Roaming Royalty - Audio Bacon

Roaming Royalty - Audio Bacon
2010, Roaming Royalty

Seattle's Roaming Royalty take influences such as Queen, Muse, Billy Joel, Elton John, Ben Folds and The Who and blend them into a quasi-original sound that sets audiences on their collective ear. Touring the country in their modified van/recording studio, Roaming Royalty never has to make a choice between touring and recording. The road is their recording studio. That might explain the highs and lows of Roaming Royalty's most recent album, Audio Bacon. Not highs and lows as in quality, but the transitions that accompany change in day-to-day life, brought to life in eleven diverse and intriguing compositions on Audio Bacon.

Roaming Royalty opens with "Red Morning Joy", a catchy song of apocalypse that sounds like it might have come out of a classic Who session. "King Of Mars" is a wonderfully melodic composition that highlights the harmonic co-vocals of Charles Kraut and Todd Dunnnigan amidst unusual song construction. You might think you're listening to delightfully odd concatenation of Smash Mouth and Alan Parsons on first blush. "Chasing The Sun" is a solid, low-key pop/rock number that sets the stage for "The Only Woman In The Room", an ode, of sorts to human rights activist Beate Sirota Gordon. The construction and arrangement are a bit on the bland side, but it's a brave songwriting choice that's lyrically sound and deserves to be recognized.

"Only Time" is similarly water down, but is livened up by the highly driven piano part that turns out to be the song's lifeblood. Roaming Royalty returns to what seems to be their most comfortable sound on "Tipsy Jane", melodic rock n roll. "Killer" brings on a small dose of funk in the bass line, a step up to Roaming Royalty's wheelhouse sound on "Dive". When really on their game, the band seems to have a knock for these mellow pop/rockers with melodies that practically sing themselves into your ear. Roaming Royalty rest their case with "Epiphany", bringing their melodic talents up to a new wave setting that's the catchiest track on the album.

"Epiphany" is the perfect closer, suggesting there's even more to Roaming Royalty then we hear on Audio Bacon and offering tantalizing glimpses of where the band may take their sound next. On the whole Audio Bacon is a solid effort, but the details do stop Roaming Royalty short at times. Liken the band to a painter who puts great effort into the subject of the painting but doesn't always have the same enthusiasm for the background. When Roaming Royalty is at their best all elements of the song work together. Sometimes Roaming Royalty seem to expect a great riff to carry a song, but don't seem to develop the other "voices" around that riff to the same level. The results can sound less than enthusiastic, and listeners pick up on that.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Roaming Royalty at http://www.roamingroyalty.com/ or www.myspace.com/roamingroyalty.  Audio Bacon is available from Amazon.com on CD and as a Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Erik Norlander - The Galactic Collective

Erik Norlander - The Galactic Collective
2010, Chian Productions
You may know Erik Norlander as the keyboardist/spouse of Lana Lane or from his work with Rocket Scientist or even Asia With John Payne. The list of artists Norlander has recorded with or produced/engineered is too long to list here. With influences ranging from Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson to Jeff Lynne and Alan Parsons, Norlander draws from a rich musical history to create compositions with a classic feel and fresh energy. Norlander recently released The Galactic Collective, his 8th solo album and 33rd overall, Norlander builds on an impressive body of work.

The Galactic Collective opens with “Arrival”, a brief musical prologue that’s more atmosphere dark, plaintive atmosphere than anything else. “Nurosaur” dances on the edges of gothic and baroque progressive rock; a big, heavy sound with a chorus at the opening becomes a rambunctious Prog gem. “Fanfare For Absent Friends” is an over-the-top announcement with a martial feel. Driving guitar and heavy rhythms grow into a more space-age rock sound. The most intriguing composition on the album is “Astrology Prelude”, a musically violent and complex world of musical ideas and action beneath the surface that occasionally resolves into a relatively peaceful and melodic passage before falling back into its own driven nature.

Norlander gets a bit repetitive with “Trantor Station”; The highly rhythmic nature of this synth-driven song becoming as much of a liability as a benefit. “After The Revolution” is laden with arpeggios, alternating with passages marrying synth fills and rhythmic guitar ambience. The song seems to depict struggle amidst a tide of change, and begs for a vocal line. At twelve minutes, “After The Revolution” simply runs too long, becoming nothing more than a Prog rock jam that recycles itself to fill out the space. “Garden Of The Moon” starts out with an intriguing theme, but ends up sounding like incidental score music. Norlander gets to show off his raw piano skill on "Dreamcurrents", a master class in speed and precision on a solid, classical-style composition. Norlander closes with “The Dark Water”, a twenty minute collection of variations that’s probably 10-12 minutes too long.

Progressive rock is a double-edged sword. Some of the most talented and musically complex artists gravitate there because of the stylistic mix of jazz form, classical composition and rock energy and glamour; but like jam-based music, progressive rock lends itself to the conceit of doing too much and going too far. Norlander crosses this line a few times on The Galactic Collective. That being said, it is an ambitious and expansive album. Where Norlander loses himself it’s not for being mundane, but simply trying to push the envelope too far. It’s much preferable to hear an artist push too far than become mundane through not pushing enough. There’s enough really great material here to make The Galactic Collective worthwhile, and even where Norlander over-steps there is much you’ll care to hear.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Erik Norlander at http://www.eriknorlander.com/ or www.myspace.com/eriknorlanderandlanalane. The Galactic Collective is available on CD from Norlander's web store. Digital versions are available from Amazon and iTunes.

Review: David MacKenzie & Josh Johnston - Notes Home

David MacKenzie & Josh Johnston - Notes Home
2008, Shandon Records (Ireland)

Dublin is home to David MacKenzie and Josh Johnston, but much of their writing gets done on holiday in Italy and France. Hence the title of their sophomore album, Notes Home. MacKenzie & Johnston were accomplished musicians before coming together. David MacKenzie began his professional career with the BBC Northern Ireland Radio Orchestra. He has played with various ensembles throughout Europe and has recorded with Elmer Bernstein, John Barry, U2, Shania Twain and The Corrs. Josh Johnston has recorded or performed with Roesy, Kila, Declan O'Rourke, Karl Scully and Ronan Swift, and counts The Beatles, Billy Joel, Elton John, Alan Parsons, Ben Folds and Moxy Fruvous among his influences. MacKenzie and Johnston's debut album, A Minor Happiness was a straight-forward duet of violin and piano mix originals and covers, but for Notes Homes, the duo tackles the musical world of Stephane Grappelli and Joe Venuti with thirteen original tunes that transcend the spirit of the two jazz masters.

Notes Home opens with The Latecomer, a vibrant and mildly rambunctious work that dances on the edges of Bee-Bop and Rockabilly. MacKenzie & Johnston dance around each other like a pair of prize-fighters, and when they meet musical sparks fly. Cap Mortola is a lilting tune, perfect for dancing. Things take a dark and sentimental turn on Silk, a light samba perfect for the parlor or piazza. Place Carnot perfectly present and past, with guitar and violin in perfect sync throughout. MacKenzie And Johnston take things down a notch with La Nabonnaise, one of the simpler and most stoically pretty songs on Notes Home.

Minor Happiness was not my favorite tune on the first listen through, but I have to admit it grows on you. The song is pure joy in melancholy blue with a melody that sticks with you and an arrangement that's a hair's-breadth from perfect. Broadband Blues takes another tack, with a light and airy theme that plays like a fragrant summer's evening breeze. The low point of the album, a misnomer, is Waiting. This is simple dinner jazz, perfectly executed; a musical resting place before the final stretch. Wistful Thinking leads into the highlight of the album. Point Neuf is a deliciously dizzy waltz, with the violin dancing like a dervish. Don't be surprised if Point Neuf causes you to push the replay button many times over. MacKenzie and Johnston close out with the highly danceable Sliding Scale. The piano is bedrock here, with the violin providing the fireworks.

David MacKenzie & Josh Johnston make all the right moves on Notes Home. Fans of Django Reinhart, skeptical of all of the artists out there who "sound like" Reinhardt, will be pleasantly surprised by the chemistry and musicianship on Notes Home. MacKenzie & Johnston don't try to be Reinhardt and Venuti; instead they pay tribute to their legacy, staying close enough to the masters to be in the ballpark but original enough to bring that classic sound forward into the 21st century as vibrant as it ever was. Make sure you get your Notes Home.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about David MacKenzie and Josh Johnston at www.myspace.com/davidandjosh or http://www.davidandjosh.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Notes Home.

Review: Jets Overhead - No Nations

Jets Overhead - No Nations
2009, Vapor Records

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada's Jets Overhead returns with their sophomore album, No Nations, the follow-up to 2006's Bridges, which earned the band a Juno nomination as "New Group of the Year". Produced by 54-40's Neil Osborne (the guy who wrote I Go Blind; made famous in the US by Hootie & The Blowfish); No Nations has a cinematic modern rock texture that fits perfectly with the band's tendency to create scene-heavy videos. Jets Overhead has already received attention from KCRW (Los Angeles) and WXPN (Philadelphia) for No Nations, and the masses can't be far behind.

No Nations opens with I Should Be Born, a mid-tempo, mellow rock tune with a big, layered sound and an insular vocal approach reminiscent of The Cowboy Junkies' Margo Timmons. This is the sort of mellow rock than can explode into a big sound on the concert stage, and vocalist Antonia Freybe-Smith sounds like she has a lot more power and texture than comes across here. Heading For Nowhere features Adam Kittredge on vocals with Freybe-Smith on harmony. The melody here is very strong and works well in this straight up rock arrangement. The chorus in particular is the sort that you sing along with the first time you hear it. Weathervanes (In The Way) soars on the same melodic highways and byways of old Alan Parsons tunes; the harmonies constructed within the song are nothing short of gorgeous.

Sure Sign is a pleasant listen but gets so stuck in its own chorus it can wear on the listener after a while. Freybe-Smith returns to the forefront on Time Will Remember; perhaps my favorite song on the disc. The musical aesthetic is still largely quiet and reserved but there's a lot of life underneath where guitar, piano, bass and percussion intermingle. Always A First Time carries a delicious mix of optimism and melancholy, all wrapped into amazing vocal harmonies and a simple yet positive arrangement. No Nations wraps up with Tired Of The Comfort, using the same mix of lush harmonies and melodies that get stuck in your aural canal to create a mellow yet moving listening experience.

No Nations took a few listens to really get into, but now I don't want to take it out of the CD player. It's a quietly compelling album, chatting you up with nuances deep and varied, slipping in melodies that keep you on the line and shut you down with harmonies you can't resist. Jets Overhead have created not just an album in No Nations, but a listening experience.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jets Overhead at http://www.jetsoverhead.com/. You can purchase a copy of No Nations through Amazon.com. Downloads can be purchased from Amazon MP3 or iTunes.

Review: Porter Block - The Gowanus Yacht Club

Porter Block - The Gowanus Yacht Club
2009, Engine Room Recordings

Porter Block set out write and record an album reflective of his surroundings. Living in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY, Block was inspired to reach out to other New York City songwriters and invite them to write and record with him. The resulting album, The Gowanus Yacht Club, features a cross section of some of the best Indie talent New York City has to offer. Guests include Telepopmusik's Angela McCluskey, Casey Shea (The Undisputed Heavyweights), Terry Radigan Wes Hutchinson and Nate Campany, among others.

The Gowanus Yacht Club opens with Second Wind, a layered and highly melodic bit of Americana that is a pleasurable start to the disc. Block reminds me a bit of Alan Parsons on Times Between The Good Times, more in writing style than anything else. The vocal harmonies in the chorus are the perfect foil to the guitar-heavy arrangement. List Of Things To Do is a fun Pop-Americana tune about the art of procrastination. Vaguely tongue-in-cheek; the tune is a treat that will make you want to get up and dance. Sun Goes Down is a pleasant listen that's a bit sad in content; melancholy if you will. All Of Who I Am sounds like it should be a love song; but is more of a declaration of the person as performer. The song is very well written and quite lovely; starkly emotional and honest without going over the top in expressive display.

What The Future Holds is an upbeat and vibrant rock tune about youthful expectations and the reality that follows in time. It's a delightful listen that you'll feel compelled to dance along to. Happy Everything is a tongue-in-cheek treatise on the juxtaposition of decline and optimism that seems very apropos for the current age. Well Gone Dry is very catchy and has real potential for licensing. Cream Delicious closes out The Gowanus Yacht Club in a kitschy love song accented with great vocal harmonies.

Porter Block uses the power of collaboration for good on The Gowanus Yacht Club, perhaps the most accomplished and enjoyable concept album of the year thus far. Even where Block and his collaborates stray from the beaten path they seem to arrive at moments of magic that are worthy of recognition. I highly recommend The Gowanus Yacht Club; make sure you check it out.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Porter Block at www.myspace.com/porterblockmusic or http://www.porterblockmusic.com/. You can purchase The Gowanus Yacht Club as a CD or download through Amazon.com.

Review: Zac Mac Band - Under The Radar

Zac Mac Band – Under The Radar [EP]
2009, Night Train Records

The Zac Mac Band has taken Boston, and now they’re ready to take on the world. Lead singer, songwriter, pianist and sometime guitar player Zac McIntyre was a finalist in 2008’s Great American Song Contest, and towers above the competition (he’s 6’10”). Inspired by bands such as Led Zeppelin, Coldplay, Chris Cornell, Collective Soul, The Killers and Snow Patrol. McIntyre writes intelligent and catchy mellow rock songs that get stuck in your head. The Hope, Maine native is a veteran of bands such as North Of Nowhere, The High End and Johnny Rainfield, but appears to have found a sound and style with the Zac Mac Band that is his own. ZMB’s latest release, Under The Radar, hit stores in March of 2009.

McIntyre has a very enjoyable voice. The songs on Under The Radar have a much laid back, nearly repressed mellow sound (think Barenaked Ladies’ Maybe You Should Drive album for comparison). McIntyre writes serious songs, but is not afraid to weave humor into the fabric of a song where appropriate. MySpace Heartbreak hits both serious and ironic notes in a New Wave/Pop tune about Post-relationship neurosis in a digital age. Highest Level is a treat for the ears; a modern mellow rock tune with a chorus worthy of Alan Parsons. Loaded Gun I didn’t connect with as well. Considering the subject matter the song is remarkably passive; the narrative and affect just don’t match at all. There is some Roy Orison inspired guitar work here and the song comes off sounding a bit like a John Mayer tune. 15 Songs On The Radio, on the other hand, is an inspired bit of writing. McIntyre takes us inside his head and the struggle to keep striving for your dreams when the possibilities are so limited (“So many other bands / they’ve got the same plans / and there’s only 15 songs on the radio.”) Anyone who has ever tried to make it in the music industry, or even stood in front of a mirror, air guitar in hand and wished will appreciate the sentiments here. Roll Me Over closes out the set in a somewhat generic Alt/Pop tune ala Dog’s Eye View or Matchbox 20.

The Zac Mac Band has a future. Under The Radar is a bit uneven but shows flashes of brilliance (MySpace Heartbreak, 15 Songs On The Radio). Don’t be surprised if these guys are household names down the line. For now, Under The Radar is a great way to get to know Zac Mac Band. Check it out!

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about the Zac Mac Band at http://www.zacmacband.com/ or www.myspace.com/zacmacband. You can purchase a copy of Under The Radar at www.cdbaby.com/cd/zacmacband.