Review: Morre - Out There

Morre - Out There
2010, Morre

Toronto rock quartet Morre bring back the glam of the 1970’s and 1980’s in a stripped down and compact sound that’s perfect for today. The band has garnered significant attention in the Metro Toronto scene since their inception in 2008, earning comparisons to such wide-ranging bands as Gogol Bordello and Pink Floyd. What’s very clear from the opening notes of Morre’s debut album, Out There, is that the band knows how to perform, and is so confident in their ability to do so that they don’t need to hide behind distortion or effects. While musically superior, Morre does lapse into lyrical obsequies often throughout Out There, making their intent difficult to follow at times.

Out There opens with “The Moment”, a radio-friendly melodic hard-rock tune with wonderfully dark vocal harmonies. This song will get a lot of attention from radio on its uniqueness of sound alone. “Brand New Tide” is a mostly-acoustic rocker with a vibrant sound and distinctive harmonies. It’s a song of questing for what the world has to offer full of the vigor and bright-eyed hope of youth. Morre offers up some tremendously danceable rock ‘n roll on “Playing With Fire”. The lyrics are a bit awkward but the song more than makes up for any such considerations. “In My Vein” is sonically interesting but highly obtuse on the lyrics side, while “Under The Lights” plays like a self-serving pity-party over the trials involved in a life of playing music and being on stage. “Under The Lights” is sonically strong with real progressive rock tendencies in the instrumentation that make it a fun listen. On “Time Is Slipping Away”, Morre shows what can happen to a great chorus when there isn’t anything strong to marry it to. The chorus offers promise, but is repeated excessively and there’s little else here seriously worth investing in. Morre closes out with Times Are Changing, a high energy concept that never fully realizes itself, but the arrangement is exquisite.

Out There offers an interesting snapshot of Morre, a hold-over from the days when rock n roll was full of glam and irresponsible behavior. Morre has stripped their sound down a bit from bands like Guns N Roses, Poison or Ratt, and has incorporated some of the quirky party energy of Kim Mitchell’s mid-solo career work. There are a couple of blips on Out There, and the lyrical content doesn’t always measure up the quality of the music, but on balance, Out There is a solid introduction to a band with a bright future.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Morre at www.myspace.com/morremusic. Out There can be purchased as either a CD Or Download from CDBaby.com.

Review: Evil Farm Children - Evil Farm Children II: The Evilling

Evil Farm Children – Evil Farm Children II: The Evilling
2008, Dad’s Favourite Records

When Evil Farm Children step on stage it’s like introducing alcohol to a party, literally anything can happen. The Ottawa, Ontario, Canada power trio segue from Punk to Surf to Metal to Americana like runway models change their outfits and nothing ever sounds out of place. Dave Kerr (DeadBeatDads, WizzleTeeth) plays guitar and sings on most tracks, while Janice Fitzsimmons (The Ambassadors, Revv Engine) plays bass and sings; Jeb Bond (The Restless Virgins, Screaming Bamboo, Fenton Brothers, Purple, Evil Knievel, Tall, Freudhammer) beats the skins and keeps Evil Farm Children on track. Any of the three members might be musically impressive, but when they come together as Evil Farm Children something special happens. 2008 saw the release of their second album, Evil Farm Children II: The Evilling, which raises the bar from their self-produced debut EP Knuckleduster. When playing live EFC has been known to cover such diverse artists as Dick Dale, Black Sabbath, Tom Waits, Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn, Link Wray or Alice Cooper. Their original material is as unpredictable and fun to listen to. You’ll come to the conclusion that either they’re mad, or Evil Farm Children is a product of collective genius. We’re not ruling out either one.

The Evilling opens with Code Of Silence, a classic surf guitar rock song with a hint of rockabilly swing, like something from a Ventures session. Border Blaster follows a similar retro vein, getting back to Roots Rock N Roll in a classic party song. Booze Can is an interesting Garage/Punk/Surf hybrid that its feet firmly planted in the 1960’s. Much of the material here is fun to hear on CD but seems like it would be much more vibrant live. Valley Justice is interesting; written like a trail rider’s song to the slow beat of a plodding horse. The song has a dark and vaguely ominous quality with a bit of a “pulp fiction” sound to it. The highlight of the disc is the cover of Max Webster’s Hangover. While lead vocalist Dave Kerr isn’t quite as dynamic as Kim Mitchell, he manages to capture the gritty drunken essence of the song. Other songs of note are Knuckle Duster and Straight ‘N Narrow.

Evil Farm Children have a unique sound, call it punkabilly if you want; its close but not a complete description. I can’t say I was blown away by Evil Farm Children II: The Evilling, but it was a fun listen. I strongly suspect, from all that I’ve read about the band, that the live show is the thing here. Evil Farm Children did an excellent job of capturing a live sound on The Evilling, but the charisma of the live show is much harder to translate to a CD. Nevertheless, the songs presented here are bound to whet your appetite for more from Evil Farm Children.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Evil Farm Children at www.myspace.com/evilfarmchildren. You can purchase a copy of Evil Farm Children II: The Evilling at www.cdbaby.com/cd/evilfarmchildren.

Review: David Grissom - 10,000 Feet

David Grissom - 10,000 Feet
2009, Wide Lode Records

David Grissom is something of a legend within the music industry, but the casual music fan won't know his name in spite of hearing him play many times over. As a session and touring guitarist, Grissom has worked with the likes of The Dixie Chicks, John Mellencamp, Joe Ely, Buddy Guy, Storyville and The Allman Brothers. His songs have been recorded by Tricia Yearwood, John Mayall, Montgomery Gentry, Webb Wilder and more. We reviewed Grissom's debut album, Loud Music last year. Now he's back with 10,000 Feet, mixing Stevie Ray Vaughan style blues and AOR rock with good old fashioned Texas songwriting for one of the most accomplished classic rock albums of the year, thus far.

10,000 Feet opens with Keep A-Rollin' On, with Grissom channeling Gary Richrath on guitar in an energetic guitar rocker. 10,000 Feet is a classic song; strong vocals highlight this highly melodic song. Take Me Back To Texas is a love song for that state, and Butterbean Friday is a tribute to the sort of Blues Stevie Ray Vaughan made famous. Good Day For The Blues is bound to be a concert favorite, complete with Bic or iPhone lighting scheme. Three songs in particular stand out from the rest as exceptional. True Love Don't Work That Way is the strongest entry, a driving blues/rock hybrid that you won't be able to get out of your head. Jet Trails In The Sky may be the deepest track here; an allegory for unrequited love that is poetic and reverential. My other favorite is Sqwawk. Built on Blues riffs, Sqwawk is set against a 1970's anti-punk arrangement that is intriguing. This is what it might sound like if Kim Mitchell ever jammed with Eric Clapton.

Grissom is a more than capable vocalist, but his guitar playing is the true standout on 10,000 Feet. This is a highly enjoyable album that just doesn't quit. Grissom hits you with great song after great song without sounding formulaic or tired. 10,000 Feet is a must-hear CD.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about David Grissom at www.myspace.com/davidgrissommusic. You can purchase a copy of 10,000 Feet at www.cdbaby.com/cd/davidgrissom2.

Review: Steven Farro - 3 Song Demo

Steven Farro – 3 Song Demo
2009, Sound Oasis

Steven Farro is a lyricist/songwriter/band manager from Effingham, New Hampshire looking for collaborators. He submitted his 3 Song Demo for review. Not a lot of information was submitted here so we’ll do our best.

The demo opens with Too Old To Rock N Roll. This is sort of like “Glory Days” revisited. The song features a great guitar hook and a strong pop sensibility. It’s a bit tongue in cheek and sounds like something Kim Mitchell might crank out while he’s sitting around having a beer. It’s a fun listen. Giver Of A Broken Heart is schmaltzy, Broadway Rock Opera material. The unnamed female vocalist on this one is amazing. The demo closes with My Baby Text Me Goodbye. This mildly humorous novelty material, akin to some of the stuff you might have heard on Dr. Demento. It’s another fun song to listen to set to a great pop/country arrangement.

Three songs is tough to judge, but Farro does have a knack for turning phrases. There’s a certain quirky pop sensibility here that might work with the write composer, although Farr may be best suited to writing lighter fare (based on the material presented here). You can stream the songs from the demo at www.myspace.com/stevenfarro.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Review: The Roundabouts - ...Nothing To See But The Sun

The Roundabouts - …Nothing To See But The Sun
2008, The Roundabouts

Toronto alt-rock duo The Roundabouts have a bit of a musical pedigree. Adriana Sgro (vox/keys) and Mike Steiner (guitars) were co-founders of Waiting For Lucy, who released the moderately successful Pictura on EMI Records. After the breakup of Waiting For Lucy, Sgro and Steiner continued to play and write together, and before long had enough material to think about recording again. Taking their name from a song on Pictura (a Roundabout is more commonly known in the US as a traffic circle), Sgro and Steiner were ready to go. The end result is …Nothing To See But The Sun, a wonderfully broad rock record with strong pop sensibility, great hooks, and the arching vocals of Adriana Sgro. It’s a treat!

Nothing To See But The Sun opens with the wonderfully poppy That’s No Lie; sounding like something The Cranberries might have written. Adriana Sgro is a much more laid back vocalist than Dolores O’Riordan and has a much more pleasant sound. Say I continues with a strongly pop oriented sound with a little more of a rock background. Every Now And Then is a gorgeous love song that has real commercial potential. Waiting In The Wings highlights another comparison often made about The Roundabouts. It has a No Doubt feel to it. While The Roundabouts do manage to sound both like Cranberries and No Doubt at times, the reminiscence is passing. The listener ultimately realizes that The Roundabouts are their own creation, borrowing from the pop lexicon of sounds as all bands do, but interpreting sounds into their own original brand.

Be sure to check out the repressed energy of My State Of Mind’s opening bars before it breaks out into pure neurotic epiphanies of sound. Also be sure to check out Perfect, my personal favorite track here. The Roundabouts extend their rock edge forward on Perfect in a blow off the roof performance that could make significant impact on radio if released as a single. Other notable tracks are Be Brave (She’s Not Here), The Game and the acoustic take on Every Now And Then.

Toronto has always been a seething cauldron for all that’s wonderful and all that’s awful about Rock and Roll. The Roundabouts come in on the upside with Nothing To See But The Sun. Outstanding writing and performance from Adriana Sgro and Mike Steiner, plus strong support from Dale Harrison (The Headstones) and Stan Miczek (Kim Mitchell, Sass Jordan, Honeymoon Suite) make for an outstanding debut for The Roundabouts.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Roundabouts at http://www.theroundabouts.com/, where you can purchase a copy of …Nothing To See But The Sun.