The Nautics - Black Light Doves

The Nautics - Black Light Doves

2010, The Nautics

The Nautics are a family band from Medford, Oregon, blasting out of the northwest with a vital surf-guitar sound heavily influenced by The Ventures, The Beatles and The Stray Cats.  Mike Seus (guitar/vox); Joe Seus (drums); Matt Seus (bass) and Paul Seus (lead guitar) coalesced over the course of a couple of years, but play as if destined to work together from the start.  The Nautics recently released their debut album Black Light Doves, an intriguing blend of surf, classic and modern rock.

Black Light Doves opens with the title track, a catchy pop song in the 1960’s style lamenting loss.  This, surprisingly, is a highly danceable number with tremendous pop sensibility.  Mike Seus has a great rock voice; not necessarily the prettiest one out there but full of character and he transitions well between chest voice and falsetto voice.  “Save Your Money” is a fun, danceable tune, maintaining the vibe until The Nautics roll out “Quarterlife Crisis”.  Full of angst and melancholy, there is nonetheless a tongue-in-cheek quality to the unrequited love song that you can’t ignore.  “The Sobbing Truth” is catchy surf-guitar rock, perhaps a continuation of the storyline from “Quarterlife Crisis”.  Halfway through and The Nautics are looking strong.

And sometimes a band would be better off stopping at an EP.

The rest of the material on Black Light Doves is sufficient, but doesn’t grab the listener the way The Nautics managed on the first half of the album.  “Sweetheart With The Strawberry Hair” starts the second half on a promising note; a catchy rock tune that will get stuck in your brain, but thereafter the songwriting is uninspired and mundane.  It’s very clear that the Seus can play and even have a talent for writing catchy rock/pop tunes, but in this case the allure of releasing a full length album brought the inclusion of a selection of songs of uneven quality.  I have no doubt that some of the less inspiring material here may work better on stage, but the second half of the album in particular just comes off flat.  Nevertheless, there's enough good music here to make the album worth checking out, and to postulate a bright future for The Nautics.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The Nautics at http://www.thenautics.com/ or www.myspace.com/thenautics.  Black Light Doves is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available from iTunes.

The Headers - Don't Be Talkin' Smack

The Headers - Don't Be Talkin' Smack!

2008, The Headers

Buffalo rockabilly trio The Headers are about as close to legends as a local band can become.  The band includes two members of the Buffalo Music Hall Of Fame: Vocalist/guitarist Bobby Lebel and bassist/vocalist Scott Freilich.  The band is rounded out by drummer Dan Stoll, and works some of the most inspired 1950’s style rock n roll this side of The Stray Cats.  The Headers’ most recent album, Don’t Be Talkin’ Smack!, was released in 2008 and shows off the band’s distinctive talent and sound.

Don't Be Talkin' Smack! opens with "Brand New Gretsch Guitar", a Brian Setzer-style 1950's rocker that's virulent.  The song seems a bit cynical, as The Headers are sponsored by Gretsch Guitars, but that won't keep you from dancing when the song plays.  "Bun In The Oven" is highly entertaining, and the guitar work of Bobby Lebel is fabulous.  You'd almost swear that's Elvis Presley on vocals.  "Don't Be Talkin' Smack" breaks out the barre chords for a jazz-tinged big-band electric trip.  Lebel wants to be a crooner here until the chorus when he brings attitude.  "She's Through With You" is a gloating romp written from the perspective of the winning leg of a love triangle.  It's a very danceable tune in spite of the gleefully dark tenor of the song. 

"Deadman's Curve" finds The Headers breaking out the surf guitar style in a dark anthem done eight-to-the-bar.  It's a very catchy song, but full of deep roiling angst that sometimes pervades the surf style.  "Ragtop Daddy" is the perquisite car anthem and leads into wonderfully read "Sandman".  The Headers take the classic record from The Chordettes and craft it into a distinctly understated and stylish rendition.  "You Lift Me Up" shows off the band's vocal harmonies in a classic-style love song.  The Headers closes with "Offa My Mind", a mid-tempo that brings the band firmly into the 1960's.  The band's vocal harmonies are once again impressive, and "Offa My Mind" is among the most danceable on the album.

The Headers offer up new material with a classic touch on Don't Be Talkin' Smack!.  The presentation is a bit kitschy at times (right down to the Elvis-style vibrato on the lead vocals), but the songwriting is solid and The Headers play together as if one.  What Don't Be Talkin' Smack! might lack in presentation it more than makes up for in the pure joy of the music.  The Headers are a band you can't help but enjoy listening to. 

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The Headers at www.theheaders.com or www.myspace.com/theheaders. Don't Be Talkin' Smack is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available digitially from iTunes.

Review: The Doctors Fox - Plural Non-Possessive

The Doctors Fox - Plural Non-Possessive
2009, The Doctors Fox

Every so often a band comes along that's so totally marching to their own drummer they are tough to classify. In this case the drummer is Josh Kiggans, and the band is Boston's The Doctors Fox. Blending Rock, Jazz, Funk, Ska, Doo Wop and Klezmer into a thoroughly novel yet comfortable is the specialty of The Doctors Fox, who claim such diverse acts as They Might Be Giants, The Band and Of Montreal as influences. Their debut album, Plural Non-Possessive, finds The Doctors Fox pulling out the musical kitchen sink and creating a delirious brand of musical magic.

Plural Non-Possessive opens with Olympic Sculpture Park in an unlikely pairing of the Gypsy Jazz style of Django Reinhart and Joe Venuti with the Be-Bop feel of Brian Setzer. The Doctors Fox waste no time creating an impression either, whacking you across the ears with the violin that plays such an essential part of their town from the opening notes. Olympic Sculpture Park is an excellent introduction to both the album and the band. The Doctors Fox bring the funk on The Man, a working class anthem that's universal in times like these. On Chemistry, the band explores the human tendency to look for a quick fix through quick fixes, if you will. It's not my favorite arrangement on the album, but is lyrically apt and has a natural flow that works in its favor.

Don Juan is a smooth ballad with great vocal harmonies that takes sudden turns from time to time to create tension and interest. The Doctors Fox get quasi-comical on Autobiography Of A Beached Whale. The arrangement includes horns, a funk-infused bass line from David Ladon and a quasi-Reggae beat. Fourth Of July works as a passive call for resolution representative of a generation that continually waits for someone to please do something. The song is well-written and arranged and is as pointed an indictment of the power structure as it is of those of who little but complain about it.

Plural Non-Possessive is full of strong songs, but the highlight of highlights is Ode To The Sun, a delicious bit of Gypsy/Funk/Rock that's highly danceable and intriguing. Sacha is a highly variable rock tune that sounds like it could have been drawn from a Chicago Transit Authority recording session. It's a highly enjoyable tune and something of a different flavor for the band. The Doctors Fox closes out with Whole Foods, a musical riff on the store/chain familiar primarily to those who live in large metropolitan centers like Boston, New York and L.A. At times the song sounds like an ode, but it also points out some of the darker aspects of the whole foods movement and store in general. It's a great arrangement and socially conscious in politically and socially dangerous fashion.

The Doctors Fox are too talented to remain just a Boston band for long. Their sound is so eclectic and original it's bound to gain them more attention and a larger stage, and the songwriting and musicianship are more than sufficient to sustain them when they get there. Vocalists David Ladon and Jon Dashkoff create some pretty impressive harmonies, and Ryan Aylward provides a master class in non-traditional fiddle playing. Plural Non-Possessive is brilliant, and will leave you longing for more.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Doctors Fox at http://www.thedoctorsfox.com/. You can purchase a copy of Plural Non-Possessive as either a CD or Download from CDBaby.com.

Review: Squirrel Nut Zippers - Lost At Sea (Live)

Squirrel Nut Zippers - Lost At Sea
2009, Southern Broadcasting/MRI

When Brian Setzer covered Louis Prima's Jump Jive An' Wail back in the mid-1990's, he ignited a hunger for music from and inspired by the Swing era that opened the door to popular success for a lot of bands who might not have otherwise had the opportunity. One of those bands was the Squirrel Nut Zippers. While the Squirrel Nut Zippers aren't a swing band, per se, a number of their tunes do fit the category. Writing with a cinematic zeal, Squirrel Nut Zippers tell stories in song with whatever sound fits the storyline. Their esoteric approach has left critics scratching their heads for the appropriate descriptive language while beguiling and befuddling fans. The band took a break from public life in 2002, staying in exile until 2007 when the core of the band headed back out on the road. On October 27, 2009, the Squirrel Nut Zippers release a live album, Lost At Sea, documenting some of their biggest hits from over the years as well as giving a fine aural picture of where the band stands more than a decade after the light of celebrity first shone upon them.

Lost At Sea opens with the Swing/Funk of Memphis Exorcism, recalling the 1950's Jazz Era of the deep south. The instrumental runs about 2 1/2 minutes and sets the stage nicely for an even full of music and dancing. The crowd at Brooklyn, NY's Southpaw is clearly audible and very much into the show. You will be too. Good Enough For Grandad blows the roof off the joint on just the second song with a serious New Orleans flavor and Jimbo Mathus on vocals. It's a song about reverence for the past and reflects an "old-time" philosophy that still makes sense even in a post-modern world. Not too mention there's some pretty hot jazz going on here. It Ain't You displays the other vocal personality of Squirrel Nut Zippers. Katherine Whalen has a voice boiling over with sensuality while retaining a sound that is pure-1930's gin-joint jazz. The hot swing carries over into Prince Nez. The roof already blown off, the Zippers tear down the walls and stomp on the floor boards for good measure.

Up next is Put A Lid On It, a moderate radio hit for the band back in the mid-90's. Mathus and Whalen sing call and response with Whalen exuding a raw animal nature of an old-time film star like Jayne Mansfield. Danny Diamond is the story in song of a burlesque star who came to a less than desired end; the song shows The Zippers ability to create magic at a slower speed and is a great listen. Suits Are Picking Up The Bill has long been one of my favorite Zippers songs, and is presented here with an extended opening and a more refined than the original studio cut. The sound here is a mix of Dixieland and BeBop. The Zippers move through Happens All The Time and Bad Businessman on their way to Hell, one of their bigger radio hits. The dark and deranged swing here will hook you immediately if you don't already know the song. Jimbo Mathus takes over the mic with all of the swagger of an old-school band leader in an inspired performance.

Ghost Of Stephen Foster is a darkly entertaining tune that seeks to right a wrong from the great composer. It's a zany trip into an unreal world for no reason at all, and the arrangement is amazing. Blue Angel finds Whalen at her best, laying down a vocal line full of hope and fear wrapped into one delicious song. The Zippers stand back from their usual bombast with a measured performance full of nuance and finesse. Do What comes forward for a 1950's Rock N Roll sound in a seven minute opus guaranteed to have you shaking booty and singing along for all you are worth. This is essentially the closing tune to the album, although there is a 49 second epilogue entitled Missing Link Parade tacked on to the end.

The Squirrel Nut Zippers have always sounded just a bit messy. Eschewing highly produced and refined musical grooming for an organic live sound has been heir style since they first broke on the popular music scene. Lost At Sea captures their live sound in its natural habitat - the stage. For a band that took five years off they haven't lost a step. Lost At Sea documents the Squirrel Nut Zippers of 2009 in highly complementary terms. Now all we can hope for is some new material in the not too distant future.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about the Squirrel Nut Zippers at http://www.snzippers.com/ or www.myspace.com/snzippers. Lost At Sea goes on sale October 27, 2009. Expect wide availability. But if you can’t wait, you can get the CD in advance of the release date through the band’s website. This opportunity has yet to start, but keep checking back to the Zipper’s website for more information.

Review: Charlie Morris Band - Ten Tall Tales

Charlie Morris Band - Ten Tall Tales
2009, Bluespages Records

Blues combined with Rock N Roll that runs from the swamp to the arena and back is what the Charlie Morris Band is all about. Morris like his blues deep dish Chicago style, whether pickin' on his Les Paul or wailing on his Strat. The latest album from the Charlie Morris Band, Ten Tall Tales, is a dynamic collection of tunes that runs the gamut from politically aware Blues/Rock to old fashioned burlesque Roadhouse Blues. Markus Baumer provides wild piano and organ support, while David Clarke slaps the bass and Marco "Speedy" Jeanrenaud knocks out the rhythms that drive the Charlie Morris Band on an album that's one big party from start to finish.
Ten Tall Tales opens with Got Greedy, extolling the liabilities of society’s reliance on oil. The guitar work here is impressive, with Morris laying down some sick riffs, Chicago style and Baumer gluing everything together with an impressive display on the B3. Monsieur Miracle emulates the Zydeco style in a song that is guaranteed to get you dancing. The guitar work is again exquisite. I Got To Have It clearly lays out one of the primary tenets of the human condition. The narrator is aware of all his faults, particularly his vices, and is bound and determined to keep every one of them. The piano work on this particular song stands out loud and clear and sounding a bit more New Orleans than the other songs presented thus far.

Stagger Home To My Baby sounds like something you might hear from Brian Setzer, all Rockabilly and Rhythm & Blues. I Got A Black Cat Bone gets into early Rock and R&B styles. The song is an amusing take on love potions and the like. Never Coming Home looks at life on the road from the eyes of a musician in a slow blues tune full of melancholy and just a bit of loneliness. The highlight of the album is New Fool, featuring some of the best guitar work on the disc. The song itself is a fun listen, but the guitar work is what makes it shine. Not Much Glory takes on the music business and the dirty side that music fans rarely see. Nothing here is particularly surprising, but the bleak outlook Morris offers may cause a few listeners to have second thoughts about pursuing music as a career. Ten Tall Tales closes out with That's What She Said, a raunchy bit of roadhouse blues that likely gets funnier and funnier as the evening and rounds progress.

Ten Tall Tales is the perfect music for a Saturday night. The Charlie Morris Band knows how to create the perfect musical atmosphere for a party. Great tunes that you can dance and even sing along to rolled up in classic sounds that are practically universal. I highly recommend Ten Tall Tales for people who want to remember that Rock N Roll was meant to be fun. This is a great disc.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about the Charlie Morris Band at www.BluesPages.com/CharlieMorris or www.myspace.com/charliegator. You can purchase a copy of Ten Tall Tales at www.cdbaby.com/cd/charliemorris.

Review: Russ Hewitt - Bajo El Sol

Russ Hewitt - Bajo El Sol
2008, Saulitomusic

Dallas, Texas "Nuevo Flamenco" guitarist Russ Hewitt's star is rising on the back of his debut album, Bajo El Sol. Blending Latin, Jazz, Native American and Middle Eastern elements into his songs, Hewitt has created an album that has already garnered chart success (the debut single, Bajo El Sol), and is receiving rave reviews from all across the musical spectrum. Hewitt has a prodigious band behind him, with Walfred Reyes, Jr. (Santana, Strunz and Farah, Ricky Martin) on drums; Rafael Padilla (Miami Sound Machine, Shakira) on percussion; Bob Parr (Cher, Brian Setzer Orchestra) on bass and the inimitable Alfredo Caceres on guitar, listeners will be blown away by the tapestry of sound Hewitt weaves.

Bajo El Sol opens with the title track, an energetic and lively Latin/Pop instrumental. Lydia is propelled by an insistent melody that will keep recurring wrapped in a Flamenco arrangement. Tranquillo is built around the sort of mildly infectious melody that will keep you coming back for more, although the arrangement does fall into the overly repetitive category. My favorite track was El Beso, with Ojos Bonitos a close second. Be sure also to check out Byzantine, Inger and Palma de Mallorca.

Russ Hewitt is talented, and Bajo El Sol is a good introduction. The arrangements here are light and poppy, perhaps too much so at times, but Hewitt's playing is technically superior and shows emotional investment. There is a definite elevator music quality here because of the ultra-smooth arrangements and production, but there's a little more to Bajo El Sol than just passing time.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Russ Hewitt at www.myspace.com/russhewittmusic or http://www.russhewitt.com/. You can purchase a copy of Bajo El Sol at www.cdbaby.com/cd/russhewitt.

Review: No - Paris-Chicago

No - Paris-Chicago
2009, Olivier Nataf

French singer-songwriter Olivier Nataf recently moved from France to Chicago, Illinois, celebrating with the release of Paris-Chicago. A mix of singer-songwriter pastiche, good old Chicago-style blues, soul, funk and Rock N Roll, Paris-Chicago is very familiar and very new all at once.

Grooving on a hot electric blues vibe, No creates a highly listenable and occasionally danceable album in Paris-Chicago. Opening with Laisser-Moi Passez, No kicks in a funky backbeat and a catchy melody to draw the listener's attention from the opening notes of the album. Nataf has a very pleasant voice and sounds more like a folk singer than a blues vocalist, but he makes the songs work very well. Paris-Chicago has a hot-n-cool feel to it, channeling a bit of B.B. King in the process. Plus En Enfant opens with a complex acoustic part and sticks with the acoustic gig throughout. Je Mais Que Tu Alors... Just Me sounds very familiar from the outset, borrowing the same chord progression and nearly the same style of Stray Cat Strut. My favorite song on the album is Les Vendeuses De Charme, with its classical guitar opening and reggae rhythms. Respect is a sweet sounding ballad and a great balance to the more upbeat material on Paris-Chicago for the first minute, before breaking into an upbeat rock tune. No closes out with two covers, a blues cover of Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground, which I liked, and a highly intriguing blues rendition of The Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams. This was the highlight of the album; a wholly unexpected and eye-opening interpretation that practically redefines the song.

No took a few listens. Paris-Chicago was one of those albums I didn't like much upon first listen, but it grew on me. My French isn't anywhere near as good as it once was as I just haven't used it in many years, so I can't really comment on the lyrical comment, but Paris-Chicago is a highly enjoyable listen. Be sure to say yes to No.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about No at www.myspace.com/nothefrenchsinger or http://www.website-no.com/. Currently, Paris-Chicago is available as a download only through No’s store, but will soon be available through other outlets and as a physical CD.

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: 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.