Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... Season 2

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... - Season Two
2011, MVD Entertainment Group

Music fans unaware of Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... are missing out on one of the best music oriented shows on television.  Currently shown in Canada, Spectacle has consistently drawn big name artists to the small screen for sit down chats and memorable performances, both solo and with Elvis Costello and the Imposters.  MVD Entertainment Group recently released Season Two of Spectacle in the form of a 2-DVD set.  Season Two features interviews with and performances by such artists as Bono and The Edge, Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen, Lyle Lovett, Richard Thompson, Nick Lowe, Ray LaMontagne, Neko Case and Mary-Louise Parker.

Spectacle has been honored with an EMMY nomination and a Gemini award as the Best Talk Series, and it's no surprise.  The artists who appear on Spectacle let down their guard speaking with Costello in a way that rarely happens on traditional talk television, and the musical performances are a real treat for fans.  Season Two features a special double episode Bruce Springsteen.  Special features include a special behind the scenes feature entitled Elvis Costello With... Inside Notes, and four bonus performances from Elvis Costello and his guests.  Costello is an engaging host throughout season two, keeping the format fresh with offbeat conversations and some truly wonderful musical moments.  Costello has managed to create a near-perfect television forum for music makers and music fans.  This is the rare television series you might find yourself actually watching again and again.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Spectacle at www.spectacletv.com.  Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...  Season 2 is available from Amazon.com on DVD and Blu-ray.

Shirock - Everything Burns

Shirock - Everything Burns
2009/2011 - Shirock

Nashville rockers Shirock blend singer/songwriter pastiche with well-honed pop/rock songs on their debut album, Everything Burns.  Produced by Jay Ruston (The Donnas, Matisyahu, Everclear, Cold War Kids), Everything Burns is full of grand intentions, bold melodies, big energy and a story-teller’s art. 

Everything Burns opens with "New Solution", a catchy, U2 style pop song.  Chuck Shirock sings a bit like Bono, and the harmony vocals are perfectly complementary.  This one also has a big, radio-friendly chorus that should catch the attention of radio programmers.  "Time Goes By" sounds like a formulaic ballad designed for radio play, but conceals a considerable angst as the narrator questions existence and his reason to be.  "Still Young" suggests a hopeful proposition wrapped in a deep melancholy.  "I'll Take Rain" is a song about finding the perfect one, but has a funereal feel that's at odds with the lyrics.  The song features Pap Shirock on lead vocal; she turns out to be the vocal class of the group.

"Say It Out" is a love song with real energy and passion exuding from the arrangement.  There's a definite U2 influence here.  "Drag You Down" is highly commercial in sound but a bit empty for substance.  You can't blame a band for including a track like this in an album in the hope of catching on with mass media, but "Drag You Down" is sufficiently self-reflexive to make you wonder what Shirock was thinking.  "Silver" features Pap Shirock once again on vocals for a big, enduring ballad.  She sounds wonderful here, but it would be nice to hear her let loose on one of the rock tunes.  Pap Shirock's harmony vocals elsewhere suggest that she is sorely underutilized. 

"Everything Burns" is an admonition to make the most of your time and do something meaningful.  Opening with a spoken word part, Shirock drags this one out across six-plus minutes of ashes-to-ashes commentary.  "I Have Been Redeemed (Reprisal)" is not, in fact, a reprisal of anything on the album.  It's a solid tune with a spiritual theme, marking a transition that we do not yet see.  The album closes in a wash of ethereal sounds and reverb.

Shirock is a band with multiple personalities, and as of Everything Burns it's not clear that one has won out over the others.  With Chuck Shirock on the mic there is a quality of showmanship to the group that generally works in their favor, as well as a penchant for big, wide-open arrangements with soaring melodies ala U2.  With Pap Shirock up front, Shirock becomes more of a musical juggernaut.  While Everything Burns does not feature her on any rock-oriented songs, it's easy to see/hear that she's the best singer in the group.  Shirock takes on different aspects depending on the vocalist, and right now seems to be fighting to be one thing while more naturally disposed to being the other.  This is the sort of internal tension that, if not resolved, can tear a band apart.  Yet, like many other groups with multiple vocalists and personalities (Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Styx), the ride before the crash can be fantastic.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Shirock at www.shirock.net or www.myspace.com/shirock.  Everything Burns is available digitally from Amazon.com and itunes.

Review: Little Invisibles - Closer

Little Invisibles - Closer
2009, Little Invisibles

Gina Degnars has been a fixture on the New York and Philadelphia music scenes for a number of years (as well as her native Delaware). The songstress, who studied at Boston's Berklee School Of Music, released an album with her prior band, Stygian Veil back in 2001 (Poison Berries), but has continued to create wonderfully dark and textured piano-based Alt-Rock over the years. In 2009, Degnars was ready for a transition, incorporating more distinctly Pop melodies and electronic beats in her music. This change led to the formation of Little Invisibles, and the release of the band's debut EP, Closer. Preferring minor keys and human frailty to the shallow happiness of modern pop or the cynical boredom of most alt-Rock, Degnars climbs through her existential musical angst to generally find the element of hope that drives us all.

Closer opens with the urgent exhortation of Breathless. The song is part fascination and part mourning; the singer still finds her other enthralling but the feeling is no longer reciprocated. The musical canvas gives a desolate, lost feel, and tension in the vocal line is wholly palpable. What Once Was explores the aftermath of a relationship while still yearning for what was. The emotions here are raw and compelling, and earnestly represented in the stark nature of the instrumentation. Gina Degnar's yearning, mournful voice is full of tragic beauty, emoting both the passion and frustration that drive the song. Not One Of You is highly reminiscent of some of Tori Amos' more emotional mid-career musical ramblings; a performance that appears ready to come across at the emotional seams at a moment's notice but never disintegrates. Little Invisibles closes with Headrush, with Lance Davis providing Bono-esque vocals alongside Degnars in a starkly beautiful performance that's enthralling and more than a little disturbing.

Gina Degnar's dark side drives the music on Closer; a diluvial outpouring of mixed emotion and angst against esoteric, keyboard-driven compositions. Degnars falls somewhere in the triangle between Tori Amos, Kate Bush and Bjork vocally, drawing a lonely strength from a sublime combination of vulnerability and certainty. Closer is probably destined to be under-appreciated in light of current mores, and unfortunately so. Degnars is a singular talent as both a writer and performer, and Little Invisibles coalesce nicely around the dark clouds of her muse.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Little Invisibles at www.myspace.com/littleinvisibles or http://www.littleinvisibles.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Closer on CD. Downloads are available through iTunes.

Review: Gooding - The Return

Gooding - The Return
2010, S3 Records

Kansas native Gooding makes his living these days in Los Angeles; the songwriter/composer has a dozen albums under his belt and has scored elements for Walk The Line, The Animatrix, Children Of Men and Tourgasm. Gooding has also produced hundreds of artists and founded his own Indie Label, S3 Records. The prolific songwriter/singer/musician is back at in 2010 with The Return.

The Return opens with Make The Devil Cry, a quirky and vibrant rocker with edge. Gooding takes control right from the outset, helping to create a song that would make a memorable single. You can't listen to this song and not feel the urge to move. Go Kid Go is a catchy tune; a bit on the repetitive side but quirky and guitar-driven. Once again, try not to move when this song is playing. You can't sit still. Love Will Rule sounds calculated to gain Pop Radio airplay. The hooks are there, but this tune sounds a bit too crafted.

No One Gets Out Alive is a great listen featuring some nasty blues guitar licks. Gooding returns with the quirky edge that they opened the album with for one of the better tracks on The Return. Please is a pleading power ballad with a repetitive chorus and simplistic melody. Similar to Love Will Rule, this sounds more contrived than from the heart. Even the delivery is a little flat, missing the needful feeling the lyrics imply. Vagabond is a strong entry as well, combining a rootless song subject and telling a hard tale against the background of Poppy, upbeat-sounding music. After You finds Gooding moving more toward an electro-rock sound with dance beats; the song is successful as a transitional piece but the jury's out on the sound. I'm Not Listening sounds a bit like mid-90's U2, although perhaps a bit more melancholy than Bono might emote. Gooding closes with Animals All, another quirky Pop/Rocker with moderate commercial appeal.

Gooding seems to be at their best when they maintain their quirky, asymmetric Pop quality. The instances on The Return where Gooding perhaps writes more to a commercial sound stand out like a sore thumb as highly crafted attempts to fit in. Gooding's sound is a bit off the beaten path; and they are most enjoyable when following in their own footsteps. The Return is a strong album; definitely worth checking out.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Gooding at http://www.goodingmusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/gooding. You can download The Return for free for a limited time through a link on Gooding’s MySpace page. The Return will be commercially available in early 2010.

Review: Janus - Red Right Return

Janus - Red Right Return
2009, REALID Records
Chicago quartet Janus is shaking up the world of Rock N Roll with a sound so fresh and original it jumps out the speakers and dives right into your skull. Generally eschewing the trend of trying to sound like everything else on the radio, Janus creates a brilliant Rock-based soundscape on the quasi-concept album Red Right Return, out September 22, 2009 on REALID Records. Lead vocalist David Scotney has the sort of edgy vocal sound that sets him apart from the crowd. Johnnay Salazar (percussion) and Alan Quitman (bass) form one of the more intriguing young rhythm sections in Modern Rock, allowing guitarist/programmer Mike Tyranski tremendous playing room to expand and expound. You may have previously heard Janus's music on shows such as MTV's Road Rules, The Real World and Bad Girls Club as well as NBC's The Science Of Love.

Red Right Return opens with the polyrhythmic drumming and grinding guitar sound of Six Letters Sent, a song set to rip the head off the Modern Rock Radio monster and take the airwaves by storm. Infusing vocals harmonies right out of 1980's Glam Rock and an edgy vocal line with a Bono-esque urgency make this a winner all around. Maybe It's You plays the classic power ballad card excruciatingly well. The full, layered guitar sound supports a dark and soaring melody line in an effort that could chart anywhere from the 1980's on. Say It is a bit more cookie-cutter, sounding not entirely dissimilar from the current citizenry of Modern Rock radio, but retains the edge that sets Janus apart.

The album's first single, Eyesore has already received significant radio exposure and aims for the line between Rock and Emo Singer/Songwriter territory. The ranging melody line vacillates between lyric opera of the damned and the scream aesthetic that's overwhelmed the Emo and Hardcore worlds. In the end it's fairly generic radio fodder. Skin Deep, on the other hand, takes to task the importance we give to superficial qualities. It's a powerful song on content alone, and the big, layered guitar sound amplifies that power like an aural sledgehammer. The Nerve strikes an interesting chord that blends the spirit of Radiohead into an almost Progressive Modern Rock envelope. This turned out to be my favorite track on the disc although I wasn't too keen on it the first time I heard it. Janus says goodnight with 100 Years, pointing out the long-term significance of the minutia we tend focus on in day-to-day life. It's a cogent bit of social commentary that emerges as a universal theme that's run through the whole of Red Right Return from the beginning.

Janus is an intriguing band, striving to be original in a genre where most anything you can think of has been done based on re-arranging simple notes into cognizant patterns. Derivation is the name of the game, and finding a combination that's both pleasant and quasi-original is difficult, but Janus manages it at points on Red Right Return. True, there are some songs here that fit the Modern Rock Radio mold, but more often than not Janus rocks right off the beaten track. Red Right Return is nicely done.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Janus at http://www.janusmusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/janus. Red Right Return hits shelves (both literal and virtual) on September 22, 2009. You can pre-order the CD through Amazon.com, but expect wide availability at both brick and mortar and e-commerce outlets.

Review: Opera Glasses - Wearing Masks

Opera Glasses - Wearing Masks
2007, Opera Glasses

Damiano Rossetti is the singer, songwriter, guitarist and spiritual leader of Opera Glasses, an Italian quartet carrying an obsession for darkwave music in general and The Cure in particular. Enchanted with the juxtaposition of melancholic lyrics and peppy, pop arrangements, Opera Glasses tries to create a similar vibe in their music. Opera Glasses' debut album, Wearing Masks, finds the band creating their own brand of magically upbeat musical pathos.

Wearing Masks opens with Turn Around, a song that sounds kind of like U2 trying to cover The Cure. Rossetti has this big musical wail of a voice that mostly works (although it does sound like he plays on the edges of the key he's in at times. Rossetti has a straight forward delivery full of a theatrical sense worthy of Bono and sings his heart out on every song. Hysterical Easter incorporates splashes of musical dissonance amidst the upbeat arrangement to create a sonic and cognitive tension that is palpable. The song is highly listenable and of a quality that hard core Smiths and Cure fans will appreciate. Strike Me sounds like it is the long lost child of The Cure's Show Me, with a distinct similarity in the opening chord progression. This bit of tribute is almost too over the top in a song that's so strikingly similar in style. Strike Me is, however, a strong pop song and may be the best on the disc. I'd put this up for airplay any day and I expect it would be quite successful with the right break.

Sweet Cure gets a little too bogged down in its own melancholy/depression, particularly at the end of the song. Pink Pig is refreshing after Sweet Cure, nailing The Cure's aesthetic perfectly. Opera Glasses leaves us with Remember Something, which delves into the more electronic aspects of 1980's Darkwave (then New Wave) Pop. Melancholia seeps into the musical arrangement, but a bright synth keeps the light on in a musical moment that is utterly memorable.

Opera Glasses aren't a Cure cover band, but it's almost as if they are; a tribute band more likely. For all intents and purposes Rossetti and crew channel the energy and style of the Cure circa 1988. Cure fans will love Opera Glasses (unless they hate them for being too like The Cure; always a possibility). Either way, it's good music, with a depressive vibrancy that's hard to achieve. Take a moment and check out Opera Glasses when you have the chance.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Opera Glasses at http://www.operaglasses.it/ or www.myspace.com/theoperaglasses. You can purchase Wearing Masks as a download through iTunes.

Review: Loomis & The Lust - Nagasha EP

Loomis & The Lust - Nagasha EP
2009, Kings Of Spain/BMI

Santa Barbara, California is home base for Loomis & The Lust, but after listening to their debut EP, Nagasha (July, 2009) I suspect they'll be spending a lot less time at home. With such diverse influences as The Kinks, The Animals, Chet Atkins, David Bowie, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Franz Ferdinand, Loomis & The Lust create an original brand of Rock N Roll with an honest affection for 1970's classic rock and a hook-laden philosophy straight out of the 1980's. Nagasha was produced by Brandon Mason (David Bowie, Secret Machines, Bono, The Edge), and features some of the catchiest, most danceable Rock N Roll of the year.

Nagasha opens with Bright Red Chords, a song that will lodge itself in your brain before you even know it's happened. The melody here has a universal feel, like something you've heard so many times you know it even as you hear it the first time. With a catchy, dance-inducing arrangement, Bright Red Chords will stick with you for a good long time. Break On Love has a classic, Blues/Rock feel and would fit right into an AOR playlist. Sweetness sounds like it could be a mix of The Wallflowers and Dave Matthews (solo), carrying a chorus that's unforgettable, while Cure For Sale slows things down a bit in a gentle rocker that entrenches in the Wallflowers sound. Cure For Sale may well be the most marketable song on the disc, likely having significant allure for the licensing world. Girl Next Door is a big, raucous blues-influenced rocker that sounds like it could be the basis for a movie. The theme here is a classic for Rock N Roll, and Loomis & The Lust show what they're really made of, using double entendre and testosterone-laden intentions for an amusing bit of musical confusion.

Loomis & The Lust take Rock N Roll back where it belongs in the five songs presented on Nagasha, blending deep classic rock roots with some of the zeitgeist of the 1980's and a modern twist. I suspect Loomis & The Lust will see a lot of commercial success in the licensing realm, although I am not sure where they fit in currently in the world of radio. From anything I have read about the band the live show is the thing. Loomis & The Lust seems to convert new fans every time they step on stage. Consequently, while I highly recommend you check out Nagasha, I would urge you to make a point of seeing Loomis & The Lust if they come to your town.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Loomis & The Lust at www.myspace.com/loomisandthelust or http://www.loomisandthelust.com/. You can purchase the Nagasha EP directly from their band via their web store, or digitally via iTunes.

Review: J.A.C.K. - Deletist

J.A.C.K. - Deletist

2009, Yabyum Records

Brooklyn-based alt-rock quarter J.A.C.K. keep the meaning of their acronym secret, but the word of mouth about their sound was uncontainable almost from the start. Three rip-roaring sons of Rock N Roll met while enrolled in New York University's music program, and after cementing their sound with the highly flying falsetto of vocalist/guitarist Scott Holland knew they had something special. Their sophomore release (and first full-length), Deletist, is out today. J.A.C.K. may be secretive about the original of their name, and DIY to the bone, but their sphere of influence is likely to expand significantly in the near future.

Deletist opens with the chaotic track Dracula, which spends most of its time as an alternative rocker but closes out with a keyboard driven classic rock section that would make Dennis DeYoung weep with joy. One thing you should understand about lead vocalist Scott Holland is that he can be something of a chameleon. On The Leader, Holland sounds like a cross between Klaus Meine and Bon Scott, whereas on a track like Extinguisher he can sound like a particularly raspy Bono. I Cut Off My Arms is perhaps the greatest “relationship gone wrong” songs I’ve ever heard, although it may be a bit disturbing for some. A distinctly poppy love song with some heavy guitar work represents the alternately lovesick and disturbed states of the protagonist. Bug appears to be a song about torture, or perhaps it’s just an allegory for crossing lines. Either way it’s at least mildly disturbing and gets your attention, right down to the lyric dueling guitar work in the bridge. Suicide Man opens with what might only be described as a gospel choir in Hell before turning into an alternately minimalist and noisy arrangement. The song itself is intriguing and definitely off the beaten track. You’ll also want to check out Summer’s War and Rainbow Blood.

J.A.C.K., J.A.C.K., J.A.C.K., what are we going to do with you? You don’t fit in with the other bands. You have some of the loftier musical ideals of a Radiohead, the occasional slow-heavy drive of Black Sabbath or Heaven And Hell, an ability to write songs like what Bono might come up on a dark day and a wonderfully and slightly worrying warped world perspective. We’ll find a place for you, because I believe a lot of people will be intrigued by your sound, I am just not sure how we present you to the world. Hey, I know! Let’s bring everyone to a show in Brooklyn! After you melt all their faces for a couple of hours they’ll be hooked! They’ll be buying copies of Deletist hand over fist!

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about J.A.C.K. at http://www.jackbandnyc.com/ or www.myspace.com/jacknyc. You can get a digital copy of Deletist at either Amazon MP3 or iTunes. If you want a hard copy, the only place to get one right now is at a live show (Face melting is included in the price of admission), but if you contact J.A.C.K. through their MySpace page perhaps they’ll hook you up.

Review: Matthew Kennedy - Avise La Fin

Matthew Kennedy - Avise La Fin
2009, Interleague Records

Matthew Kennedy, born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, found his way to America as a member of Christian band Khanyisa. After touring the US, Europe, Africa and Asia the group disbanded and Kennedy relocated to Los Angeles. From this musical high Kennedy quickly descended a dark road into drug and alcohol addiction. After his debut solo CD, Makes Me Alright, Kennedy re-examined his life and re-connected with his faith. These personal changes bred others, with Kennedy regaining control over his life. Kennedy's sophomore CD, Avise La Fin, consists of eleven songs informed by faith and hope. The title, taken from the Kennedy family crest (Consider The End), informs the philosophy that runs throughout the album.

The first thing that struck me about Kennedy is how much he sounds like Bono at times; indeed, about half of the music on Avise La Fin sounds like it could have been drawn from mid-career U2 sessions of the 1990’s. The album opens with Sing, a dark and edgy pop tune full of a hopeful, almost joy emerging from darkness. Salvation In A Box starts the serious U2 references with a soaring rocker featuring the sort of big Chorus Bono and the gang are known for. Kennedy hits potential radio gold with You Are Beautiful, another big soaring rock song with the sort of hooks that keep a song on the air for months. Say may be the best balanced song on the album, full of a melancholy feel and an infectious pop hook. Pick Up has a mellow vibe but strives to be a big pop/rock tune. Kennedy manages to make it soar in spite of the very relaxed feel to the song.

Like many albums, Avise La Fin gets a bit thin in the late going; the last few tracks are pleasant and well-written but just not up to the level Kennedy hit on the first 2/3 of the album. Avise La Fin reflects a more mature artist in Matthew Kennedy; one who has grown from his past misadventures, overcome personal obstacles, and learned to look at life through his songwriting rather than using his songwriting as a means to see things. Avise La Fin is a wonderful mix of dark and light with strong songwriting and the tremendous vocal performances Kennedy gives while pouring his heart into each song. It’s a definite keeper.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Matthew Kennedy at www.myspace.com/matthewkennedy. You can purchase a copy of Avise La Fin at www.cdbaby.com/cd/matthewkennedy2, or you can download the album from iTunes.

Review: Frank Sinatra - My Way 40th Anniversary Edition

Frank Sinatra – My Way – 40th Anniversary Edition
2009, Concord Records

Also on May 5, Concord Records releases the 40th Anniversary Edition of Frank Sinatra’s classic album, My Way. With liner notes written by U2’s Bono, My Way holds a special place in American Popular Music. The song itself became Sinatra’s theme song, and the perfect epitaph for his career. The album reflected Sinatra’s attempt to stay hip amidst a torrent of changes in taste in popular music. My Way includes covers of Hallelujah I Love Her So, Mrs. Robinson and Yesterday. Included with the album are two previously unreleased tracks, a cover of Jean DuShon’s For Once In My Life (made popular a year earlier by Stevie Wonder) and a live version of My Way recorded in October, 1987 in Dallas. Even 40 years after the fact, this album is a stunner. My Way came at a point in Sinatra’s career when popular mores had left him behind. Record sales were declining and a wave of new artists were filling the airwaves. Sinatra would temporarily retire two years later for these reasons, but for whatever else was going on; Sinatra could take on any material and make it his own.

My Way wasn’t Sinatra’s best material over the course of a 5 decade career, but it’s a clear picture of an aging legend, still at the top of his game even though the game was changing. My Way should be a part of every music collection.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Frank Sinatra at http://www.sinatra.com/. The 40th Anniversary Edition of My Way will be released May 5, 2009, and is available through Amazon.com or wherever music is sold. You can also download the album through iTunes as of May 5th.

Review: Playing For Change - Songs From Around The World

Playing For Change - Songs From Around The World
2009, Hear Music

Playing For Change is the brainchild of Grammy Award winning producer Mark Johnson. Johnson was on his way to work one day in New York City several years ago and witnessed the tangible response a group of New York City subway denizens had to two musicians on a subway platform. Johnson was reminded in that moment of the power of music to change people, events, etc. From that moment came the seeds of Playing For Change. Traveling first around 4 major cities in the US and eventually around the world, Johnson and his team spent several years filming/recording unknown musicians from the four corners of the earth. On April 28, 2009, Songs From Around The World will become available for sale, and it may just be a life-changing experience for some.

Songs From Around The World opens with Stand By Me, a classic folk take on the Ben E. King/Leiber & Stoller classic with elements of Soul, Reggae and Gospel woven in. The video for this song has been making the rounds on YouTube for months. The singers are Roger Ridley, Grandpa Elliott and Clarence Bekker, performing with a truly international band. The Playing For Change band next tackles Bob Marley’s One Love in an arrangement that sounds like Appalachian Blues gone Reggae (if there is such a thing). The vocal arrangement here is primo, and the instrumentation is as down home as it can get. Marley’s War/No More Trouble is one of the more enjoyable songs on the disc, featuring vocalists including Bono and Bob Marley, but the highlight is the cover of Peter Gabriel's Biko. Performed in an Americana arrangement, this rendition puts a fresh spin on the song while staying true to the spirit of the original. Afro Fiesta's rendition of Tracy Chapman’s Talkin' 'Bout A Revolution is inspired, and Keb Mo' is his incomparable self on Better Man. Another highlight is the Omagh Community Choir's rendition of Love Rescue Me. The album closes out with the Playing For Change band giving a standing-O performance of Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come. The accompanying DVD features videos of several of the songs on the CD.

Playing For Change is an acknowledgement of, and a testament to the power of music to change the world. Johnson is witness and messenger to the power of music, seeing an esoteric performance in a subway bond together a hundred or so hard-nosed New Yorkers. Grammy Awards aside, this may be his legacy. The album itself is a great listen and highly recommended for roots music fans, or fans of great music, whatever the ilk. Even on the slower songs the artists on Songs From Around The World give their all; the energy and joy in this music is undeniable.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Playing For Change at http://www.playingforchange.com/. Songs From Around The World goes on sale April 28, 2009. You can pre-order your copy from Amazon.com.

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: The Johns - Foresight/Poorsight

The Johns - Foresight/Poorsight
2008, Ghost In The Cupboard

The John's hail from Chicago, brandishing their style of honest, mid-western Rock N Roll like a sigul. The Johns have barnstormed the Mid-West, making friends and fans at each stop along the way, and even entertained a crowd in Boston's Town Hall in the past year. Everywhere you look these days you see things in contraction, but not The Johns. Their dream in creation just continues to grow. Their latest release, Foresight/Poorsight furthers that dream in wonderful and melodic ways.

Yes, they sound like early U2. The Johns, more than any band I've heard, have captured that blend of melody, grand harmonies and grander themes that made U2 such a success. Lead vocalist Jon Scarpelli even manages to sound a bit like Bono at times. Foresight/Poorsight opens with Sun For Days. Sun For Days is built on a simple melody and even simpler arrangement. Trim harmonies and workman-like guitar work making for a stark and lovely song, steeped in that melodic bigness U2 was known for in the 1980s. Defeatist sticks to a similar style, with sublime vocals and a sort of minimalist quasi-minimalist instrumental approach. If you want to hear angelic harmonies check our Love In A Dangerous Place. The song is a highly melodic ode to death and love and how one doesn't necessarily overcome the other.

The Johns change pace with the country-flavored Compass Rose. The wailing, ethereal pedal steel is almost dreamlike before the song returns to the pop/rock form The Johns are adept at. Wake Me Up is a darkly sweet waltz hiding in a ballad obsessed with mortality. The song is beautiful. Can't Carry No More is good old-fashioned honky-tonk country full of wit and not just a little spirit and is probably the feel-good standout of the album. Other highlights include Green Collar and Are You Still Coming?

It's hard to say the Johns are entirely unique, but they certainly have the market cornered on melodic pop. There is no one quite likely them in the music scene right now. The U2 comparisons are going to be made, and they aren't entirely unfounded, but The Johns make the sound all their own. This is one incredibly talented group. Foresight/Poorsight may just call for the crown of kings of melodic pop to be change hands again.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Johns at http://www.thejohnschicago.com/. You can purchase a copy of Foresight/Poorsight at www.cdbaby.com/cd/thejohnstunes2.