Everclear - Return To Santa Monica

Everclear – Return To Santa Monica
2011, Cleopatra Records

Through it all, Art Alexakis just keeps going.  His band, Everclear is on its third lineup, with the only original remaining member being Alexakis himself.  The Portland, Oregon band, formed in 1992, were darlings of the alternative rock scene throughout the 1990’s, leaders of the pop-based rock response to the grunge sound coming out of Seattle.  There has been a trend in the last few years of bands re-recording their hits, as aging acts separate from the major label apparatus have found a way to regain control of their catalog for licensing.  Everclear jumps on the bandwagon today with Return To Santa Monica.

The up side to such a move is it improves a band’s ability to generate income; for fans it can be an opportunity to hear a fresher version of a favorite hit or three.  Everclear does right by the fans with Return To Santa Monica, offering up a nearly live sounding collection of reborn hits from their catalog.  “Santa Monica”, “I Will Buy You A New Life”, “Father Of Mine” and “AM Radio” are particularly vibrant.  “Unemployed Boyfriend” seems even better than it did the first time around, though whether this is due to a change in the rendition or a change in the times it uncertain.  Everclear rounds out the remakes with “Wonderful” and “Everything To Everyone”.

Perhaps the biggest treats for fans, however, are the cover songs spread throughout the album.  The remake of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” is classic, and Steve Miller’s “The Joker” gets a new look.  Death Cab For Cuties “I Will Follow You Out Of The Dark” is among the highlights on the disc, as is the closing number, Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl”.  The only misfire on the entire album is a somewhat messy cover of The Police’s “Every Breath You Take”, which Alexakis muddles his way through on, showing neither the vocal range nor (here, at least) the sense of personality to pull this tune off.

These sorts of collections are as much for financial gain of the artist (as opposed to a label) as they are for fans.  Sometimes such collections can be ill-gotten nightmares, but Everclear manages to pull the whole thing off with a bit of panache.  The album plays like an intimate live show, with even the production values bending in that direction.  So instead of a boring retread of hits and covers you know, listeners get a quality, live-in-studio set of songs that will have you tapping your toes and remembering the 1990’s fondly.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)
Learn more about Everclear at www.everclearonline.com or on Facebook. 
           CD                        Download
                   iTunes.

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: Man Called Noon - Broke And Beaten Down

Man Called Noon - Broke And Beaten Down
2009, Man Called Noon

Herndon, Virginia's Anthony Giamichael takes to the stage under the name Man Called Noon. He has been compared stylistically to folks such as Springsteen, Tom Petty, Weezer, BoDeans and Soul Asylum, although Man Called Noon is rawer than any of them. Striving to tell stories as well as creating intriguing melodies and arrangements, Man Called Noon comes across as a highly personal and emotive singer on his debut album, Broke And Beaten Down.

Man Called Noon opens with Burn And Grow, a catchy, Lo-Fi anthem about wanting more for yourself out of life. An affable melody with buzzing guitars and a compact, Brit-Rock feel set a great pace here. Dance Off is a strong arrangement that's catchy, but gets dragged down by an uncommitted sounding vocal line. Living My Obsession is catchy and danceable; a song about a serial killer that may border on creepy for some listeners. The vocals are a bit off from the song itself, but the disjointed feel this creates works very well with the subject matter in question. Dying For My Passion is something of a sequel, with the brother of a victim of the serial killer in Living My Obsession seeking and getting revenge. The song starts out highly promising, with just Giamichael and acoustic guitar on opening, but breaks down into a repetitious fugue at the end.

Man Called Noon sounded seriously like Everclear on Cotton. The vocal line is a bit whiney, but works otherwise with the album. The best songwriting and performance on the CD is Broken Man. Broken Man has a raw, fun feel. The Rum-pot Folk/Pop arrangement carries a Blues sensibility. Man Called Noon winds down with The Lonesome Gods and settles on Another Ghost; a simplistic and repetitive tidbit that serves as a buffer for the untitled hidden track.

Man Called Noon succeeds because Anthony Giamichael is fearless as a songwriter. He’s unafraid to tackle unusual subjects or perspectives in his songs. This sort of risk taking can lead to stupendous failure, and sometimes, raving success. I’m not sure if Giamichael has honed his craft as a songwriter enough yet to capture that big moment, but he’s on the right path. Broke And Beaten Down shows flashes of brilliance, a lot of solid songwriting and a dog or two, but on balance it’s a great start that should lead to bigger and better things down the road. Giamichael’s voice is enigmatic and may rub some the wrong way, but in much the same fashion that Neil Young and Bob Dylan have over the years (I wouldn’t say it’s held either of them back). Man Called Moon might just have quite the future in front of them.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Man Called Noon at www.myspace.com/mancallednoon. Broke And Beaten Down is available via CDBaby or as a download from iTunes.

Review: megaphone - Exit Silent Mode

megaphone - Exit Silent Mode
2009, megaphone

megaphone are the reigning princes of Orlando, Florida's Hard Rock scene, regularly outdrawing other local bands and even gaining opening spots for artists such as Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley, Everclear, Seven Mary Three and Edwin McCain. Their debut album, 2005's For Crying Out Loud had several tracks featured on MTV's Made and garnered radio play across Florida. While For Crying Out Loud was representative of the band, their latest album, Exit Silent Mode more accurately captures megaphone's live sound across 12 songs and a number of searing guitar solos.

Exit Silent Mode opens with Write It Down, sounding like a cross between 1980's Pop-Metal bands like Ratt and Poison mixed up with a bit of Modern Rock ala Three Doors Down. Big Hooks and a fat guitar sound over a driving beat make this a treat for the ears. Gravitate is manna for hard rock fans, kicking serious axe while holding tight to big Pop hooks that will send you spinning. This has become megaphone's biggest song live and is worth the price of admission. The Sin has a Jersey feel, reminiscent of Glen Burtnik's writing with Plinky. My Favorite Disaster finds megaphone reaching for the commercial lynchpin; this is Modern and Pop Rock radio fodder. It's not as dynamic as some of the heavier material, but proves megaphone can play on the big stage. What If is a big rock anthem with a chorus you won't be able to shake that challenges listeners to let go of petty concerns and grab on to what's real.

Whisper and Uncelebrated continue the migration to a more Pop sounding Hard Rock that enters the Bon Jovi of the late 1980's territory. We Were Young sticks with the mellow Hard Rock ethic before megaphone amps things up a bit with Making Sense, which may be the best tune on the CD. It's not a complicated tune, straightforward in composition with big hooks, good harmonies and a fast-driving rhythm that would play well to radio (Modern Rock and Pop). Exit Silent Mode closes out with The Last One, a dark and mildly ominous tune sketched in minor keys that reminds listeners that no matter how much time you think you might have the end could be right around the corner. The song challenges you to step up and "go for broke". It's an interesting composition, not really typical of the sound presented by megaphone thus far on Exit Silent Mode but not out of character with it either.

megaphone is an interesting band. Walking the line between 1980's glam and the current trend in Modern Rock isn't all that unusual, but megaphone has the panache of the former and the clean lines of the latter, which is the reverse of what many bands do today. The material on Exit Silent Mode is mixed with a lot of ups and downs, but megaphone has the personality and panache to carry the weaker songs. When everything is working, megaphone approaches greatness. How this plays out over time is anyone's guess, but suffice it to say you can't go wrong with megaphone or Exit Silent Mode.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about megaphone at http://www.megaphonemusic.net/, where you can purchase a copy of Exit Silent Mode. You can download the album through iTunes.