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: Hyperstory - Hyperstory

Hyperstory - Hyperstory
2009, Pureland Records

Hyperstory is the brainchild of Los Angeles musician C. Scott Blevins; a loop-driven mix of organic and electric/electronic rock crafted brick by brick. Blevins recorded in numerous spaces with varied personnel and setups to bring sonic variety and an old school feel to Hyperstory, his debut album. Brooklyn, NY's Julian Cassia contributed vocals to the project, and instrumental support came from Joey Waronker (Beck); Deron Johnson (Seal, Miles Davis); Chris Chaney (Janes Addiction) and a host of other friends and acquaintances. Blevins aimed to not only make a collection of great songs, but a great album in the classic sense. Hyperstory will be available on November 10, 2009.

After a brief Prelude, Hyperstory gets things moving with A Happening, a plodding mellow pop tune full of a melancholy angst that closes with something akin to Gregorian Chant. As an opener it's quirky enough to get your attention yet just bland enough to make you hunger for a bit more. Something Good takes a more vibrant tune, sounding something like The Moody Blues might if they were starting out today. Something Good has the right hooks and sound to break the radio wall with the right push. Will It Ever Change is a post-ambient rock tune with Chicago-style horns and an impassioned flair that flows from the previous, spoken word track, Mandate. Ascension gets a legitimate dance beat going and brings in the funk early and hard. The horns are here again, this time sounding a bit more like Tower of Power. This is a great instrumental track. Hyperstory closes out with two pleasant but essentially innocuous instrumental entitled A Reckoning and End Story, respectively. Both continue to vein established on Will It Ever Change and Ascension without really providing anything to the conversation.

Hyperstory is ultimately an album I walked away from with mixed feelings. There were a couple of great moments (Ascension, and to a lesser degree Something Good), but the rest just really didn't move me one way or the other. Hyperstory is a pleasant listen, but not something that compels me to come back. Perhaps it's all just a little too lush and a little too well produced; good songwriting but no risks. Risks are essential.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Hyperstory at http://www.hyperstory.com/ or www.myspace.com/hyperstoryofficial. Hyperstory drops November 10, 2009. Keep checking Hyperstory’s website for availability.

Review: People - The Cliché

People - The Cliché
2009, PAS2 Productions

Have you ever listened to a band's CD and just known from the outset that they had fun making that record? That's the first impression I got listening to People's The Cliché. The Los Angeles band has been headlining top venues in LA and all along the west coast for the past two years and the buzz, which began as word of mouth rivulets, is set to explode. With production by Dave Jerden (Jane's Addiction, Alice In Chains, Mary's Danish) and Engineering by Bryan Carlstrom (Billy Idol, The Offspring), People took no chances with The Cliché; undoubtedly one of the most exciting Pop/Rock releases of the year thus far. Add to this the fact that The Cliché was bassist Gidget Gein's (Marilyn Manson) swan song and you have an EP full of great music, intrigue and not a little magic.

The Cliché opens with Song For The People, a danceable Rock song in the best 1980's tradition. Vocalist/guitarist Jimmy Young sounds like a cross between Escape Club's Trevor Steel and Corey Hart, alternately soaring and pouting through the vocal lines in a tradition with lineages in the heyday of Glam Rock. The EP's first single, The Kids, has already gotten some attention nationally for both the song and accompanying video. It's a sophisticated anthem of rebellion that smacks a bit too much of the album title, but is still enjoyable for all of that. Cheap Money plays with some tasty guitar riffs descended from Jimmy Page and takes on materialism and the culture of cities like Los Angeles. Young Luv is notable for the guitar work but the song itself didn't really make a big impression on me. The EP closes out with Tune In Turn On And Drop Out, a great Pop/Rock tune with real commercial bite. This may be the best song craft on the album and is a great closer.

People bring tremendous energy and a sense of fun to The Cliché, turning in a performance that's practically guaranteed to transform them from a regional powerhouse to a band with national name recognition. The only question is where they'll fit in a segmented media market where genres have become so insular and proprietary that few people even know what they mean anymore. People is an exciting band with a sound that's perfect for the stage, and an ability to craft big Rock songs with enough Pop sensibility to have labels lining up to speak with them. The Cliché is an incredible warning shot from People. If we're lucky, there will be more.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about People at http://www.peoplerock.us/ or www.myspace.com/peoplerock. As of publication no on-line outlets could be found to purchase The Cliché, whether digital or traditional. Keep checking People’s MySpace page for availability.