Review: God's Guns – Invasion 89

God's Guns – Invasion 89
God’s Guns

Ted Nott (vocals/bass) and Daniel Villarreal Carrillo (drums) travel under the name God's Guns, mixing elements of Rock, Jazz, Funk and Classical music into a dynamic and wide-ranging musical melting pot on their debut album, Invasion '89. The Chicago duo claim influences as diverse as Fela Kuti, Janes Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, The Mars Volta and Miles Davis. Wrap it all up in a grunge-flavored sensibility and you have a sound that's not quite like anything else currently out there.

God's Guns open with Ruby Ridge, a piece of Funk-driven rock with minimalist instrumentation (bass, drums & vocals). It's organic dance rock if you can imagine Pearl Jam playing with P-Funk's bassist sitting in. God's Guns shows a progressive leaning toward the end of the song that bears out later on. Invasion 89 features highly complex rhythms drawn from Jazz and Afrobeat styles, but musically it's all over the map.) God's Guns get expansive on Gutters Eye Blue, a melodramatic piece built around an almost derelict depression. Drum and bass fill the core here, with the vocal and violin dueling in a form of raw, forlorn grace.

God's Guns discuss the fall of New Orleans on Skeletons Of Louisiana Streets. The song is done beat poet style with sparse musical accompaniment, and focus on the moral and social degradation of the city rather than on a specific event such as Hurricane Katrina. Fires In The Fall finds the band in an introspective ode to a friend who has passed on. Driven by acoustic guitar and a dramatic vocal line reminiscent of some of Eddie Vedder's better stuff. Same Sinatra, More Insane features a searingly dramatic vocal line, but the song itself gets a bit messy. Petroleum gets messy but in true Progressive Rock circular style and ends up sounding more Psychedelic than anything. Puppet Show is a deep mess, running all over the map. It sounds as if God's Guns is more concerned with construction than progression here.

God's Guns turn out a solid if uneven effort in Invasion 89. The drums and bass setup with occasional violin or guitar is interesting, but wears as the album progresses. It seems as if may have worn on God's Guns as well, as the second half of the album is nowhere near the quality of the first half (with the exception of Fires in The Fall). When God's Guns are on their game they are an engaging band with a unique sound. These guys are definitely worth checking out, although individual songs may be hit or miss.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about God’s Guns at www.myspace.com/godsguns or http://www.godsguns.com/. You can purchase a copy of Invasion 89 through CDBaby.

Review: Ted Hefko And The Thousandaires - Egyptland

Ted Hefko And The Thousandaires - Egyptland

2009, A. Ted Hefko

Ted Hefko grew up in Wisconsin, learning his love of music from the diverse artists in his father's collection: Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, Fela Kuti and Albert King (among others). With school on both guitar and tenor sax, Hefko began playing out in high school. After school Hefko headed down to New Orleans and a degree in Jazz Saxophone from the University of New Orleans, going on to study with Hannah Jon Taylor. Hefko has played for or with such artists as Warren Batiste, Blake Amos, Tondrae, Los Sagitarios and Los Bebes del Merengue. Hefko relocated to New York City in 2004 and has immersed himself in the city's Jazz, Rock and World scenes since then. His latest recorded effort, Egyptland blends Jazz, Southern Funk, Blues, Folk, Rock and Latin styles in almost effortless fashion.

Egyptland opens with The Roofer, a tribute to one of the many displaced from New Orleans by hurricanes (in this case, Betsy). Hefko sounds a bit like Van Morrison here on vocals and inhabits the song's character as if he lived the story himself. Wet Wool In The Rain plays with Latin sounds and Southern R&B in a delicious tune serious commercial potential. Hefko seems most at home on Twenty Three Dollars And Twenty Three Cents, a classic bit of quasi-acoustic blues, singing for all he's worth while his top notch band makes hay in the background. Hefko gets righteously instrumental on The Short Man's Complex, an entertaining tune that will have you be-bopping in your seat or even jumping up to dance. Bad Kids is something of an ode to juvenile delinquency. Not so much a tribute to it, but a retelling of one particular story that may or may not be true. The arrangement is slow and repetitive and wants to lull the listener to sleep. Egyptland closes out with Big Shoes, a pasting of phone queue jazz with some progressive tendencies.

Ted Hefko And The Thousandaires have created an album in Egyptland that runs the gamut from magic to mundane. When Hefko is on his game as a writer the music is inspired, but there are also moments here that are so tired and without energy they put the listener to sleep. Hefko is a passable vocalist with a real love for the music he plays, but the unevenness of the performance across Egyptland is a little disheartening. Closing out on an easy-listening jazz piece was also a bit disappointing, as Hefko's gig seems to be his mix of styles and originality. Nevertheless, Egyptland is a solid release with some issues, but worth checking out.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Ted Hefko And The Thousandaires at http://www.ted.heko.net/ or www.myspace.com/tedhefkoquartet. You can purchase downloads of Egyptland at Digstation. CD copies are available through CDBaby.com.