ethereal arrangements. Listen Darkly has a straight up Americana feel to it with some Roy Orbison-style guitar embellishments. Spanning Time is something of a sonic watercolor, filling your ears with sounds and rhythms than transcend construction or intent. Son Of The Sun takes a wonderful turn toward the country/rock landscape with punker verve on Stay The Same (my favorite song on the CD). Son Of The Sun winds things down with Tell Me, a sprawling 1950’s style ballad that has a highly memorable melody. My only complaint about the EP at all is that the vocals on the last song were mixed way too low.

Son Of The Sun presents a quandary for classification. It’s not so much that they are all over the map, but that they’ve re-written the map to suit their own musical purposes. Before And After covers everything from symphonic rock to alt-country, even showing some flashes of punk energy on Stay The Same. What do you say about a band that does everything and does it well? Bring on the full length album…

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Son Of The Sun at www.myspace.com/sonofthesunmusic, where you can purchase a copy of Before And After [EP] on either CD or vinyl via PayPal. You can also get it digitally through iTunes.

Review: Dom Deluca - Birds Of Worry

Dom Deluca – Birds Of Worry
2008, Dom Deluca

Dom Deluca is a self-taught guitar player and songwriter from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who was inspired by folks like Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt and Ron Sexsmith. In classic singer/songwriter style, Deluca writes about life, love disappointment and disdain of both self and others. Deluca shows a talent for imaginative and memorable lyrics and melodies that stick around after his songs have ended. Deluca’s debut album, Birds Of Worry, is a dazzling display of song craft and charisma that will keep you glued to your seat.

Deluca opens with It’s A Sad, Sad Day, a wry yet gloomy song featuring subtle pedal steel guitar work and a pleasant melody. Deluca’s voice has an easy feel that makes his songs go down like Jell-O. My Defenses Up is a fun and lively song that will make you want to get up and dance. I’ve Been Fine is a catchy lead in to the introspective trepidation of Birds Of Worry. Deluca slips in Toronto, a love song to his home town; it’s perhaps just south of hokey but charming in its own right. Deluca follows this with I Pray And I Hope, a song that focuses on not losing what’s good. But Deluca saves the best for last. Song To My City is incredibly personal and honest; powerful in its simplicity. This is one of those great story songs that you’ll find yourself pondering from time to time long after the CD has stopped spinning.

Dom Deluca has a penchant for raw and honest story songs that make you think and feel. Birds Of Worry is a great introduction to Deluca. There’s no fireworks here, just good steady entertainment that asks you to actively listen. Deluca follows in the path of Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Ron Sexsmith as thinking man’s songwriters. Birds Of Worry is definitely worth making some time for.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Dom Deluca at www.myspace.com/domdelucasongs. You can purchase a copy of Birds Of Worry at www.cdbaby.com/cd/domdeluca.

Review: Flint Zeigler - The New Harmony Sessions

Flint Zeigler - The New Harmony Sessions
2008, Flint Zeigler

Tennessee's Flint Zeigler has known musical success before. As a member of Grantham Road he charted on the Roots Music Report (#26 for the 2006 album Parade); receiving significant airplay in markets such as Philadelphia, South Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Alaska and New York City. Grantham Road played with Hootie & The Blowfish, The Badlees and Saving Jane. Zeigler's soulful voice (somewhere between Darius Rocker and either March Cohn or Michael Kroll) and melodic guitar style wrap themselves around and through songs about love, family, spirituality, faith, loss and God. While not overtly Christian music, there is a strong Judeo-Christian ethic at the base of Zeigler's songwriting. Produced by David Foreman (Dwight Yoakam, John Hiatt), The New Harmony Sessions is an uplifting and thoughtful album in the classic singer/songwriter tradition.

I had to check a couple of time when I first put this in to make sure I'd grabbed the right discs. Flint Zeigler sounds so much like Michael Kroll (long one of my favorite Indie artists) that I was certain I'd made a mistake; but no. There are subtle differences if you listen closely, but they could be brothers to judge by their voices. Zeigler brings eleven autobiographical songs on The New Harmony Sessions that are among the most enjoyable I've heard in 2009; Zeigler is a master story-teller in song. The CD opens with Martyrs, a wonderfully soulful song about working your way through personal and marital difficulties in the face of a sometimes cruel world. It's a positive message that is often eschewed for easy answers and the song is, quite frankly, inspiring. Zeigler delivers all of this with a melody hat will stick in your head like superglue and a classy, soulful arrangement.

Gone Away is a song that could go a long, long way for Zeigler. It was written about spending an evening alone with his wife; about wanting to be never separated from the one you love. Expect this to be licensed in the extreme. It's a mix-tape song, a wedding song and a potential part of the soundtrack to millions of everyday lives. This song works because even though it is a highly personal memoir of one evening in Zeigler's life, it's universal. Survive is a contemplative declaration that is very powerful in its quiet determination. In These Days is a song of faith and a lamentation of the general loss thereof in society. Zeigler references Martin Luther, Mother Theresa and John The Baptist, among others, as signs of inspiration of days gone by, and mourns the absence of similar folks in this day and age. Zeigler thinks that either God has stopped speaking to us or we've stopped listening, and this is the heartfelt extension of those ideas into song.

Felt Like Rain is a wonderfully dark folk/rock tune with some amazing guitar work and a plodding, soulful vocal that is extremely memorable. Other highlights include the reserved Sorrow And Gin, Touch And Bloom and Room Of Cards.

Flint Zeigler is a masterful story teller with an ear for melody and a talent for writing striking yet reserved guitar-based arrangements for his songs. The New Harmony Sessions tells true life stories in song. I found myself getting more drawn in with each song. Zeigler will charm you with sometimes dark stories full of light and life; Stories about hard times where faith and hope are the only life raft remaining, and in the end the sunshine always peaks through. This is an amazing album that should march across all sorts of musical barriers. Zeigler is an amazing talent. Check out this disc.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Flint Zeigler at www.myspace.com/flintzeigler or www.myspace.com/granthamroad. You can purchase a copy of The New Harmony Sessions at www.cdbaby.com/cd/flintzeigler.

Review: The Irish Experience - Green Energy

The Irish Experience – Green Energy
2009, The Irish Experience

Seattle’s The Irish Experience releases their sophomore CD, Green Energy, on March 17, 2009. Picking up where they last left off, The Irish Experience brings high energy instrumental Celtic music with a Rock N Roll feel and the occasional Appalachian folk underpinning. Electric violin, guitar, congas, bongos, harmonica, synth and djembe as the weapons of choice here, and you’ll quickly be consumed in the passion and energy The Irish Experience pumps into their music. Even the slower songs have a vibrant life you just won’t be able to ignore.

Green Energy opens with The Wicked Jig, a violin led opus over rhythmic guitar and some of the funkiest bass playing west of Chicago. Try to stand still while this one is playing; you can’t. Brendan McGlinchey’s is a wonderfully dark interpretation you can’t help get a little lost in. Dinny Delaney’s Slide may be the best track here. The violin and bass dance around one another while guitar and percussion steady the floor. John Brown’s Dream brings out a little of the Appalachian feel as The Irish Experience borders on a Celtic Bluegrass sound (banjo would complete the effect). Paddy Fahey’s is more of a rock tune than anything else here with an almost Mike Scott/Waterboys feel to it. Other highlights include Within A Mile Of Dublin, Indian Point, Scatter The Mud and The Fiddler’s Lament.

The Irish Experience delivers irrepressible Green Energy on their CD, but anything you read about them indicates the real thrill is their live shows. Green Energy is an accomplished instrumental disc that’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or anytime you want to get back to your real or adopted Irish roots. This is a great listen.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Irish Experience at www.myspace.com/IrishExperience. You can purchase Green Energy through CDBaby, iTunes or Rhapsody.

Review: Resin - Truth Be Told

Resin – Truth Be Told
2006, Resin

Massachussetts-based Residn are following in the footsteps of Boston icons Aerosmith, Godsmack and Staind. After barnstorming the Northeastern United States for the past couple of years, the band has perfected a sound that ranges from melodic pop/metal to thrash, covering all points in between. Resin’s debut CD, Truth Be Told shows off the charismatic vocal style of Ron Dallaire (sometimes compared to David Lee Roth for flamboyance) and the masterful guitar skills of Pat Pacheco on top of a killer rhythm section (Dave O’Brien – bass; Steve Smith – drums). Resin paces through heavy and light, poignant and prickly in one of the most wide-ranging and deliberate rock albums I’ve heard so far this year.

Truth Be Told opens with Song F, a great driving rock song with big guitar sound. Song F just sets the stage for Not For You. Not For You is a revelatory moment for guitarist Pat Pacheco as he shreds his way through rhythms and sounds that are practically patentable. No offense to Dallaire, but I got so caught up in Pacheco’s guitar on this song that I couldn’t even tell you what the song is about, and I listened to it several times. Resin takes a much more pop/rock turn on songs like Tomorrow, In The End and Done To Me, any of which could have commercial impact, but the gem of the album is Feel. On Feel, Resin achieve the perfect balance of heavy metal sound and hook-heavy pop rock. For A Reason is an interesting change up from Resin, opening as an acoustic piece that allows Dallaire to let the soul loose in his voice. Even once the heavy guitars come in this song retains its gentler qualities. Resin closes out the album in interesting fashion. The second to last song is the heavy-bordering-on-thrash Down The Line, breaking any sense of pop serenity that might have crept into Truth Be Told before launching into the Creed-esque anthem All My Life.

Resin seems equally comfortable with their heavy and melodic sides on Truth Be Told. Even the harder-edge songs on the album have a strong melodic pop sensibility, while even the softest of songs retains an edge. Dallaire isn’t my favorite singer, but he sure can sell a song, and Pacheco is just amazing on guitar. Rhythm sections often get overlooked, but they are the heart and soul of any band, and due of O’Brien and Smith is as good as they come. On the whole, Truth Be Told is a strong debut that should have broad commercial appeal. Resin manages to sound at times a bit like Metallica, Soundgarden or Creed, but in the end seem to have found an interesting and unique band persona that envelopes all of these myriad influences and turns them into something new. The future looks bright for Resin.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Resin at http://www.resinrocks.com/. You can purchase a copy of Truth Be Told at www.cdbaby.com/cd/resinrocks.

Review: Versailles - Broken Dolls

Versailles – Broken Dolls
2008, Evileye Records

Dianna Marie St. Hilaire grew up enduring a cycle of abuse and heartache, taking refuge in music by artists such as Tori Amos and The Cure. Learning piano and guitar and throwing herself into her own music as a therapeutic firewall, Ms. St. Hilaire transformed herself into Versailles, an artist comparable to child of a theoretical union between Jessica Riddle and Robert Smith. Dark, painful songs full of sad beauty are the order of the day on Versailles’ sophomore effort, Broken Dolls. In a side note, Versailles was the city where the end of hostilities was negotiated at the end of World War I. Whether intentional or not, it’s interesting that St. Hilaire would choose a name associated with the coming to terms for the career that sprouted from her process for making sense of her own travails.

Versailles deals in a brand of darkly melodic gothic rock that isn’t entirely classifiable. Her voice is gorgeous, full of a honey/amber timbre in the lower range and a sweet, breathy soprano on top. Her piano playing has a jangly, rhythmic feel to it; almost as if played by a small (but talented) child. And that’s the key, for whatever sophistication or pain comes through in the music; Versailles is an angry, scared little girl trying to make sense of a world that hurts. Taken as individual songs there is a lot to be excited about on Broken Dolls. Mars is the one track where Versailles really sounds like her influence Tori Amos, and this is probably one of the best songs on the disc. Believe is lush and full of a sorrowful sweetness. Broken Dolls is a little flat energy-wise but has gorgeous harmonies and a vibrant piano part that saves the song. Once is a gorgeous vocal performance that certifies how talented Versailles truly is as a performer. Even Wendy’s Razorblades, the sort of song that parent groups build “ban this song” campaigns around is a fun listen; it’s a unique juxtaposition of a Ben Folds style pop gem with lyrics about an impending suicide.

For all of that, the album taken as a whole is incredibly flat. The melody lines are simplistic without a lot of range, coming across with an almost flat affect fitting for the persona of Versailles, but becoming quasi-monotone over the course of the album. For me personally, I loved individual songs, and would enjoy Versailles in small doses, but this music is really written to appeal to teenage lost souls who in my generation gravitated to The Cure and The Smiths. Whether an honest divulgence of pathos or a brilliantly marketed bit of emotional necromancy, Versaille’s Broken Dolls should find solid footing with fans of The Cure, The Smiths or Tori Amos’ darker material. The pop sensibility and child-like sweetness of Versailles keep this stuff from getting too scary, although from a parent’s perspective I wouldn’t want my own kids listening to this. From a musical perspective it’s a great listen in small doses.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Versailles at http://www.versailles.ro/ or www.myspace.com/versailles. You can purchase a copy of Broken Dolls at www.cdbaby.com/cdversailles2.

Review: BR And Timebomb - Fuegissimo

BR And Timebomb - Fuegissimo
2009, BR And Timebomb

BR and Timebomb are a Brooklyn-based rap combo with the lyrical sense and vibrant energy of The Roots or The Black Eyed Peas who happen to make their music the old fashioned way – they play it; on instruments. In what may be one of the most innovative releases of the year, BR And Timebomb released their EP Fuegissimo. Hip-hop may never be the same.

What a wonderfully refreshing sound! BR And Timebomb open with Fuegissimo, a hip-hop dance tune that has entirely organic instrumentation. Violin, trumpet, bass and drums concoct an original yet recognizable hip-hop sound that is unlike anything I’ve heard. The song itself is incredibly catchy; if it doesn’t get your feet moving you’d better have someone check your pulse. It’s On You continues with the original instrumentation, but you’re used enough to it by now to notice something else: BR can rhyme with the best of them. The rhymes are intelligent, poetic and well thought out. The backing vocalist is no slouch either. Tools opens with a plaintive violin solo that turns into Celtic style fiddling after the bass, drums and guitar come in. BR is once again well-spoken in rhyme. The EP closes out with Super BR, a bit of autobiographical trash talk in rhyme that’s entertaining.

It’s amazing what a change in instrumental scheme can do for a genre that borders on overdone and tired at times. While I’ve heard a number of bands/artists go the organic music route with hip-hop, I’ve never heard anyone do it quite like this. BR And Timebomb are new and unique enough to capture attention, and talented enough to hold onto it for the long haul. Don’t be surprised if this is the beginning of a long, slow build for BR And Timebomb that results in a lengthy and steady career.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about BR And Timebomb at http://www.myspace.com.brdaone/. You can purchase a copy of Fuegissimo at www.cdbaby.com/cd/brtimebomb.

Review: EB11 - One Decision

EB11 – One Decision
2006, EB11

Tenerife, Spain’s EB11 has a second home based in Miami, Florida. This two-hemisphere quartet lists references including Three Days Grace, Metallica, Dream Theater, Green Day, Nirvana, Three Doors Down and Pink Floyd. Their sound is straight up modern rock. Their 2006 EP, One Decision fits right into the Modern Rock mold.

One Decision opens with Myself Again, an energetic rocker about running away from change. She is a radio-ready wall-of-sound rocker with real commercial potential. The best track on One Decision is Be The One. EB11 comes off sounding a lot like Better Than Ezra in a catchy song full of great hooks and transitions. One Decision closes out with the martial rhythms of Going On. This one is a little more typical of the Modern Rock genre but still quite catchy.

EB11 gets better as One Decision progresses, and the EP is definitely worth checking out.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about EB11 at www.myspace.com/eb11music or http://www.eb11music.com/. You can download One Decision from iTunes, Napster or Rhapsody.

Review: The Lighthouse And The Whaler - A Whisper, A Clamour

The Lighthouse And The Whaler – A Whisper, A Clamour EP
2008, The Lighthouse And The Whaler

The Lighthouse And The Whaler started out as a day playing music in the park amongst three friends. Michael Lopresti, Evan Story and Aaron Smith went to a park in Cleveland, Ohio to jam. As they played, people stopped to listen and be enthralled. They knew they were on to something. Later adding Nick Wise, the course of The Lighthouse And The Whaler was set. In 2008, they released their debut EP, A Whisper, A Clamour. Full of ethereal and impressionistic sounds, A Whisper, A Clamor is refreshing and unusual.

Folk/Celtic instrumentation, angelic harmonies and a gentle touch are the fare of the day on A Whisper, A Clamour. The Field Song is a musical study in vibrant peace; the violin picks up where lead vocalist LoPresti leaves off as it dances with percussion and the harmony vocals in a bit of musical magic. The Letter is a slightly off-kilter love song with harmonies that sound like The Beach Boys in a fit of depression. The sound could be described as creepy/beautiful, like a musical Dali sketch. Honey, We All Had Wings sounds like a lullaby in reverse. It’s an invitation to live life that uses singing as its metaphor. Ethereal, beautiful and bizarre; it’s highly memorable. I Will Find You closes out the EP with a motivated yet repressed promise that is musical and yet transcends the barest branches of musicality.

The Lighthouse And The Whaler is unique. LoPresti isn’t perfect in pitch or tone, but fits perfectly into these songs. A Whisper, A Clamour is kind of like that. It’s not perfect, and it’s always entirely together, but there is a distinctive charm to the ethereal folk presented here. The Lighthouse And The Whaler aren’t likely to have wide commercial appeal, but the folks who get them will likely be rabid fans who stick with them until the ends of the earth. Check them out and see how they affect you.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Lighthouse And The Whaler at http://www.thelighthouseandthewhaler.com/. You can download A Whisper, A Clamour from iTunes or Amazon.com.

Review: The McKrells - Traveling Man

The McKrells – Traveling Man
2008, Thorntree Music

The McKrells are legends in Upstate New York, as well as being highly respected internationally in the Celtic music scene (Not to mention they are Wildy's World's Artist Of The Month for March of 2009). The band created a hybrid of Celtic and bluegrass sounds that earned them the appreciation of every crowd they played in, whether in a small pub in Ireland, their home base of The Parting Glass in Saratoga Springs, NY or even Carnegie Hall. The last few years have seen major changes in personnel and sound, but the heart of The McKrells; Kevin McKrell’s songwriting and voice, remains. Their latest CD, Traveling Man, was released in 2008 on Thorntree Music. It’s a change for longtime fans, but not necessarily an unwelcome one.

Traveling Man opens with the title track, a light and airy bit of Celtic influenced pop that will get your feet moving. This leads into the Bold Fenian Men, offered here as a low-key Celtic rocker. Kevin McKrell is in fine voice here, and harmonies from daughter Kate McKrell complete the aesthetic. McKrell offers up a primo performance on Shores Of America. Kevin McKrell’s voice has an iconic quality to it that is unforgettable, and Shores is the perfect opportunity to hear why.

Christmas Day is performed in the style of classic American Folk music by Kevin McKrell on guitar and vocals with harmonies from daughter Kate McKrell. It is a hopeful tune that strives for light at Christmas in darker times and is quite apropos amidst current events. One of two personal favorites on the disc is Two Peas In A Pod, a wonderful “silly little love song” that you’ll have on continuous replay. It’s a cute little mix-tape candidate that’s highly infectious and unforgettable. McKrell works in a glory days song on Ronnie’s Golden Mustang; if you’re a child of the late 1960’s or early 1970’s then this song will hit home (particularly with the Creedence Clearwater Revival, Grand Funk Railroad, John Lennon/Yoko and Lynyrd Skynyrd references), but every generation expresses these sentiments sooner or later.

My other personal favorite is The Motel de Marquis Lafayette. With clear roots in the Celtic and American Folk traditions, this is a virally infectious tune that will get stuck in your head for days, perhaps weeks. Traveling Man closes out with Tunnel Tigers in a bit of Celtic Funk/Rock (listen to the bass) that’s highly enjoyable.

There’s no doubt there’s been a big change in the sound of The McKrells. The strong Bluegrass element of their sound has departed, but it has turned the remaining McKrells back to their Celtic roots. The resultant CD, Traveling Man, is refreshing and immensely enjoyable album. As a writer and arranger, they don’t get much more talented than Kevin McKrell, and the rest of the band is top notch. Do yourself a favor and put this at the top of your listening list for St. Patrick’s Day. You won’t be disappointed.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Kevin McKrell and The McKrells at http://www.kmckrell.com/. You can purchase a copy of Traveling Man at www.cdbaby.com/cd/mckrells8.

Review: These Green Eyes - Relapse To Recovery

These Green Eyes – Relapse To Recovery
2008, Blackledge Music

On March 24, 2009, These Green Eyes will release their latest album, Relapse To Recovery. With the first single, Paramedic already hitting the airwaves, These Green Eyes look to make a big splash in 2009. After touring the US the last few years with the likes of Gym Class Heroes, Less Than Jake, Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory and Hidden In Plain View, These Green Eyes have built a significant amount of buzz for the new album. Let’s check it out.

These Green Eyes bring a wonderful mix of melodicism and Modern Rock edge to the masses on Relapse To Recovery. The opening phrases of At The End recall the sound of Simon & Garfunkel before breaking into a melodic but driven rock tune. Big harmonies and the lyric vocals of Colin Cunningham make this a real gem. The song might actually be too good to be truly commercially viable. That’s a theme that runs throughout Relapse To Recovery: Rock songs with strong Pop aesthetics that might be too finely constructed for the current popular mores. Cunningham’s voice is too good, the harmonies are too spot-on and the band is too tight and too slickly produced to fit in with current trends.

Paramedic is a dynamic rocker that should be good Modern Rock radio fodder. The energy here is high and These Green Eyes appear to have the sort of charisma it takes to play big stadiums. Kick The Crutch is another opportunity for Cunningham to show off his amazing pipes in an exhortation of loved one to walk away. Drunk Driver is an energetic rocker with commercial mettle. There’s a bit of punk energy running through this alongside the pop sensibility that seems to pervade everything These Green Eyes touches. Blood Sweat And Beers is a welcome change of pace, stripping away the distortion and frenetic pace for a more lyric performance. Other highlights include Time Of Our Lives, Two Minute Warning and Sucker Punch.

Relapse To Recovery is a great Rock album. Don’t be surprised if These Green Eyes go global in 2009. The band is capable of crafting slick Modern Rock with a Pop feel that should be like candy to a marketplace that gorges on such things. But if the opening track, At The End is any indication, These Green Eyes are capable of even more. Perhaps it was a one time thing, but I don’t think so. There are indications throughout the album of a breadth and depth of creativity that goes beyond the capabilities of your typical charting band. These Green Eyes have a special vocalist in Colin Cunningham, and play together wonderfully well as a unit. The slick production values of producer Brian McTernan (Thrice, Circa Survive, Senses Fail) help to smooth out any wrinkles, but I strongly suspect that those wrinkles may be the best part of These Green Eyes. Enjoy the album, which is killer, and enjoy their probably rise. The more success These Green Eyes have now, the more they’ll be able to explore those wrinkles later on. If you’re a fan of great music then that’s what you want, because these guys are amazing.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about These Green Eyes at www.myspace.com/thesegreeneyes or http://www.blackledgemusic.com/. Relapse To Recovery hits shelves on March 24, 2009. You can pre-order your copy through Amazon.com.

Review: Drev - Failure

Drev – Failure
2008, Labile Records

Drev is the mark of musical expression worn by Boston’s Jess Hewitt. Merging the divergent vines of Rock and Industrial together into an aggressive and virulent soundscape is the mission of Drev’s second album, Failure. Influences of Nine Inch Nails, Sister Machine Gun and Aphex Twin can be heard as subtleties are consumed in a swirling wall of sound.

Failure is sonically penetrating, particularly when played at appropriate volume. Unfortunately, there’s really nothing here that you haven’t heard before. Drawing heavily on his influences, Hewitt seems to have put little of himself into Failure. The listeners walks away learning little more about Hewitt than the fact that he’s a fan of the bands noted above as influences. Songs like Advance, Benign and Sirens make for interesting listens, but more often than not the tracks here just seem uninspired. Computers can do a great deal in the process of making music. It’s gotten to the point where almost anyone can make an Electronica or Industrial album if they are so inclined. Drev shows flashes of originality, but these are consumed in sounds and dynamics we’ve heard so many times they’ve become bland.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Drev at www.myspace.com/drev or http://www.drevmusic.com/, where you can order a copy of Failure directly from the artist.

Review: True Nature - Feels Like Centuries

True Nature – Feels Like Centuries
2009, True Nature

True Nature is the latest musical project from New York City's own Lou Barlow. Barlow is also a prior recipient of New York University’s Composer Of The Year Award, and a bright and rising star in the Indie Rock movemnt. In April of 2009, True Nature will release their second EP, Feels Like Centuries into a market starving for something new. Barlow delivers with help from the likes of Tony Levin (John Lennon, Peter Gabriel); Aaron Comess (The Spin Doctors) and Gerry Leonard (David Bowie, Rufus Wainwright).

The five-track EP opens with Truth I Have To Steel (Simple Heart) a moderately upbeat song by someone who sees Alice’s Looking Glass for what it really is; a soul frustrated by the blindness of those around them. It also draws on the classical ideal as simplicity as a means of understanding. Barlow is succinct and artful in delivering a declaration of intent to protect the world from itself. Up next is The Color Of Daylight, a joyous, angst-filled romp about coming to terms with oneself. My Freedom Lies Beyond The Sun is a brooding, angry song about having your blinders stripped away and seeing the world as it is: a dangerous place. Barlow finds freedom in something he can’t see, whether you want to call this spirituality or faith, and in what, is left up the listener to decide. This is an incredibly powerful song.

Woman is an artful and poetic take on the concept that “behind every good man is a good woman”. The title is adapted from the John Lennon classic and recognizes the balance and strength that feminine influence can bring to the male mind. Beyond the subject matter, Barlow has created a lush and deeply organic musical composition that breathes with its own vigor and vitality. Feels Like Centuries closes with Too Close To See Who We Are, a sociological treatise on our narcissistic and short-sighted culture that sounds like a paean to love lost. Again, Barlow paints in broad, lush musical strokes a sonic picture that is lovely and distinct.

Lou Barlow has talent for writing songs that could fit easily into popular styles but with an edge that sets them apart. The songs presented on Feels Like Centuries are gorgeous constructions against which Barlow’s set his esoteric and thoughtful lyrics. In other words, he’s outdone himself here. True Nature has a hit on its hands. This one’s a no-brainer; don’t miss it!

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about True Nature at http://www.truenatureband.com/. You can purchase a copy of Feels Like Centuries at www.cdbaby.com/cd/truenature2.

Review: Robyn Pauhl - Robyn Pauhl

Robyn Pauhl – Robyn Pauhl
2008, Robyn’s Nest Productions

Robyn Pauhl has long been considered one of Canada’s most exciting young vocalists. She broke into national prominence in 2003 singing with some of the country’s top jazz talent. Pauhl took several years off, but returned in 2008 with a self-titled EP, Robyn Pauhl. While her style runs the gamut from Rock to RnB to Country, Pauhl seems to have concentrated on the country side of her persona here. Robyn Pauhl is a limited edition EP in advance of a full-length album due sometime in 2009.

Robyn Pauhl opens with Beginning To Fall In Love, a Gospel and Soul inflected Country tune that stands up to the best Nashville has to offer. Pauhl has this gorgeous, powerful voice that wraps the listener up in a cascade of sound, and she uses it to full effect here. Up next is All I Said, a Country/Rock hybrid that straddles the ravine between Pop and Adult Contemporary. Meet Me In The Middle is the class of the album. This is a classic country tune with southern Gospel accents that could be an immediate hit on country radio with the right push. Pauhl carries this song like a torch, leaving the listener in wonder.

Pauhl tacks a different tack on Westbound Like The Sun, sounding like a 1970’s AM Pop Crooner. It’s actually quite a song, just a little dated sounding. Pauhl is in amazing voice here. I Feel Nothing Now is piano, viola and Pauhl. It’s a tear jerker that’s beautiful in its abject sadness. Remember Me falls into the country/blues hybrid done so well by folks like Bonnie Raitt, showing another aspect of Pauhl and what her voice is capable of. It’s a perfect way to close out the EP.

Robyn Pauhl is amazing. There’s no other word for it. If she’s not the next country superstar then it will prove once and for all that they’ve forgotten what it’s all about on Music Row. Her debut EP, Robyn Pauhl is a must-hear, no hands down.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Robyn Pauhl at http://www.robynpauhl.com/. You can purchase a download of Robyn Pauhl at http://www.cdbaby.com/.

Review: The Private Life Of David Reed - Missteps And Miscommunications

The Private Life Of David Reed – Missteps And Miscommunications
2008, Chamberlain Music

David Reed has set out on his own. The Columbia, South Carolina resident set aside his band of four years, Closer, to be able to choose his own artistic direction. Writing and performing in the same vein as folks like Damien Rice, Bright Eyes, Jeff Buckley and David Grey, Reed goes for an acoustic flavor with whatever effects and embellishments he can lay his hands on. The resultant EP, Missteps and Miscommunications, is quite enjoyable.

Missteps And Miscommunications opens with 27, a quiet pleading song with some great dynamics. Lead vocalist David Reed rips his own heart out for you to see on this song. A Week And Seven Days is a delicious Modern Rock anthem that should have significant impact potential on something like radio’s The Edge. Gone continues the big guitar rock sound that seems to work so well for The Private Life Of David Reed. The song itself is a bit formulaic, but it works. I also particularly enjoyed Misery Loves Company, a quiet and introspective tune that is among the most poignant here. Let Go is a driven rocker guided by urgent yearning and some great harmonies. Other highlights include You Had It All, The Way That You Are and the acoustic version of Better Be Careful Now, which was more enjoyable than the electric version.

The Private Life Of David Reed is dynamic and buoyed by influences ranging from 1980’s Hair Metal to Modern Rock. Reed shows a flair for the sort of dramatic glam that wraps up a crowd. Missteps and Miscommunications displays little of either. It does dip into the well of “radio sound” a bit too often, but is distinctive enough to be worth listening to.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Private Life Of David Reed at www.myspace.com/theprivatelifeofdavidreed or http://www.chamberlainrecords.com/. You can download Missteps and Miscommunications through iTunes.

Concert Review: Burn Halo; The Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY March 5, 2009

Today marks a couple of firsts for Wildy’s World! First off we’d like to introduce you to a correspondent who will review live shows for us from time to time. His nom de plume is rawdeadfish, and he’s an old college friend of mine who’s an expert in the realms of Punk and Hardcore, but is also the one responsible for introducing me to The Barenaked Ladies back when they were still touring in support of their “Yellow Tape”. He’ll be around from time to time picking up a show for us and sending in his thoughts for your reading pleasure. Also be sure to check out his website: http://www.rawdeadfish.com/.

Our first show review is the Burn Halo show at The Town Ballroom in Buffalo, New York from March 5, 2009. Here’s rawdeadfish’s thoughts:

I have to say that I was more impressed than expected by the March 5 performance of Burn Halo. I had never heard of the band or James Hart's previous band, 18 Visions, prior to being invited to this show. So I checked out their MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/burnhalo) and other online resources, and they sounded decent, but live, they were certainly more impressive. They had good stage presence and were right in the face of the audience.BH opened their 8 song set to a crowd of about 50 people with "Dead End Roads and Lost Highways" and got everyone bobbing their heads. They quickly broke into "Anejo", an upbeat, catchy, rock tune, that I'll have to say was my favorite. They went on to perform a few other numbers, talk with a crowd a bit, and dedicated the song "Our House" to the Buffalo Sabres, before finishing up with their single "Dirty Little Girl" and the pounding "Save Me".What I liked about Hart and the band was that they were not into gimmicks, or looks, they were just there to play and entertain. It was apparent too, because by the end of the show, they drew enough people from the front of the house to at least double the crowd.Burn Halo's self-titled debut album is due to arrive in stores on March 31, 2009. Check it out. Burn Halo will be touring throughout the spring. Check them out!

-rawdeadfish

http://www.rawdeadfish.com/

The Boneless Children Foundation – Stars For Anyone
2007, The Boneless Children Foundation

San Francisco’s The Boneless Children Foundation requires your attention. Compared to bands such as The Talking Heads, The Police, The Who and even The Dead Milkmen, The Boneless Children Foundation make a mark on their listeners right away. Their latest CD, Stars For Anyone was released in 2007.

Stars For Anyone opens with the title track, an upbeat garage rockers with a bit of pop mystique. The Boneless Children Foundation remind me significantly of the early days of The Figgs (when they were a quartet). Carl Sagan is an amusing and befuddling work of rough edged alt-rock. No pithy nuances here, just a vague inference between the number of the stars in the universe, the number of cars on the freeway and love. Relax is a fun song that has a bit of the rock anthem aura to it, while People Care About Their Cars descends into good-natured, silly chaos. Other highlights include My Little Book, Get Up, King and Will Never Come True.

The Boneless Children Foundation offers an unusual mix of raw, unvarnished rock and flashes of distinct musicality. The sound is rough, closer to what you might hear live than to your usual over-produced studio recording, but Stars For Anyone charms with its raw energy and enthusiasm. Call it post-punk alternative, but don’t get too attached to the label. There’s flashes of Weezer in the sense of humor found here. It’s an enjoyable listen.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Boneless Children Foundation at http://www.bonelesschildren.com/. You can purchase a copy of Stars For Anyone at www.cdbaby.com/cd/bonelesschildren2.

The Ericksons – The Middle Of The Night
2008, The Ericksons Music

Let’s start by talking about the voices. The Ericksons are blessed with two amazing voices, both dark-timbered altos that mix and match so well you can lose sight of where one ends and the other begins. Fans of Amy Fradon and Leslie Ritter will be very pleased with the Ericksons. The Mid-western sisters are based out of Brooklyn these days, but travel the East Coast of the US in support of their debut album, The Middle Of The Night. The CD opens with Northwind, a melodic guitar-based folk song that allows The Ericksons sufficient stage to show off their vocal harmonies. One More Time continues in the same vein. Money Grows On Trees misses the mark a bit but still provides for a great vocal performance.

Darkest Places is a song born of sadness and fear, running away from the shadows in musical terms. There are multiple levels of meaning woven into the lyrics and arrangement that only suggest themselves beyond the face of the songs. What If is a hopeful pining love song where The Ericksons are at their very best. My personal favorite track on the album is I Believe In You, featuring a dark and lovely harmony and angelic harmonies that will give you chills. Be sure also to make time for We Write It Down and Please, Please, Please; both lovely songs.

The Ericksons have a sound that makes them highly distinctive and pleasant to listen to. The Middle Of The Night has a mix of songs that run from mundane through to highly enjoyable. At their best, The Ericksons may be one of the finest vocal duos in the musical world. There are moments where they seem to get a little disconnected from one another, but these pass quickly. This is a very enjoyable album.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Ericksons at www.myspace.com/theericksonsmusic. You can purchase a copy of The Middle Of The Night at www.cdbaby.com/cd/ericksons.

Review: Michael A. Wiktor - Volume One: Misery Made Beautiful

Michael A Wiktor – Volume One: Misery Made Beautiful
2008, The House of 3 Studios

Phoenix-based composer Michael A. Wiktor has a very distinctive compositional style that invites comparisons to “New Classical” and Cinematic (score) works. Wiktor has training in brass, percussion and string, in addition to advanced studies in composition. Wiktor has ultimately found a voice he is comfortable with as a composer. Volume One: Misery Made Beautiful is Wiktor’s chance to display that voice to the world.

Misery Made Beautiful is performed by a virtual orchestra, allowing for an evenness of sound that doesn’t occur with an actual orchestra. This is the greatest flaw of the recording from the listener’s perspective. Where orchestral music is wonderfully textured and nuanced, much of Misery Made Beautiful comes off sounding flat. It’s like trying to look at the texture of an oil painting in a two-dimensional photograph. The writing style is a mix of romanticism and American New Classical, which holds a disdain or disconnection from traditional structure. Consequently the compositions here at times end up sounding more like a series of sonic events than a story; orchestral talking points where the music score is a slideshow presentation rather than a cohesive and organic creation.

Keepsake is written in this new style. The visual image I got from this was like a street scene where the frame are set but all of the individual actors speak in their distinctive voices, irrespective and even sometimes counter to one another. There is a cohesive whole built from this in the same way that a painting or a photograph documents such a scene, but its all disparate parts without a common sense. Monarch presents as a fractal sonic picture. It soars and crashes at odd times, and no distinctive theme emerges. Monarch seems more focused on the use of sounds to punctuate musical moments than structure of melody to tell a story.

Marionette is a study in practice and trust; synchronization and default. It’s a mortality tale of sorts pointing to the act of letting go as the key to gaining control over oneself. Disjointed passages early on give way in a sort of Zen musical awakening as various moving parts fuse into one musical being. Canopy finds disparate musical personalities and embellishments and ties them together under the guise of the circus big top. Outsiders may see the outlier appearance and actions of the stars, but Canopy portrays the human need to be accepted and grow in the range of this nuclear “family”. Canopy is never as dark as you might expect, and never as light and breezy as the circus fliers might imply. Themes are hard to come by here, and the multitude of disparate voices makes for cluttered listening at times, but overall it’s not a bad effect.

Vespertine details nature’s night life in very general terms. The dramatic rises and falls here work to focus the nearly invisible activity that occurs after the sun sets. There is an almost martial sub-theme to all of this, as if the nightly goings on in nature are as rhythmic and planned as an army at full march, but this is hinted at more than stated outright. Millennium is a musical juxtaposition of light and dark, perhaps contrasting night and morning against the turning hands of time; one precipice to the other. There is a theatrical bent here that’s not narcissistic but screams, “Look at me!” at odd times. The highs and lows are periodically unexpected, rising and falling almost on whim. Little thematic continuity is present, although there is the essence of a theme that pops up from time to time.

This would be a very different album if it involved a live orchestra; at least some of these pieces would fare better from human treatment. The texture of the virtual orchestra is just too flat and restrained. The power and movement that one achieves in a concert space just never makes it to this CD. Volume One: Misery Made Beautiful is an ambitious collection of musical compositions. It strives to be original, and generally succeeds, but it’s clear that Michael A. Viktor enjoys challenging the orchestra and the listener. Challenges can lift the music to a higher state, but challenging for the sake of challenging can become tedious, and Viktor does seem to cross that line at times. All in all, Volume One: Misery Made Beautiful is an intriguing listen. I didn’t enjoy all of the elements, but as a whole it was satisfying.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Michael A. Wiktor at http://www.miserymadebeautiful.com/. You can purchase downloads of Volume One: Misery Made Beautiful on iTunes or Amazon.com.

Review: Julie Kinscheck - Grace With Jazz On Top

Julie Kinscheck – Grace With Jazz On Top
2008, Kip Media

Boston’s own Julie Kinscheck had dedicated her life to changing the world through music. Whether performing on her own, with a Cappella group Faith In Action or PTB, Kinscheck sings about her Faith and belief in God. In 2008 Kinscheck finally took a huge leap of faith and released her debut solo album, Grace With Jazz On Top. Mixing jazz with folk and pop styles, Kinscheck has created a refreshing and vibrant album.

Grace With Jazz On Top opens with Secure Heart, a great little tune that walks the pathway between 1960’s Rock and Country. Secure Heart has the pop sensibility to catch on with listeners. Grace is written in a Rock/Jazz hybrid periodically reminiscent of The Dave Matthews Band. Coffee Song is the highlight of the album; a jazz tune that wants to stray into rockabilly. Coffee becomes the metaphor for romance in a wonderful act of innuendo that’s family friendly. Get In The Water takes us to Dixieland in a pop arrangement. Kinscheck even gets in some mean scat singing in one of the peppier offerings on the album. Other highlights include The Andrews Sisters inspired He Called, Precious, and the martial country tribute to the resilience of Faith: American Memory.

Grace With Jazz On Top is a memorable collection of pop/jazz hybrids full of Spirit. Fans of Christian Pop music will dig Julie Kinscheck.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Julie Kinscheck at http://www.julieksings.com/. You can purchase a copy of Grace With Jazz On Top at www.cdbaby.com/cd/kinscheck.

Review: PTB - The Force

PTB – The Force
2006, Ralph & Julie Kinscheck

PTB is the musical youth ministry practiced by Julie & Ralph Kinscheck. Formed in 1997 almost by accident, PTB has been fueling youth ministry events ever since. In 2006, PTB released their first album, The Force. The songs on The Force strive to be lyrically positive representations of Faith in music.

The Force opens with S.P.Y. Kidz (Spiritual Powerful Youth), which comes across as music written specifically for a Christian Youth Conference setting. It’s music meant to create an atmosphere and therefore comes across as gimmicky. It’s an appropriate bellweather for the album, which is obviously targeted toward youth with hip-hop themes, raps and pop/rock anthems for modern, feel-good worship services. It’s Christian bubblegum pop for teenage masses and comes off as cunningly targeted and manipulative like an infomercial rather than an honest projection of ideas, beliefs or faith.

The distinct differences in approach between Kinscheck’s work as part of PTB as opposed to her solo work or with Faith In Action stands out like a sore thumb. This music designed to impress a message without thought while the listener is caught up in the fervor of a mass experience. If it were being done in the name of a less mainstream religion it would be referred to as programming rather than worship music. It forsakes thought in the name of the euphoria of group psychology and assimilation, making it come across more like a series of advertising jingles than heartfelt compositions.

Rating: 1 Star (Out of 5)

You can learn more about PTB at http://www.ptbtheforce.com/, where you can purchase a copy of The Force in the artist’s store.

Review: Renee Mixon - Dance With Me

Renee Mixon – Dance With Me
2008, Renee Mixon

Rome, Georgia’s Renee Mixon signs honest, heart-on-your-sleeve story songs against the backdrop of subdued, Folk/Pop/Americana arrangements. Dance With Me is a remarkably consistent listen, with sound and quality not varying significantly throughout the album. When Mixon is at her best the results can be quite wonderful. Love Me For Me is an honest request for someone’s heart. It’s an amazing song that cuts to the heart of the matter without sounding trite or quaint. Dance With Me sweeps by on a memorable melody and a quiet sense of urgency that can’t be overlooked. Just Go chomps at the bit to break out into a big rock and roller and displays Mixon right on the edge of a different kind of energy than what she expends on the rest of Dance With Me. There are all sorts of wonderful tension and angst built up in this song. It’s released in a controlled fashion that leaves you wondering about where the rest will release. Who’s Right follows that inevitable blow up (although we don’t hear the blow-up). It’s a song about the politics of relationships both within and outside of the duo. Other highlights include In My Dream, I Hope It Was Worth It and You’re Still Here.

Mixon is hard to peg compared to other artists. There are shades of K.D. Lang or Dar Williams, but neither really describes the aura around Mixon. Dance With Me is all heart, lumps and all. The songs aren’t all pretty because they are a reflection of life as Mixon (presumably) sees it; but there’s not a dishonest or false note or word here. Any awkwardness or imperfection is simply the reflection of whatever Mixon saw or thought about at the time. A very strong debut.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Renee Mixon at http://www.reneemixon.com/. You can purchase a copy of Dance With Me at www.cdbaby.com/cd/mixon3.

Review: Natascha Roth - Way Out South

Natascha Roth – Way Out South
2008, Natascha Roth

Natascha Roth is a native of Germany who also has a home bass in Cape Town, South Africa. She holds a master’s degree in jazz voice and has toured all throughout Europe and South Africa. Roth recently introduced herself to the United States performing with Jeanie Bryson, the daughter of the late, great Dizzy Gillespie. Roth’s latest release, Way Out South came out in 2008, and seems fairly representative of the artist as she presents herself.

Natascha Roth writes in the same acoustic folk/pop vein as The Indigo Girls and Shawn Colin with a hint of pop refinement. See You There is a prime example of the pure folk singer/songwriter Roth began as. Intelligent and poetic lyrics dovetail with a gorgeous melody and plaintive guitar background to provide a true musical “moment”. Mariana is a wonderful song featuring Spanish Guitar styling and a nicely rhythmic arrangement. The absolute highlight of the album is Someone Like You.

Natascha Roth brings a highly personal and personable style of songwriting and performance to the table. Way Out South does cross a few rough spots, but all in all is an excellent introduction to Natascha Roth. Great listening!

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Natascha Roth at www.myspace.com/natascharoth or http://www.natascharoth.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Way Out South as well as Roth’s two previous albums.

Review: Faith In Action - Live

Faith In Action – Live

2006, Faith In Action

Following in the footsteps of some of the more talented college a Cappella ensembles, Faith In Action bring the gospel to Pop a Cappella arrangements. Faith In Action is an all-female vocal orchestra based out of Boston spreading the word with harmony and unusual vocal arrangements. Formed in 1996, Faith In Action celebrated their tenth anniversary in 2006 by releasing their debut album, Live; It’s a spirited and spirit-filled release that gets your attention early on.

Courage My Soul is a contemplative and lovely song for quiet moments. It Ain’t Right starts out sounding like a Bobby McFerrin song with a reggae beat and a wonderfully soulful lead vocal. This song also features some of the most vibrant lip trumpeting you’re likely to hear. Promises is about Adam and Eve, and has an old-school sound to it that would have fit right into one of the Sister Act movies. He Shall Be Like A Tree features a memorable melody and a very southern gospel feel to it. The highlight of the disc is Show Me The Way. The lead vocalist here is phenomenal. Bright Glory (If You Miss Me) follows in the same gospel vein and is a great listen.

Faith In Action seems to do their best work in the gospel realm. One or two vocalists in particular really stand out, and the last few songs on the CD are among the best. Overall, Faith In Action Live is a little uneven, but a pleasant listen. This is the sort of ensemble that definitely comes across better in the live environment, as a large part of the charm of these sorts of a Cappella ensembles is their rapport with the audience. The live recording captures a hint of that, but it’s just not the same on CD.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Faith In Action at http://www.fia-boston.com/, where you will find links to purchase Live or download individual tracks.

Review: Jar-E - Chicas Malas

Jar-E – Chicas Malas
2009, Exotic Recordings

Jar-E is the musical alter-ego of Asheville, North Carolina singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Jon Reid. Jar-E recently released Chicas Malas on Exotic Recordings, proving that pure Pop music isn’t dead. In an era of electronic enhancement and even complete electronic creation, Jar-E has released what may be the best pop record of the waning decade. Mixing a melodic sense worthy of The Beatles with Latin rhythms and complex song structures that would make Sting shake his head in wonder, Jar-E sings with the pure charisma of a young Elvis Costello about the sort of women who make him want to be more than he is. Chicas Malas (Bad Girls) is inspirational.

Fever Break might just be the perfect Pop song, mixing Caribbean rhythms, a quirky Ska-style horn section, gorgeous backing vocals from Meredith DiMenna (Saint Bernadette) and Stephanie Morgan (Stephanie’s ID) and one of the most infectious melodies of the young year. Jar-E follows up with Heyday, which you’d be humming for a week after hearing it if it weren’t for Fever Break. 3 Leaf takes a different tack, pursuing a blues-flavored rock style with horns and harmonies that help to build the sound into a glorious throng. Jar-E gives an outstanding vocal performance that you just have to hear. Casa Believe will get your feet dancing while it blows your ears away. Jar-E gives another amazing vocal performance on a wonderfully varied pop song steeped in Latin rhythms and some unique and unusual compositional choices.

An Idea seeks to challenge Fever Break for the best pure pop song of the year (so far). The jury is out on that one, but it’s a great song. Safe To Say is unusual in that it seems to alternate between a waltz and straight ¾ time with country accents. I am not as strong on my music theory as I’d wish, but it’s a very unusual and welcome musical choice. The Pedestrian mixes a Samba beat with a country arrangement that is again, very unusual but fun to listen to. Rosary heads right for the reggae section with a little bit of 1970’s soul mixed in. Jar-E dazzles again on vocals. The album closes out with Ramparts, an introspective and solemn musical moment that shows another side to Jar-E we haven’t previously seen on Chicas Malas.

Jar-E is more than just a Pop song machine, but the man has an ability to write pop songs that stay in your head for days. I daresay that in another time and place he’d be a superstar known the world over. In this day and age that sort of notoriety just doesn’t happen all that often; As we’ve widened the sphere of celebrity with reality TV and focused the lens of popular radio, stardom has less to do with song craft or performance ability and more to do with look, style and who’s behind you. Nevertheless, I present Jar-E to you as a must-know artist. The songs on Chicas Malas are so well crafted that even folks who eschew Pop music will find themselves caught up. Chicas Malas is without a doubt a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jar-E at www.myspace.com/jare. You can purchase Chicas Malas from Amazon.com as either a CD or download.

Review: Carla Seidl - Under My Skin

Carla Seidl – Under My Skin
2009, Carla Seidl Music

Carla Seidl is a singer/songwriter/radio producer/world traveler based in Huntington, NY. In January of this year she released her first album, Under My Skin. Sounding a bit like Eva Cassidy with a little Norah Jones thrown in for good measure, Seidl uses her multi-textured voice to cast a spell on listeners.

Carla Seidl has this wonderfully distinctive voice made up of honey, amber and wood timbres, almost achieving a dual tone in her sound that is warm and memorable. On Under My Skin she has mostly written/selected songs that fit her voice perfectly; songs generally of gentle or reserved arrangements that allow the color and tone of her voice to have free reign in your mind. The first track, Flame In The Dark, goes a step further; the a Cappella arrangement is dark and beautiful. Lucilla Galeazzi's Quante Selle nel Cielo con La Luna is the perfect vehicle for Seidl’s voice, however, emanating a powerful grace and beauty. Under My Skin finds Seidl at her confessional best in a folk song that is like to get covered by others. Other highlights include Gul Senin Tenin, A Subtle Glance, Far And Wide and a cover of the Simon & Garfunkel classic Scarborough Fair.

Carla Seidl is one of the more distinctive vocalists you’ll find. While her sound isn’t what you might call pretty, it is very listenable and memorable as long as she stays in her vocal comfort zone. Under My Skin is a varied and uneven album full of some very strong songs. Seidl occasionally picks one that just doesn’t seem to fit her voice, but even then gives it her all. It’s an intriguing introduction that leaves us wondering what she’ll do next, and interested enough to want to find out.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Carla Seidl at http://www.carlaseidl.com/. You can purchase a copy of Under My Skin at www.cdbaby.com/cd/carlaseidl.

Review: The Matthew Show - February

The Matthew Show – February
2008, Wampus Multimedia

The Matthew Show is the musical alter-ego of Songwriter/Producer Matthew Broyles. Drawing on the misgivings of the first generation in US history to not do as well or better than their parents, Broyles explores the lives of five adults on the cusp of middle age in spoken word and song, delineating the sometimes divergent paths of dreams and reality that have led them to the here and now. The end result is February, a moving and poignant musical experience that is part album and part documentary.

I have to admit, February is one of the more original concept albums I’ve come across. Styx fans might recognize the format from Movement For The Common Man (Styx I), interspersing interviews with music; each illuminating the other. February is about walking the line between dignity and despair; the human tendencies to give in to the latter yet retain hope for the former. Matthew Broyles displays a wickedly incisive sense of humor as the occasional relief or illumination for a murky topic. Half The Man opens the musical portion of February; a tongue-in-cheek bit of self-realization about the loss of dreams. Innocence is a brilliant song that shows some real Pink Floyd influence in the construction.

My personal favorite is Impotent Rage. The song is again, slightly tongue-in-cheek, but deals with the sort of general, undirected and unaccounted for anger that seethes in cities and occasionally ends up on the news with neighbors saying, “he was always such a nice, quiet man…”. February is a snappy little song about the depths of despair, the archetype being the coldest, snowiest month of the winter. Hope seeps through the pores of this song in the abstract, much the way that we know logically that by February we’ve turned the corner on winter and more light is coming, but it’s still cold and snowy and bleak in the moment. The Last Words Of Sigmund Freud is the waltz you knew it had to be, dealing with the tendency to live in dreams what we have lost in reality.

The World Of One Percenters is brilliant songwriting about the human need to be seen. Not seen in the sense of the narcissistic tendencies of the city, but in a human need for confirmation. This is particularly true in a large city like New York, (where the concept album is “based”). In a large city it is easy to lose your own identity when everyone is packed so close together, particularly if you feel like you have no control over your own fate. Connections to other people help to maintain your senses of self and reality in such a place. The World Of One Percenters represents this perfectly in song.

The last song offered here is The Skyline Hotel, a wonderful look at how close the haves and have-nots come in a large city. Often times a hotel may sit on the outer edge of a poor neighborhood in a city. Tourists who stay in the hotel may never know they are staying right on the edge of No Man’s Land, but the residents of that neighborhood see them come and go every day. This song is about watching the privileged come and go right on your doorstep and feeling powerless to escape your surroundings. It is a powerful look at the sociology of neighborhoods and social strata in a large city.

The Matthew Show’s February is an amazing album. This isn’t stuff you’ll hear on the radio, and it’s not written for mass commercial consumption, but it’s some of the most intelligent and powerful rock songwriting you’ll find. The interview snippets help to illuminate the songs with personal viewpoints and experiences. I highly recommend this recording, but be prepared to give some real time listening to February. If you don’t give this one your full attention you won’t get it.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Matthew Show at http://www.thematthewshow.com/. You can purchase a copy of February at www.cdbaby.com/cd/mshow.

Review: Tammie S. Webb - Non-Performing Songwriter

Tammie S. Webb – Non-Performing Songwriter
2008, Tammie S. Webb

Tammie S. Webb is a songwriter looking for licensing arrangements or individual artists to record her material. She sent her 7-song demo, Non-Performing Songwriter for us to check out.

The demo opens with Forever Only You; a love song with a country/gospel/blues feel similar to some of Ray Charles’ old recordings. It has real potential judging from the demo presented here, but may require an artist with a big voice and bigger charisma to pull it off. Merry Christmas is a country-style holiday song that is pleasant, but perhaps a bit too generic for its own good. It Was Good is fairly representative of adult contemporary pop, but gets bogged down in a low energy presentation. Rainy Days has potential as a recording project. The right vocalist and arrangement on this song and it could make an impact in the country genre, although it’s probably not single material. I Never Second Guess is just a little too marginal to really consider for recording. It’s not a bad song, but there’s really little about that makes it stand out. Ditto for Just To Say I’m Sorry. Saving the best for last, Webb closes out the demo with Best Thing. I didn’t like the arrangement (I thought it was too tame), but this could be a single for the right artist and have real impact at country radio. The lyrics are perhaps a little too kitschy, but that’s part of the charm of the song.

Tammie S. Webb offers up a mix of material on her demo, Non-Performing Songwriter. There are at least two songs here with real potential. Best Thing in particular may have wide commercial appeal in the right hands. I can also hear reggae and pop arrangements coming out of this one that would work quite well. Don’t hesitate to check out her songs on-line.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

To learn more about Tammie S. Webb or check out streams of some of the songs mentioned here, head on over to http://www.tammiewebb.com/.

Review: Anne Trenning - Watching For Rain

Anne Trenning – Watching For Rain
2009, Shadetree Records

Anne Trenning is back with her third full-length album, Watching For Rain. The Chicago born resident of Charlotte, North Carolina had per previous album, All One World, ranked as one of the top 5 albums of the year by New Age Reporter. Watching For Rain features ten original songs plus five covers or re-interpretations. Trenning mines Classical, New Age, Pop, Jazz and Celtic influences across the fifteen tracks presented here for a sonically interesting but mellow listening experience.

Watching For Rain opens with a gorgeous arrangement of Welsh folk song The Ash Grove on piano and strings. This song has been adapted for everything from Chamber Pieces to hymns in the Anglican church. As much as Trenning is lauded as a pianist, the violin is the star of this arrangement, dancing and trading leads with the piano in a wonderful duet. Silent Night II is a magical composition full of energy and beauty. The piano is reserved enough to allow the strings to soar, but brings the song home in a moment of utter musical grace. Eden Hall, sometimes recast as Simple Gifts or The Shaker Song, is given a full Celtic workup here; you’ll wonder how you ever heard it otherwise once Trenning is done. Carolina Moon is a lively waltz with a bit of swing feel to it that will have you looking for a dance partner.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise on the album is the treatment of When You Say Nothing At All. Perhaps the best known version of this song is the Allison Krauss recording, but numerous artists have covered this tune. The piano/strings arrangement is wonderfully reverent without sounding like elevator music. There is real life to this recording and it is a very enjoyable listen. Other highlights include A Prayer For The World, You And Me, I Want To Be Ready and Benediction.

Solo piano albums choose two paths; reverence to their subjects/styles or cutting new ground. Those that choose the more common path walk a fine line reverence and cliché. It takes more than technical ability to walk this line confidently and without fear; it takes talent and heart, neither of which can be learned. Anne Trenning has both. Watching For Rain manages to inhabit the world of New Age/Classical recordings without falling into unwitting self-parody or “Available on TV” cliché. Trenning’s creations and arrangements come to life at her fingertips. Don’t try to use this CD as dinner music unless you want to end up talking about the music. Come to think of it, that’s not a bad idea.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Anne Trenning at http://www.annetrenning.com/. There’s a link on Trenning’s web site allowing you to purchase Watching For Rain on CDBaby.com, but it does not appear to be working at this time. Keep checking back to her web site for updates.

Review: Smile Pretty Misery - Measured In Miles

Smile Pretty Misery – Measured In Miles
2008, Smile Pretty Misery

Baldwin, New York’s Smile Pretty Misery has been spreading their blend of Jazz, Pop and Rock all over Long Island for the last two-and-a-half years. With a wonderfully smooth mix of styles and sounds, stellar songwriting and smooth as silk vocalist Jaymes Welsh. In 2008, Smile Pretty Misery released Measured In Miles. Let’s check it out.

Measured In Miles opens with (You Know) You Gotta Love Her, a glorious pop/jazz hybrid that’s pure gold. Vocalist Jaymes Welsh is an old school crooner although there are a couple of notes here that are way out of his regular range. This is a doozy of a leadoff song, building significant expectations for the rest of the EP. For the most part, Smile Pretty Misery delivers. Will But No Way is a fairly typical alt-rock song recorded with minimalist instrumentation/effects. The melody is quite memorable and the lyrics show real thought and depth. Blood Red Ink is also highly memorable, building simultaneously in sound, intensity and emotion before deflating in self-realization at the end of each chorus.

June To September is based on an infectious melody, playing off Welsh’s lyric voice against jangly guitars and moderately aggressive percussion. This is the most sonically striking song on the album and the one most likely to have distinct commercial impact. Snake Oil Man is a pleasant listen, and Happy New Year closes out the set with a mellow benediction of personal change.

Smile Pretty Misery is a distinctive band with a unique sound. It’s not rock or pop, exactly, although they touch on those genres. Think more classic singer/songwriter style with a touch of old school vocalist (think Johnny Mercer crossed with Josh Groban.) In spite of the mellow, slightly repressed arrangements (ala Norah Jones), Smile Pretty Misery brings energy and vitality to every note. Measured In Miles gets high marks as a very enjoyable introduction to Smile Pretty Misery. Don’t miss this one.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Smile Pretty Misery at http://www.smileprettymisery.com/ or www.myspace.com/smileprettymisery. You can purchase a copy of Measured In Miles at www.cdbaby.com/smileprettymisery.

Review: Dave Halverson - Apothecary Charms

Dave Halverson – Apothecary Charms
2008, Lucid Moon Child Music

Dave Halverson’s third album, Apothecary Charms, delves deeper into the electronic/rock hybrid “genre” while simultaneously becoming more guitar oriented than his previous work. Avante Garde in presentation, Apothecary Charms attempts to walk the line between rock and an almost ambient organic electro sound scheme.

Halverson opens with the dark and stormy A Quick Dance On A Shallow Grace and moves quickly into Scary Night, which sounds like the theme to a low budget horror movie. My favorite track on the disc is Song For The Chickens. It’s wonderfully well constructed and original, dancing on the edges of Progressive Rock. Addition By Refraction is an enjoyable bit of noodling that serves as a respite at midway point of the album while leading into big Texas guitar rocker Postulus. Shells In The Clocktower sounds like it was heavily influenced by early Pink Floyd, mixing sparse guitar, rhythms, noises and peripheral voiceovers.

Dave Halverson vacillates between structured instrumentals and disjointed musical composites on Apothecary Charms. There are a couple of gems here (Song For The Chickens, Postulus), but in general the album is a pleasant listen without being remarkable.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Dave Halverson at www.myspace.com/davehalverson or http://www.davehalverson.com/. You can purchase a copy of Apothecary Charms at www.cdbaby.com/cd/halverson3.

Review: Paul Blissett - Fire And Soul

Paul Blissett – Fire And Soul
2007, Paul Blissett

Paul Blissett had a rich set of musical influences from a young age. The Ottawa, Ontario, Canada guitarist grew up on a steady mix of Rock, Country, Blues, Pop, Jazz and Brit Rock from the first British Invasion. Blissett began playing out in Quebec and Ontario bars by the age of fifteen and has never stopped making music although other career paths have intervened at times. Over time, Blissett developed an appreciation for instrumental music and the supple role guitar can play in that specialized genre. In 2007, Blissett released Fire And Soul, a fireside exploration of instrumental guitar music.

Blissett displays two distinct tendencies on Fire And Soul. The first is a distinct love of swing-based Rock N Roll; the sort that was prevalent in the 1950’s and pre-Beatles 1960’s. Blissett himself is more than competent, though he lacks the distinctive style or presence that would raise him to the level of a Chet Atkins or Mark Knopfler-type guitar player. This is a man that most any band would be happy to have sitting in on lead guitar. Nevertheless, many of the choices on Fire And Soul seem to fall flat.

Blissett and band are at their best on some of the more rock oriented tunes such as Forty Miles Of Bad Road, Ramrod, Hard Times and Blueberry Hill. Even the blues-oriented songs (3:30 Blues, Honky Tonk) pack some punch, but much of the material comes off as low-key dinner or elevator music. One exception is the last track on the album, Piano Concerto #1. Blissett has a spring in his step throughout this song that is often lacking on Fire And Soul. That’s not to say this is a bad recording; Blissett is more than competent as a guitar player, and he has assembled a cast of first class musicians for this recordings, but the sound and approach here is too straight forward to set itself apart.

Paul Blissett is a talented and dedicated guitarist with a passion for instrumental music that comes through on Fire And Soul. It’s music for another generation, like the artists my Nana used to love on The Lawrence Welk Show. It features great technical guitar playing but displays little originality or pizzazz. Fire And Soul is not a strong commercial release, but it will definitely appeal to a niche demographic of music fans.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Paul Blissett at http://www.paulblissett.com/. You can purchase a copy of Fire And Soul at www.cdbaby.com/cd/paulblissett.

Review: The Bitter Tears - Jam Jarts In The Jakehouse

The Bitter Tears – Jam Jarts In The Jakehouse
2009, Carrot Top Records

Chicago’s The Bitter Tears are coming for your children. They shall berate the little tykes with oboes, cellos, violins and a dusty, meaty form of Americana that was almost forgotten. Known for a wild and sometimes vulgar like stage show, The Bitter Tears made an honest attempt to capture their live Mojo on their upcoming release, Jam Jarts In The Jakehouse. They have succeeded in capturing that raw energy and some wonderfully abstract musical combinations in song. Jam Jarts In The Jakehouse goes on sale on March 3, 2009.

Jam Jarts In The Jakehouse opens with the energy-filled rustic Americana of Slay The Heart Of The Earth. If Bob Dylan wrote songs for the Beatles it might have sounded a little bit like this. The Bachelor’s Say has a bit of Brit-Pop feel in an acoustic arrangement. This backward combination of Brit-Pop melodicism and American hobo-folk pervades Jam Jarts In The Jakehouse. The ethereal harmonies and stilted rhythm of the opening of Starling resolves into a blues-tinged Americana song that hides tremendous discord and dissonance at its heart. The Bitter Tears are, in turn, as musically disjointed as The Rheostatics at their art-rock best, often opting for musical choices that aren’t entirely disturbing but just off-kilter enough to fill you with a sense of unease. The most bizarre track of the album is The Companion, which brought back memories of The Police’s Mother. The highlight of the disc follows; the wonderful folk/pop number called The Love Letter. This is a great tune that could travel from genre to genre without losing its essential flavor. Even the effect of the back-alley orchestration seems to enhance the charm of this song. Jam Jarts In The Jakehouse closes with Worthless Sleaze, a not entirely chaotic composition of competing sounds and enabling musical passages. This is art rock, pure and simple; Harmonious enough to catch you, dissonant to almost lose you, and endearing enough that you’ll come back to hear it again. The Bitter Tears will disturb your senses, and you’ll like it.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Bitter Tears at www.thebittertears.com or www.myspace.com/thebittertears. You can purchase a copy of Jam Jarts In The Jakehouse at Amazon.com.

Review: Andy Hawk & The Train Wreck Endings - Tin Can Town

Andy Hawk & The Train Wreck Endings – Tin Can Town
2009, Andy Hawk

What would be the appropriate name for Americana Garage music? A melodically superior but definitely Lo-Fi mix of Rock, Country and Blues is the far of the day on Tin Can Town, the debut release from Andy Hawk & The Train Wreck Endings. Hawk is an enigmatic front man with a voice halfway between Jim Cuddy and Bruce Springsteen and an easy-going nonchalance that’s full of soul.

Andy Hawk seems entirely in his element on the blues tunes Tombstone and Pitchy & Time-Erratic Blues, but its country/rock hybrids where he shines brightest. Symphony Of 2am is a classic tune, and Think Too Much and Tin Can Town are required listening. Break Free is a beautiful, mournful country tune, balanced off by the hopeful, mid-tempo Maybe Someday. Real Gone Girl is my personal favorite, with banjo and electric guitar framing Hawk’s voice perfectly. Other highlights include Music From Another Room, I Never Thought To Ask and The Last Two In The Bar.

Andy Hawk & The Train Wreck Endings have a knack for surfing clichés without falling into them. Classic country sounds mix with rock and blues styles to create music like so much that’s come before yet distinct enough to be memorable and enjoyable. Tin Can Town is a refreshing return to the roots of the Americana genre. Not overly refined or produced, Andy Hawk & The Train Wreck Endings let their rough edges charm you into listening again.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Andy Hawk & The Train Wreck Endings at http://www.andyhawk.com/. You can purchase a copy of Tin Can Town at www.cdbaby.com/cd/andyhawk5.

Review: Danielle Tersini - Shakedown Of The Heart

Danielle Tersini – Shakedown Of The Heart
2008, Danielle Tersini

New York City-based Danielle Tersini recently released a 2-track single on iTunes. The mid-tempo dance oriented lead track, Shakedown Of The Heart is a passable club tune with a smart and hum-able melody. Tersini has a distinctive, heavy alto sound that is unusual in pop music and makes her instantly recognizable. Player Man is a fairly generic pop song built on a piano riff and a dance beat. Tersini’s voice is distinctive enough to leave a lasting impression; the material itself is pleasant but innocuous.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Danielle Tersini at www.myspace.com/danielletersini. You can download these tracks on iTunes.