Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You

Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You

2011, Warner Bros.

Time brings change to the Red Hot Chili Peppers on their latest studio effort, I'm With You. The follow-up to 2006's iconic double album, Stadium Arcadium is the band's most playful and flowing work to date. Armed with a new guitarist and a fresh outlook born of time away and maturity, Red Hot Chili Peppers aim straight for the top of the charts with fresh songs that haven't lost an ounce of edge or pop sensibility.

I'm With You opens with an intriguing mix of edgy guitar and dance beats on "Monarchy Of Roses" before exploding into the alt-pop gold of "Factory Of Faith". This is classic RHCP updated for 2011, and destined to be a chart hit. "Ethiopia" is built on a simple, catchy arrangement and features some of the best guitar work on the album. The Chili’s use their patented talk/sing style to illuminate “Look Around”, a catchy, minimalist arrangement that will stick out in your mind.  Plowing through the exceedingly solid numbers “The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie” and “Did I Let You Know”, RHCP digs into “Goodbye Hooray”, an absolutely infectious alternapop number that you’re likely to hear ringing from your radio in the not-too-distant future.  “Police Station” is expansive and dreamy, ethereal in intriguing fashion.  It’s an interesting transitional piece for the band, and works better than you might at first expect. I’m With You winds down slowly, closing out with the mildly catchy “Dance, Dance, Dance”. 

Red Hot Chili Peppers capture some of their old magic on I’m With You, but also struggle at times to find a groove.  The “new sound” isn’t so much new as updated, but some of the creative tension of past works isn’t here.  That may take time to appear, or it may never cement the way it once was, but this remains a highly talented group of musicians who are still very capable of rocking you with a distinct pop intensity.  I’m With You shows growth and change, while maintain some of the zeitgeist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers story.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Red Hot Chili Peppers at www.redhotchilipeppers.com or www.myspace.com/redhotchilipeppers. I’m With You is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

The Latebirds - Last Of The Good Ol' Days

The Latebirds - Last Of The Good Ol' Days
2011, Second Motion Records

Helsinki, Finland might not be your first thought as a hotbed of Americana music, but it's got to get some consideration once you hear of The Latebirds.  Formed in 2000, The Latebirds are hard to classify.  Rock, folk, punk, country, gospel and R&B are all in the mix, with the band refining and smoothing the edges with each successive album.  Their latest, and first released in the U.S., is Last Of The Good Ol' Days.  The album is a socio-political treatise on the state of the world in 2011, sounding many of the same themes prevalent in the American counter-culture movement of the late 1960's. 

The Latebirds open with "Last Of The Good Ol' Days", a gentle Americana/rock number that looks to the future with blighted hope and yearns for the opportunities that once existed.  The melancholy mood of the music fits the lyrics perfectly, and vocalist Markus Nordenstreng's easy-going style implies a sort of hopeless passivity.  "Among The Survivors" is a mildly catchy acoustic/electric rocker with a subtle urgency built in.  It's a solid tune; a steady album track.  "Time To Live" relies on a simple arrangement and chunky guitar work to create an infectious garage-pop gem.  The message is simple and clear: don't sit on the sidelines, get out there and live your life.  This will be a tough tune to get out of your head.

"Summer Becomes Fall" decries consumer culture, and the human tendency to chase silly things rather than be happy with what we have.  The Latebirds stick with a simplistic arrangement that allows the melody to reign, but fill it in with layered instrumentation to fill out the sound in the chorus.  "Time Revisited" is a slower, more pensive take on the ideas in "Time To Live".  The sound here is more stark, continuing to advocate the need to live, but also yearning for a simpler time.  Hope hasn't faded here, but it's certainly struggling for purchase.  The Latebirds take on the press and big government in "Fearless" decrying the attempt by politicians and corporations to control the information we receive as a populace.  The song advocates using your brain to parse out what you hear and decide for yourself what is true.  The chorus is brilliant: "Don't believe what gets reported.  The truth has been distorted."; repeated in a hooky chorus that will get trapped in your noggin and bounce around for hours.

"Like Father Like Son" is a conciliatory number that looks back on the good memories of youth and put to rest the struggles of growing up and separating that rock the foundations of father-son relationships.  Inherent in the message is the realization that the son walks in the father's footsteps, and an acknowledgement that both have grown.  The quietly lush arrangement wraps around this tune like a blanket, making the subtle message all the more powerful in the process.  The Latebirds take a whimsical turn on "Kickin' Me", a light-hearted and repetitive garage rocker that's as catchy as it is inane.  You may find yourself decrying the song as vaguely annoying while tapping your toes to the beat.    The Latebirds slowly fade over the final four songs, culminating in the bland "Light At The End Of The Tunnel".

Even taking into account the rather ignominious final third of Last Of The Good Ol' Days, The Latebirds make a distinctive impression with their U.S. debut.  Producer Jim Scott (Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Wilco, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dixie Chicks) helps The Latebirds make the most of their sound with a mostly live, in-studio recording that keeps the band's delicious rough edges firmly in the forefront.  Appearances by Nels Cline (Wilco), Minnie Driver and Benmont Tench (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) are add intrigue to the mix, and Last Of The Good Ol' Days should find The Latebirds receiving a very warm reception in the Western Hemisphere.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The Latebirds at www.latebirds.com or www.myspace.com/thelatebirds.  Last Of The Good Ol' Days is available from Amazon.com as a CD or a Download. 

Review: Prize Country - With Love

Prize Country - With Love
2009, Hex Records

Portland, Oregon post-punk rockers Prize Country deliver rough cut Rock N Roll with no pithy nuances on With Love; opening with From The Gutter, a brief, guitar-driven instrumental that sounds like the bridge of a song still in development. This deceptively comfortable opening leads into the aggressive talk/sing rock of Regular Nights. Prize Country sounds like a cross between Red Hot Chili Peppers and Staind here; throwing up a taught arrangement beneath a loose and roaming vocal line. It Was Just A Night Like Tonight features some of the strongest guitar work on the album, and the vocals are more of a cadence than a melody. The song itself is fairly bland given the genre, opting for safe rather than challenging.

Prize Country spends a few songs ambling about the bland waters they've fallen into before slamming into Bigger Picture with challenging guitar work worth sticking around for. It's an intriguing tune; very listenable although there liabilities in the vocal here. Cement is driven with solid guitar work. The song is a bit repetitive and could use a little more power (which it will probably get live), but is decent enough as is. With Love is something of a come down as a closing track, by far the weakest on the disc.

Prize Country presents as a rough and tumble Rock N Roll band, singing/talking somewhere between RHCP and The Beastie Boys, but the energy, while high, is too static along the way. At the end of the day I'd conclude that Prize Country is solid but quite limited in both their stylistic and vocal range. As long as you're fine with that as a fine it's a solid piece of work.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Prize Country at http://www.prizecountry.net/ or www.myspace.com/prizecountry. You can order With Love as either a CD or Download from Amazon.com.

Review: Electric Sorcery - Electric Sorcery II

Electric Sorcery - Electric Sorcery II
2009, Lyndonunderground

Vermont’s Electric Sorcery return with their second full-length album of 2009; Electric Sorcery II picks up where the band left off on Electric Sorcery.

Electric Sorcery II opens with Three Eyes, a guitar-driven classic rocker with a Reggae undertow. The guitar work is impressive although I am sure some might argue it’s overdone. The existing vocal lines are understated and work hard to balance energy and quietude. Horpus Richter gives it all over for five-plus minutes of instrumental bliss driven by a sound vaguely reminiscent of early Rush. Electric Sorcery winds up the trip-index on Deeper, mixing in elements of Jazz & Soul to a mellow-pop/Dance arrangement. The Urge goes extended jam before turning into a funky, Red Hot Chili Peppers style tune. It's an entertaining listen, although borders on formulaic for the genre. The Urge gets tedious however, again featuring extensive guitar soloing in its eight-and-a-half minutes. Electric Sorcery takes a turn for 1970's AM rock on Little Warrior. The song borders on charming, but the vocal line contains significant pitch issues that detract from the song. Electric Sorcery traipses through Year Of The Eel and Apparition before closing out with Inkriminated, failing to break new ground along the way.

Electric Sorcery II is a mix of extensive noodling with a bit of musical construction and form thrown in almost as an afterthought. Electric Sorcery is collectively a talented bunch of musicians, but there's no driving or cohesive force present on Electric Sorcery II. Electric Sorcery has their moments on Electric Sorcery II, but it's not quite as there as on last year's debut.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Electric Sorcery at www.myspace.com/electricsorcery. Electric Sorcery II will be released on January 9, 2010. Keep checking the band's MySpace page for availability.

Review: Loomis & The Lust - Nagasha EP

Loomis & The Lust - Nagasha EP
2009, Kings Of Spain/BMI

Santa Barbara, California is home base for Loomis & The Lust, but after listening to their debut EP, Nagasha (July, 2009) I suspect they'll be spending a lot less time at home. With such diverse influences as The Kinks, The Animals, Chet Atkins, David Bowie, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Franz Ferdinand, Loomis & The Lust create an original brand of Rock N Roll with an honest affection for 1970's classic rock and a hook-laden philosophy straight out of the 1980's. Nagasha was produced by Brandon Mason (David Bowie, Secret Machines, Bono, The Edge), and features some of the catchiest, most danceable Rock N Roll of the year.

Nagasha opens with Bright Red Chords, a song that will lodge itself in your brain before you even know it's happened. The melody here has a universal feel, like something you've heard so many times you know it even as you hear it the first time. With a catchy, dance-inducing arrangement, Bright Red Chords will stick with you for a good long time. Break On Love has a classic, Blues/Rock feel and would fit right into an AOR playlist. Sweetness sounds like it could be a mix of The Wallflowers and Dave Matthews (solo), carrying a chorus that's unforgettable, while Cure For Sale slows things down a bit in a gentle rocker that entrenches in the Wallflowers sound. Cure For Sale may well be the most marketable song on the disc, likely having significant allure for the licensing world. Girl Next Door is a big, raucous blues-influenced rocker that sounds like it could be the basis for a movie. The theme here is a classic for Rock N Roll, and Loomis & The Lust show what they're really made of, using double entendre and testosterone-laden intentions for an amusing bit of musical confusion.

Loomis & The Lust take Rock N Roll back where it belongs in the five songs presented on Nagasha, blending deep classic rock roots with some of the zeitgeist of the 1980's and a modern twist. I suspect Loomis & The Lust will see a lot of commercial success in the licensing realm, although I am not sure where they fit in currently in the world of radio. From anything I have read about the band the live show is the thing. Loomis & The Lust seems to convert new fans every time they step on stage. Consequently, while I highly recommend you check out Nagasha, I would urge you to make a point of seeing Loomis & The Lust if they come to your town.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Loomis & The Lust at www.myspace.com/loomisandthelust or http://www.loomisandthelust.com/. You can purchase the Nagasha EP directly from their band via their web store, or digitally via iTunes.

Review: If You Will - Above The Earth

If You Will - Above The Earth
2009, If You Will

Mahtomedi, Minnesota's If You Will is back with Above The Earth, a five-song EP that serves as a follow-up to 2007's Flight Plan. Seth Lienard (bass, vox), Aaron Rosell (drums, piano, vocals) and Stefan Swanson (guitars, vox) bring five highly personal and emotional rockers on Above The Earth, showing significant growth both musically and lyrically over their debut album. For a band where all members are currently either nineteen or twenty years old, If You Will is maturing quickly into the sort of band that not only has a lot to say but can (and play) it well. Writing primarily from both Christian and Secular perspectives, If You Will manages to create music that is magical and refuses to be pigeonholed into one genre or type.

Above The Earth opens with Satellite, a song about the divisions that carve up humanity and their real source. The song has a vaguely spiritual way but deals with war and peace and reality of the space that exists between peoples and cultures. Ragnarok finds If You Will speculating on the end times in a heavy, guitar driven tune that finds a sense of peace within its own story line. Chloroform & Games is written from the perspective of an abused child. Message-wise it's a powerful song, although the musical development of the song may have been checked a bit by an urge to get the message right, as there are a few awkward moments in the song. If You Will breaks out some serious Blues licks for Time, exhorting listeners to stop worrying about things that do not matter and live their lives. Time finds If You Will hitting on all eight cylinders with four minutes of near-perfection. Above The Earth closes out with Saboteur, a relationship song about being with someone who so completely takes over a relationship they destroy what they love. It's a powerful song; extremely well-written and lyrically dense. If You Will chose the perfect closer here; a song that could easily be a Rock hit and has elements of 1970's classic rock mixed hand-in-hand with Funk and Modern Rock.

If You Will is a special outfit. It's unusual to hear a trio these days create such a full and textured sound as these guys, and the song-writing is generally outstanding. Perhaps what is most significant is that even when If You Will misses with a song it still tends to be highly listenable (just not up to their usual standard). If I were a betting man I'd say If You Will is destined for great things. Their relatively young ages, displayed development and baseline ability speak of a long career full of significant success. For now, If You Will continues to build on a regional following that is not inconsequential while writing great songs that wend their way through a maze of secular and spiritual issues. Oh yeah, and did I mention they rock, too? Make sure you check out Above The Earth. You'll be glad you did.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about If You Will at http://www.ifyouwill.net/ or www.myspace.com/iyw. You can purchase Above The Earth as either a CD or download at www.cdbaby.com/cd/ifyouwill2.

Review: Spy The Thinker - Ruby Kill Club

Spy The Thinker - Ruby Kill Club
2009, Spy The Thinker

Jersey boys Spy The Thinker hit hard with their debut album, Ruby Kill Club, independently released in 2009. The hard-rocking trio draws comparisons to early Red Hot Chili Peppers and Incubus. There are no pithy nuances to be found here, just straight ahead alternative rock. Playing out in large local markets such as New York City and Philadelphia, Spy The Thinker has generated a fair amount of excitement for their live shows.

Ruby Kill Club opens with Wake Up, crusty pop/punk at it's finest. This is a highly commercial tune that seems to draw comparisons between fame and addiction, and is insightful and musical in spite of the crunch. Skipping Stones has a sound that reminds me of The Lowest Of The Low. Lead vocalist Matthew has a dynamic voice that's gruff and lyric all at once. After that things slow down a bit, with decent but not overly notable songs. Cloudless Cold is an interesting listen on the first go but doesn't make a lasting impression. Tourist practically dances out of your speakers in a catchy and moderately upbeat arrangement. The album closes with Nobody Buy Me, a lively rock song that hits the energy and interest level of the opening tracks.

Spy The Thinker finds the knack for highly listenable songs a few times on Ruby Kill Club, but also manages to create some pleasant but unremarkable moments here. The more introspective material is fine but just doesn't show the same type of intensity of energy as their better material. If Spy The Thinker could manage to maintain that energy level in the slower more thoughtful songs they'd have a killer album here. The material itself is good, but the presentation is uneven.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Spy The Thinker at www.myspace.com/spythethinker. You can purchase a copy of Ruby Kill Club at www.cdbaby.com/cd/spythethinker.

Review: Pia Mater - The Living Legends

Pia Mater - The Living Legends
2009, Brain Food Music

Pia Mater rode the tiger. The band formed at the Rochester Institute of Technology in the fall of 2004, slowly building a song and repertoire that has seen them garner consistent crowds and praise in upstate New York. In December 2008 they released their debut album, The Living Legends. Personnel changes and many gigs have seasoned the band, and they are ready to step out of Western New York’s wintery shadows and present themselves to a larger audience.

Pia Mater hits the highs and lows on Living Legends, vacillating between songs that make you sit up and take notice to more obscure musical explorations that take some serious listening. What is certain is that an hour spent with Pia Mater is bound to be enlightening. Piledriver is a great start, featuring attention-getting guitar work and a punk feel. Mirror Images runs to the other end of the scale, a well-intentioned but unremarkable pop construction that slides by almost without notice. China Girl is a catchy post-punk tune full of fuzzy guitars and a lively bass line. Pia Matter runs the Progressive Rock route on Salsa, opening with some faux flamenco guitar and winding up in a power-chord driven chorus before settling into a reggae backbeat filled out with vibes and a funky, almost independent bass line. Moses Walks Along In The Desert is my favorite song on The Living Legends, between the lively bass line, the funky and intricate guitar work and Red Hot Chili Peppers-like precision, this song is a winner all around. Also be sure to check out Take Me To The Doctor and 5 In 6.

Pia Mater has an interesting sound that's part funk, part alt-rock and all energy. Pia Mater enjoys what they're doing, a fact that shines through clearly on The Living Legends. There are a couple of rough spots here, but all in all it's a great effort. Check it out!

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Pia Mater at http://www.piamatermusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/piamatermusic. You can purchase a copy of The Living Legends at www.cdbaby.com/cd/piamater.

Review: Harlan Flo - Wheels Of Time

Harlan Flo - Wheels Of Time
2008, Fuzz Junker Records

Harlan Flo is a dose of down and dirty blues with a classic rock feel, a modern rock edge and some of the hottest vocal harmonies going. The Chicago sextet features Berklee College of Music grad Patrick Dugan on lead vocals and guitar. Their debut album, Wheels Of Time, is a blast from the past with some present day twists. The guitar work is righteous and the arrangements will appeal to fans of 1970's electric blues.

Wheels Of Time opens with Battle Cry, a musical wolf in sheep's clothing. The first half of the song sounds like your prototypical 1970's blues/rock hybrid, but then you get to the searing duo guitar solos. The song rocks like nobody's business and the vocal trio of Amanda Riva, Sophia Hall and Jenna Liddle provide some of the hottest vocal support east of the Mississippi. Livin' is built around a clean blues sound and features a pretty funky/flighty bridge you need to check out. Dave Ross shows off some hot keyboard work here. Somethin' In The Night is pure roadhouse blues, while Groove Mood might just be the hottest tune on the album. Porcelain Flower is an obscure and gentle ballad built on harmonics and unusual progressions. This one will be an interesting study for the guitar players out there. Other highlights include El Chupacabra, Heard The News, and Wheels Of Time, with some of the hardest hooks on the album.

Harlan Flo mixes their blues bass with a strong melodic sense, great harmonies and some wicked guitar play. Wheels Of Time is definitely worth a listen or three, but you may not be able to stop there.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Harlan Flo at http://www.harlanflo.com/ or www.myspace.com/harlanflo. You can purchase Wheels Of Time at www.cdbaby.com/cd/harlanflo.

Review: Electric Sorcery - Electric Sorcery

Electric Sorcery – Electric Sorcery
2009, Electric Sorcery

Electric Sorcery grows from the fertile musical stomping grounds of Northern Vermont. They are something of a local super group, collectively being veterans of Vermont acts such as Viscus, Cobalt Blue, The Myra Flynn Trio, Hoochie Lumbardo and Money Jungle. Derek Campbell (guitar, vox, harmonica, fife, theremin); Micah Carboneau (drums, vox) and Nathanael Reynolds (bass) deliver an eclectic and psychedelic rock mix on their debut album, Electric Sorcery.

Electric Sorcery opens with Mother Sea, a funky bit of early 1970's hard rock. Electric Sorcery plays on the same psychedelic plain as Jethro Tull, Deep Purple or Jimi Hendrix, although perhaps with not quite so much imagination. Law & Order is a frenetic rocker with a quasi-rap vocal that sounds a bit like Rush on Roll The Bones. A Switch In 9 Saves Time has manic guitar work and an infectious energy but never quite evolves into more than a showpiece. No Angel is an electric funk mind bomb, ala Hendrix, with subtle guitar work, some funky bass and an eclectic rhythm track. My favorite track on the CD, Life Goes On, is built on some dirty guitar work and a driven vocal that's part Red Hot Chili Peppers. Other highlights are Son Shadow and The Nubians.

Electric Sorcery plays on the same plane as Tull, Deep Purple and Hendrix, although perhaps not on the same stage (metaphorically). What Electric Sorcery does offer is an update of classic psychedelic sound with the heart of an original and the hip nature of an upstart. Electric Sorcery is a fun listen.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Electric Sorcery at www.myspace.com/electricsorcery. Electric Sorcery is currently only available locally in Vermont, but if you contact the band through their MySpace page, I’m sure you can work something out.

Overnight – These Days Are Over
2009, Overnight

Overnight is the sort of musical collective that isn’t far removed from the term super group. Members of overnight have played in various bands/ensembles, including Rye Coalition, NAS, Lauryn Hill, Breech (with members of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Brian Jonestown Massacre), Mary J. Blige and Gliss. This range of influences and exposure form the basis of the sound of Overnight. Lush Rock N Roll with electronic trimmings is the special on These Days Are Over, Overnight’s soon-to-be-released sophomore album.

These Days Are Over opens with Harlem River Drive, 6:45; a near-ambient prologue to This Is How, a U2-style epic rock song that is perhaps the best on the album. Strange Love is a wonderfully off-kilter arrangement that relies heavily on electronic instrumentation. Oh The Life! is also highly catchy and memorable, with lead vocalist Philip Watts sounding quite a lot like Bono. I also enjoyed Other Side, a mellow yet energetic rocker and I Know, where Overnight ends up sounding like a more refined version of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Suspect Genius is also worth a spin or two for its punk rock energy.

Overnight definitely hits some high notes on These Days Are Over. This is a musician’s record, and as happens sometimes when musicians really get into a project, there are points where the attempts to perfect a certain sound or style perhaps overwhelm the pure musicality of a given song or part of a song, but on the whole this is a very worthwhile listen.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Overnight at www.myspace.com/overnight or http://www.overnightmusic.net/. A release date for These Days Are Over was not available at publication time, but keep checking Overnight’s web site for additional information.

Review: Blue Island Tribe - The 5 Hits Of Ecstasy

Blue Island Tribe - The 5 Hits Of Ecstasy
2008, Spark A Fire Records

Blue Island Tribe have been together for most of this decade, originating in their university days U of Northern Iowa. Mixing Rock and Reggae with an infectious pop aura is what Blue Island Tribe is all about. For all of the positive response their four previous releases have received, Blue Island Tribe truly comes alive in front of a crowd, be it a monster crowd or an intimate house party. Blue Island Tribe's fifth release, The 5 Hits Of Ecstasy (EP), finds The Tribe continuing down their chosen artistic path with a little more maturity and a little more finesse than in the past. The spirit still burns white hot, but the delivery has been refined just a tad.

Down opens with a classic Reggae sound turning into a sound that is a slightly more pop-oriented version of Sublime. The tune is extremely catchy and has potential commercial impact written all over it. Drop Out is a bit edgier, surfing the waters of a broken relationship. The upbeat, catchy vibe of the song stands in stark counterpoint to the subject matter here. Jump And Shout is the most familiar sounding song here, with a definite Red Hot Chili Peppers thing going on. The class of the album is the fourth song, March On. It's a tribute to US troops that was born out of a house party the band gave on a military base in Korea. Apparently the band had written the music previously but didn't have words. The lyrical inspiration came mid-performance in a blur of creative magic. The song does not celebrate the military as a war machine, but celebrates the people who dedicate their lives to maintaining peace through their presence and sacrifice. The album closes out with Ecstasy, which is probably the most pop-oriented. If you remember the commercial and appealing mix of reggae and pop that Eddy Grant achieved in the early 1980's then you have an idea of the sound here. Very smooth and slick, Blue Island Tribe may have found their first true hit here.

Blue Island Tribe continues to spread their musical moments of joy through 200 shows a year, but somewhere along the way they've grown from raw musical creationist to songwriters and artists. The 5 Hits Of Ecstasy shows The Tribe stretching their creative wings and attaining a higher level of musicianship and song craft. A very strong and enjoyable recording that's much too short, but otherwise without complaints.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Blue Island Tribe at http://www.blueislandtribe.com/ or www.myspace.com/blueislandtribe. The 5 Hits Of Ecstasy is currently only available as a download through iTunes. A hard copy was originally scheduled for November of 2008 but has been pushed back until March of 2009.