The Devil Whale - Teeth

The Devil Whale - Teeth
2011, The Devil Whale

Salt Lake City rockers The Devil Whale unwraps their inner garage band on their third album, Teeth. Channeling influences from artists such as The Animals, The Kinks and Harry Nilsson, primary songwriting Brinton Jones and company work with a diverse cast of friends and acquaintances to build a sound that's simultaneously antiquated and new. The energy that pervades Teeth is expectant. The Devil Whale constantly seem on the verge of a breakthrough, particularly on the first part of the album. Unfortunately the breakthrough never quite materializes, although The Devil Whale does manage to make a few cracks in the ceiling with "Golden", a fuzzy, garage pop number that show's off Jones' voice in fine form. "Indian" features a memorable chorus wrapped up in pleasing vocal harmonies, and shows off the band's distinctive sense of melody.

"Werewolf Army" plays like a ballad, but is a tongue-in-cheek warning straight out of a horror film. The theme is pure cheese, but the music is well-written, and the song would play well on the soundtrack of a horror film spoof. Jones shows his singer/songwriter colors on "So-Called War", deconstructing what appears to be a celebrity breakup in song. "Standing Stones" offers its own unique sense of beauty; a catchy number with a lovely melody that will stick in your head and a musical flow that seems as if Jones channeled the song from somewhere in the universe rather than writing it himself. The Devil Whale, seemingly have exhausted itself from such a great start, settles in for a solid if unremarkable final four songs.

The Devil Whale impresses, then regresses, on Teeth, turning a near-brilliant seven song EP into an above average full length album. Brinton Jones cuts some serious chops as a songwriter and singer, but its clear that The Devil Whale, while having found a musical identity, perhaps isn't 100% comfortable in its own shoes yet. Teeth shows flashes of brilliance, and over the first 2/3 of the album is dressed to impress. Don't be surprised if these guys just keep getting better.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The Devil Whale at www.thedevilwhale.com or www.myspace.com/thedevilwhale.  Teeth is available from Amazon.com as CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Epigene – A Wall Street Odyssey

Epigene – A Wall Street Odyssey
2011, Amammi Music

Upstate New York rockers Epigene have made a name for themselves over the past decade by writing outside of the box rock n roll songs.  Epigene’s latest work, A Wall Street Odyssey, may be their most ambitious work to date.  Primary songwriter Sean Bigler attempts to capture the fall and rebirth of Wall Street and her denizens over the past few years in an art-rock concept album with pretentions to being a rock musical. 

A Wall Street Odyssey follows the life and times of the fictional Yossarian, an investment banker living the high life on Wall Street who comes to a crisis of conscience through the crash of 2008.  Yossarian moves out of the city and finds a life he never dreamed of, and then returns as an advocate for less money, ala Jerry Maguire.  The album is steeped in rock influences including The Who, The Kinks, Green Day and even a touch of Andrew Lloyd Webber (from his rock musical phase in the 1970’s).  All Wall Street Odyssey starts strong on “Looks Like I Made It”, which sounds like the Beatles jamming alternately with Rick Wakeman and Dennis DeYoung on keyboards.  It’s a great opener for an album or a musical, with all of the energy and urgency you might expect.    Big scale pop and electro rock are the name of the game on “Money Master” and “The Catch 22”, showing the big sale and the beginning of the downward spiral.  “Take My Head Off” is the beginning of the downfall, both for Yossarian and for the album as a whole.  The struggle to overcome the cognitive dissonance of a life lived in essential conflict is reflected in the mild dissonance of the angular composition.

Unfortunately, things go quickly downhill from there.  Yossarian’s breakdown is reflected by a breakdown in cohesion of the songwriting that isn’t recovers until ¾ of the way through the 25-track album.  In the meantime it’s a self-referential bland pop experience that runs the gamut of 1970’s music, from AM radio easy listening music to smarmy pop.  Interestingly enough, it’s when Yossarian returns to Wall Street to see the scene of his crimes that the energy and panache returns.  “Stranger In A Strange Land” may remind listeners of 1980’s rockers Men At Work in sonic style.  The album gets preachy on “Colonization & Globalization” and stays there for much of the rest of the way.

A Wall Street Odyssey starts with tremendous potential, but quickly fizzles into a narcissistic political diorama of bland musical compositions and pretentious political motivations.  Epigene does show flashes of great songwriting on A Wall Street Odyssey, but this is an example where the intended message hijacks the music.  If you’re into overly preachy, mellow-art rock that dances into the edges of psychedelia from time to time, then A Wall Street Odyssey will be right up your alley.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Epigene at www.epigenemusic.com or www.myspace.com/epigenemusic.  Keep checking Epigene's sites for availability.

Aron Lyrd - Lucid Dreams (aka Hits)

Aron Lyrd – Lucid Dreams (aka Hits)
2010, Aron Lyrd

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania singer/songwriter Aron Lyrd struggles through his fifth album, Lucid Dreams, a messy musical menagerie strongly influenced by 1970's pop that is without focus. Lyrd achieves some nice moments, such as the opening track "All The Time, It Is Mine", sounding like 1970's AM radio rock with a light R&B touch. "Just Wasting Time" is a solid track; mildly catchy with solid energy. This anti-love song advises a friend to kick her current boyfriend to the curb. The deep seated implication that the narrator might be a better option is between the lines. Lyrd channels The Kinks on "The Sun Is Out", a relationship reminiscence that looks back over years. Lyrd's voice is very pleasant here.

"Orange Ambition" has potential, but the recording quality here isn't worthy of a professional release. Lyrd sounds like his vocals were recorded inside of a containment tube, and the overall low-fi quality of the recording sounds amateurish. Lyrd veers into club noise with "Get Up, Come On"; seven-and-a-half minutes of beats and noise that's more like a musical run-on sentence than a song. "Asking For Just Too Much" is a vibrant bit of dance rock that finds Lyrd sounding a bit like Escape Club. We get to hear Lyrd's falsetto voice on "Tough Day, Alright Night", a non-committal bit of dance pop that simply doesn't work. One gets the impression that Lyrd is going for a Bee Gees vibe, but it ends up sounding more like satire than a serious attempt at song. Much the same can be said about "Enter Leave Don't Take My Heart", which perhaps should have been resigned to the archives.

Aron Lyrd is very early in his development as a songwriter. The material here is perhaps meant more as a demo than a commercial release, but sometimes less is more. Focusing on four or five tracks with the most potential and making the most of them might serve Lyrd better than putting out a larger quantity of music with less care. Lyrd seems to have his eyes on the big time with a MySpace page that claims over fifteen million spins. Consequently there is no doubt about Lyrd's creativity, but Lucid Dreams is a stretch that didn't need to be made. There are however kernels here with potential.

Rating: 1.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Aron Lyrd at www.myspace.com/aaronblaird or www.myspace.com/aronlyrdmusic.  You can purchase Lucid Dreams digitally from Amazon.com, CDBaby or iTunes.  Please note that iTunes has the album under the title Lucid Dreams while Amazon and CDBaby have it under the title Hits with a slightly different track listing.

Son Of The Sun - The Happy Loss

Son Of The Sun - The Happy Loss
2010, I Blame Yoko Music

Buffalo, NY band Son Of The Sun returns on June 22, 2010 with The Happy Loss, their first full-length album and the follow up to last year’s Before The After EP. The Happy Loss is a highly detailed collection of melodic rock songs, produced by Mike Brown and the band and mixed by Alan Weatherhead (Sparklehorse, Camper Van Beethoven, Cracker).

The Happy Loss opens with "The Good Ole Days", a powerful and passionate piece of moody rock n roll. Offered in a simple, driven arrangement, the melancholy air of "The Good Ole Days" plays well on the edges of 1960's psychedelia. "The Other Side" is a moody piece in a dark Americana setting. The band employees multiple vocal lines here singing (mostly) in time and in unison, sounding like the relentless call of things we can envision but can't understand. "How Can It Be?" is a lament over a relationship lost; she mistreated him out on the way out the door but he's still searching for her.

Moving on is the theme of "Leopard Print", but this departure is mournful and startlingly desperate. "Get Together" is catchy and danceable garage rock; the best song on the album. The simple, sweet melody here will catch you by the ear and keep you interested even after several listens. In "Keys (Last Call)" we have reminiscence about a first meeting that's both sweet and messy, and driven by the hangover of the desperation apparent earlier in the album. "The Franklin" is right there with "Get Together" for best turn on the album, a mid-tempo country tune with great harmonies and a knockout arrangement. The Happy Loss closes with "Tell Me" which sounds like a classic 1950's ballad. The urgent depicted here is like the helpless dependence of a child; a stark close to an album where the undefined anti-hero falls down and never recovers.

Rather than offering the usual happy resolution of a breakup album on The Happy Loss, Son Of The Sun leaves us mired in the on-going struggle to get by; get through. While it doesn't fit the rules in the pop handbook (similar to the Disney credo of happily ever after), it's a highly realistic rock cycle dealing with loss without ever fully coming to terms with it. It fits the way most people live their lives, flitting to and fro around the damage without ever fully inspecting it or coming to terms. Musically, Son Of The Sun take a few steps forward from Before The After marking no wholesale change but the slow development of a band not in a hurry to take over the world. It's a solid effort, and worth spending some time on.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Son Of The Sun at http://www.sonofthesunmusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/sonofthesunmusic. The Happy Loss drops June 22, 2010. Expect wide availability via Amazon, iTunes and Son Of The Sun's website.

Spirit Kid - Spirit Kid

Spirit Kid - Spirit Kid
2010, RPL Audio

Spirit Kid is the nom de guerre of singer/songwriter/guitarist Emeen Zarookian, long of the band the Sterns. As a solo artist, Spirit Kid returns to his earliest influences, The Beatles and the British Invasion bands they inspired, as well as quintessential American acts such as The Beach Boys for inspiration. Spirit Kid is constantly in pursuit of the perfect three-minute pop song, and pursues this goal with the retro-sounds that only retro instruments can bring on Spirit Kid. The album is self-produced and entirely a product of Zarookian's talents.

Spirit Kid opens with “You Lit Up For Me”, a messy country and rock mix that’s reliable in its mildly messy arrangement wrapped around an eminently tuneful melody. “My Imagination” could be the Beatles meet The Buggles in an ultra-catchy rocker that recalls simpler times. “Wait A Minute” is full of infectious rhythms and a melody that won’t quit; using the same sort of non-linear compositional style you’ll find with bands like the Beatles and Tally Hall. It’s a great listen that will have you hitting repeat over and over. Spirit Kid sounds a bit like Moxy Fruvous in their prime on “The World Doesn’t Stop”. The quirky feel of this song grows out of the trim arrangement, archetypal melody line and spare vocal harmonies. “Flytrap” keeps up the catchy mien of the album this far with a strong old-school rhythm and blues feel that wears well.

Spirit Kid seems to lose his way a bit for the next few songs, but recovers nicely on “Assumed By You”, a brilliant pop tune right out of the 1960’s stylistically. A tight rock arrangement blends the best melody line of the album with strong backing vocals to create a bit of magic. Spirit Kid closes with “If I Could Love You”, sticking with a sound that would have Zarookian all over the pop charts if he woke up one morning in 1963.

Spirit Kid succeeds because of a melodic sense that so often evades modern rock music. In many ways this is the key to the whole retro-movement in rock n roll. Spirit Kid isn’t a perfect pop gem; Zarookian misses on a few songs, but the net effect is a strong pop album with a 1960’s flavor that is likely to appeal to young and old.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Spirit Kid at http://www.spiritkidmusic.com/. Spirit Kid is available digitally through both Amazon and iTunes.

Review: The Len Price 3 - Pictures

The Len Price 3 - Pictures
2010, Wicked Cool Records

Little Steven Van Zandt's Wicked Cool Records dropped a musical love bomb on the western hemisphere with the release of The Len Price 3's third album, Pictures, in January of this year. Using analogue equipment and roots that run to bands like The Who, The Beatles, The Kinks and The Prisoners, The Len Price 3 have created their most sonically challenging and pleasing work to date. Pictures shows the melodic brilliance of Brit Pop with the edgy darkness and humor that characterized early Who recordings. Pictures was produced in committee by The Len Price 3 with the help of Jim Riley, Graham Day, Kris Harris and Little Steven.

Pictures opens with the title track, a crisp instant classic with nods to British Punk but a real pop sensibility. “Keep Your Eyes On Me” has a tremendous melody and pacing, sounding a bit like They Might Be Giants working as a Beatles tribute band. This song will definitely get stuck in your noggin. It’s a song about the lack of perspective that follows stardom, particularly when the lights aren’t quite so bright anymore. “The Girl Who Became A Machine” is a delightful punk/pop blend with a chorus reminiscent of something between The Who and The Kinks; it’s a brilliant tune that runs exceedingly short at 2:19. The Beatles references will continue on “After You’ve Gone”, where The Len Price 3 stick with the same style of quirky melodicism but also a modern touch.

“Mr. Grey” is a powerful observation on society; a song about getting all you want only to realize it’s not what you wanted at all. On “If You Live Round Here”, The Len Price 3 head for a different approach, with a more rhythm ‘n blues based sound. “Man Who Used To Be” is a catchy, vibrant rocker about being past your prime. The Len Price 3 get back to the punk aesthetic on “Under The Thumb”, perhaps the best all-around rock tune on the album. Pictures winds down awkwardly with “The Great Omani”. It’s a decent enough song, but very much out of place in this collection.

The Len Price 3 offer up a varied and dynamic approach to songwriting on Pictures, a well-rounded rock album with punk roots that run deep, but also a serious pop sensibility you won’t be able to ignore. There are a few bumps along the road, but Pictures seems likely to expand the reach of The Len Price 3.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The Len Price 3 at http://www.thelenprice3.com/ or www.myspace.com/thelenprice3. Pictures is available from Amazon.com as a CD, Download or Vinyl LP.

Review: Locksley - Be In Love

Locksley - Be In Love
2010, Feature Records

Locksley may have their roots in Madison, Wisconsin, but there’s nothing cheesy about these Brooklyn-based alt-retro rockers. Locksley’s sophomore album, Be In Love, burns with the sort of pop magic that made bands like The Beatles huge back in the day. Locksley can go with a big guitar sound or a compact pop song and make them each sound like the catchiest thing you’ve ever heard. Jesse Laz and Kai Kennedy split vocal duties, chipping in rhythm and lead guitar, respectively. They are joined by Jordan Laz (bass/vox) and Sam Bair (drums). Locksley can brag fans such as The Kinks’ Ray Davies, who has spoken effusively about the band. Locksley has also had their music featured in advertisements from such companies as STARZ Movie Network, MTV, AT&T and Sylvania, as well as in movies such as TMNT, Cloverfield and Over Her Dead Body. Be In Love dropped digitally in February. The CD is due for release on March 16, 2010.

Be In Love opens with the good natured rock n roll of "Love You Too", a big poppy ballad that sounds like it should be from the 1960's. The vocalist here sounds a bit like Steven Tyler in his lower register here. "Darling, It's True" has a 1960's party rock feel to it and a virulently catchy tune. The same can be said of "One More Minute", where Locksley sounds a bit like Spacehog. Any of the first three tracks on the album could be successful singles. On "Days Of Youth", Locksley may remind you a bit of Hootie & The Blowfish if the latter had been a British act instead of a Carolina band. And that's the vibe that pervades Be In Love; the same sort of home style, vaguely retro comfortable pop sound that drove the insane success of Cracked Rear View.
"21st Century" is a coming of age song focusing on the moment caught standing on the cusp between childish things and adulthood. It's a song of dreams and aspirations and a bit of worry over giving up what's known, all done in an infectious rock arrangement that will be rolling around your noggin for days. Locksley slows things down a bit for a 1960's style ballad in "Away From Here", complete with twangy surf-style guitar sounds and a sway-inducing rhythm. "The Whip" explores a dysfunctional relationship in wonderful poppy rock fashion. This is another potential single, as is the deliriously bouncy "Down For Too Long", which will have you bouncing and singing along from the opening notes.

"It Isn't Love" is an urgent garage rock pop storm that takes on a slightly darker tone that much of Be In Love without abandoning the essential character of the album. "The Way That We Go" takes on an almost sing-song quality that leads you marching into the closing waltz, "The World Isn't Waiting". Like any good party, Locksley winds up with a social dance; this one with a social message. The focus here is love, as it has been throughout, but the larger message is to get on with your life. Love if you will; laugh if you will; make mistakes; but do. The feel of "The World Isn't Waiting" is perhaps a bit too dated to be a big single, but it's definitely got the pop qualities needed to get a lot of attention.

Locksley scores big with Be In Love. Retro pop and rock are the order of the day here, as Locksley mines a 1960's garage rock sound with melodies so pure they would make Brit Rock fanatics flush. If a return to rock n roll is the next popular wave in music, it will be because of bands like Locksley. Drop this album in the middle of 1963 and Locksley might have been as big as The Beatles.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Locksley at http://www.locksley.com/ or www.myspace.com/locksley. You can order Be In Love as a CD or Download from Amazon.com.

Review: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
2009, Rhino Records

In reviewing the 2007 Chipmunk Movie soundtrack, Undeniable, we noted that Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. would be mortified to hear his Chipmunks voiced as they were. That really hasn't changed for The Squeakquel. The voices still sound over-processed, losing all of the low-tech charm of the original Chipmunk recordings. Whether it’s the basic recording technique or the use of software to modify the voices, the sound just doesn't work for anyone familiar with the original. That being said, anyone young enough to have missed the 1980's cartoons will likely be charmed by this soundtrack (and likely the movie), particularly if they liked 2007’s Undeniable. Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel features singing voices of Ross Bagdasarian Jr. (Alvin); Steve Vining (Simon) and Janice Karman (Theodore). Additionally, we are introduced to the Chipettes: Brittany, Jeanette and Eleanor (all voiced by Janice Karman).

The Chipmunks open with a cover of The Kink's You Really Got Me, although it's really a cover of the Van Halen version). Its predictable stuff for The Chipmunks; decent but not a standout track. The Chipettes are next with Hot N Cold (Katy Perry). The vocal effects here are even more cloying than on the Chipmunk recordings. Pink's So What works a bit better for the Chipettes, although the vocalizations still sound highly electronic. Dead Or Alive's You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) gets the Chipmunks treatment, keeping the same feel as the original. This actually works as well as anything on the soundtrack and might even chart as is. The Chipettes tackle Beyonce's Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) in perhaps the biggest misstep on the album. Between the vocalization issues (or EFX issues, if you prefer) and a striving for sound over melody, the franchise seriously begins to lose the heart that made it work for all of these years.

The Chipmunks tackle an overly modernized version of Stayin' Alive that relies more on bass than rhythm to drive the track, leading into The Chipettes brightest moment. The Song features Queensberry and is probably the best offering on the disc. The Chipmunk's It's Ok, on the other hand, is nearly impossible to decipher. The speed, effects and lack of any sense of diction on the song make it an aural mess (albeit with a catchy melody). The Chipmunks move into even shakier territory on Peaches & Herb's Shake Your Groove Thing.

The Chipettes pipe in next with Corinne Bailey Rae's Put Your Records On, an ill-advised choice by the music supervisor on the movie. Rae is one of those artists you just don't cover unless you either have a distinctive take on her song or you can really walk the walk. The novelty treatment here just pales in comparison to the original. Perhaps even more amusing is the Chipmunk's take on Foreigner's I Want To Know What Love Is. The song is redone in full electronic arrangement that's more about beat than melody, which is the essential core strength of the song. The vocal harmony effect here is nice, but is brought down by the electronic buzz in the vocals. Sister Sledge's We Are Family gets updated as an electro-rock hybrid at super-speed. Once again, sound is given importance over such elements as melody, harmony and pacing. The result is a wreck in the happening. The wheels never come off the car because the computer keeps it together, but there's little gratifying in the end result. The Chipettes' No One and The Chipmunks' I Gotta Feeling close out a disappointing set.

The Chipmunks, in essence, have crossed over the line from character to commodity. Cheap/easy computer animation and electronic effects tied to a desire to appeal to the lowest common entertainment denominator have stripped Ross Bagdasarian, Sr.'s creations of their inherent humanity. They are now officially a product rather than their long-standing status as cultural icons. If you're interested in The Chipmunks, I would suggest you take the time to listen to some of the older recordings made by Ross Bagdasarian Sr. There was more craft, humor and humanity in one of those original recordings than you'll find in either movie soundtrack. Good natured humor and an essential love for the characters has been replaced by a cynical, hollow humor driven more about return on investment than a desire to entertain.

Rating: 1 Star (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Alvin And The Chipmunks at http://www.chipmunks.com/. You can purchase Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel as either a CD or Download from Amazon.com.

Review: Hotel St. George - City Boy Lemon

Hotel St. George - City Boy Lemon
2009, This Is Tightrope

Hotel St. George was born out of an unfortunate accident at a 2007 Thanksgiving party involving a Wurlitzer piano and a glass of red wine. The piano survived, and Hotel St. George has positively thrived. In two short years the band has been nominated for two San Diego Music Awards, won a SPIN Magazine song contest, had a song placed in the videogame MLB 2K10 and been tapped to have their music featured in the upcoming season of MTV's The City. Not a bad result from the accidental introduction of tannins to ivory neither is Hotel St. George's third album, City Boy Lemon, released digitally and on an extremely limited vinyl run (500) in 2009.

City Boy Lemon opens with Simple Man, which sounds like the children of The Kinks and The Beatles got together and formed a band. The song starts slow but shifts quickly into an upbeat Pop/Rock arrangement that's irresistible. This energy and sound carries over to Welcome To The Sun, although a definite Lo-Fi element creeps in to the sound. All Those Dancing Stars explores an unhealthy fascination with mortality against the backdrop of an occasionally uncomfortable relationship that expresses the narrator's ambivalence in dissonance. Good In The Bad comes as a straight forward Pop/Rock tune but deals with some darker subject matter about human nature. The combination of the Lo-Fi sound and Pop-oriented arrangement is a bit jarring; it's a pleasant song to listen to if you can get by the incidental dissonance and tension in the arrangement.

Jealous Boys finds Hotel St. George turning more fully to their Pop proclivities on a post-punk gem with real potential for radio. Jealous Boys is the best pure listen on the disc, and the energy here is a bit infectious. Hotel St. George nearly loses it in Trouble, coming close to flying right off the rails but holding on for deer life. This should be a definite concert favorite. Hotel St. George strips down to bare acoustics for City Boy Lemon, a brief and puzzling entry before cranking up the amps on All The Rich Folks. All The Rich Folks puts hypocrisy center stage, exploring the divergence at times between beliefs and actions while attacking excess. The song is mildly catchy and is likely to strike some chords in the current economic environment.

Hotel St. George is an interesting find. They're not going to be everyone's cup of tea, playing in the less-trodden paths of bands like The Rheostatics and The Residents. City Boy Lemon isn't one of those albums most people will immediately take to, but if you wrestle with it you'll find definite rewards. To call Hotel St. George a Lo-Fi Band, a Pop band, a Rock band or even a British-Invasion disciple; any of these monikers carries an element of truth, but none are correct on their own. Hotel St. George is all-of-the-above, and the mix, if not unique, is certainly not a common one. Check out Hotel St. George, and given them a chance. There's treasure to be found if you dig.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Hotel St. George at www.myspace.com/hotelstgeorge. Hotel St. George’s My Space page indicates City Boy Lemon is now available, although I could find no online outlets for the album. Keep checking Hotel St. George's MySpace page for more info.

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: Foggy Nocean - Why Do Cows Have To Taste So Good?

Foggy Nocean – Why Do Cows Have To Taste So Good?
2009, Ron Mancini

Rock and Roll is dead. Long live Rock N Roll. Check that, Mancini’s still here.

Ron Mancini is the heart and soul of Foggy Nocean, the last bastion of anti-pop heroes on the Rock N Roll scene. Cranston, Rhode Island is a bit out-of-the way, and don’t be surprised if you don’t hear about it again (unless you live in Rhode Island), but it has the seeds of musical revolution in Foggy Nocean. Mancini rails against the music industry on his website, bemoaning the loss of creativity and music as a force for change in the world. Foggy Nocean certainly don’t fit the current mold of Poplets. Taking his cue from classic rockers such as The Doors, Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks, Mancini constructs entire albums as organic creatures, rather than highly vetted, highly focus-group studied pop confections designed for maximum impact. Working in a wicked sense of humor and a quirky eye for the world, Foggy Nocean’s Why Do Cows Have To Taste So Good? is politically, fashionably and aerodynamically incorrect (thank you Berkely Breathed), but that sucker can fly.

The title track, Why Do Cows Have To Taste So Good?, sounds like Randy Newman sitting in on vocals with They Might Be Giants. If that doesn’t intrigue I suggest you go back and read the previous line until it does. It’s a love song about all the things a cow can become (generally involuntarily). Shattered Image in an upbeat parable for looking to yourself for problems before blaming others. The song is well produced and yet maintains a Lo-Fi, garage aura to it that’s charming. You could picture this as the response to an argument with a significant after the fact. I should say about Mancini’s voice that it isn’t a perfect voice; it works really well with some songs/styles and occasionally doesn’t with others. All Those Things is one of the songs where it doesn’t quite work, which is unfortunate as the song is excellent from a musical perspective. Hurting Me sounds a bit like The Who’s Magic Bus on the verses and has a classic punk chorus. The vocals here are amiably off key and the song itself is very catchy. The piano and guitar work here is absolutely stellar.

Lay Your Hands and 13 Colonies both find Foggy Nocean sounding like Elvis Costello of the late 1980’s. Lay Your Hands is the best songwriting on the disc, coming across with a distinctive 1980’s Pop sound while retaining that Lo-Fi grandeur evident elsewhere on the album. 13 Colonies is a bit of fractured US History delivered with great energy and the panache of a real performer. Capn A Ship is upbeat and highly energetic, a young boy’s dream that’s never fully outgrown. You Don’t Know How Much I Care and Steppin Stone were both enjoyable, and The Foreskin is an absolutely unforgettable closer; a plea to remain whole that most any man who’s been circumcised can find sympathy with. The song perhaps isn’t quite as funny as intended, but should do well with the adolescent crowd.

Foggy Nocean practices one the greatest tenets of Punk Rock; “Here’s our music. If you don’t like it, go XXXX yourself”. If you don’t believe me, go read the bio of Foggy Noceans website. Ron Mancini is a guy who makes music he likes; he hopes you like it too, but he won’t be heartbroken if you don’t. Like most musicians who do what they do because their hearts can’t bear to do anything else, Mancini would still be making music if there was no hope of money or notoriety involved. Those things are nice, desired, sometimes needed; but they are not essential reasons why he or other artists like him make music. Why Do Cows Have To Taste So Good? is an experience. It’s a Rock album in the truest sense of the phrase. Not every song here will work for everyone, but there’s something here for most anyone who might listen. Foggy Nocean isn’t like ever to take the airwaves by storm, but they’ll provide you with some great entertainment, 47 minutes at a time.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Foggy Nocean at http://www.fnmmusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/foggynocean. You can purchase a copy of Why Do Cows Have To Taste So Good? at www.cdbaby.com/cd/foggynocean.

Review: Little Man - Of Mind And Matter

Little Man – Of Mind And Matter
2008, Eclectone Records

Little Man combines the driving quality of British Rock with a classic melodic sensibility. They have an enigmatic vibe that is part Bob Dylan and part Ray Davies with the occasional Bowie moment. The St. Paul, Minnesota rockers came into 2008 off the high of being named the Best Rock Band in the Twin Cities for 2007. They follow that distinction with their fourth release, Of Mind And Matter, bridging the gap between classic and modern rock sounds with tuneful songs and serious Rock N Roll chops.

Tarots And Arrows sets the mood for Of Mind And Matter, with a catchy tune in an arrangement and style highly reminiscent of the Kinks at their best. This song will be playing in your head long after the CD’s been returned to its case, so be warned. Don’t Pray to Fantasy may well be the calling card of the band. Its pure 1960’s Brit Rock with a strong melody and great harmonies. This is where Little Man seems most at home. Not content to stay in one slot, Little Man hits us with Everyone On The Floor, one of the best dance songs I’ve heard in some time, and a reminder that you can dance to Rock N Roll. Beatles fans keep an ear out for Lifted Me Like A Curse. The songwriting here is inspired, and the chorus sounds like McCartney and Lennon might have written it themselves. Love Of All Time sounds like Dylan, Jacob that is. I thought I had somehow skipped to a Wallflowers song when this came on. You’ll also want to check out Seal of Secrecy. This is required Big Rock Anthem, and Little Man delivers it perfectly. Delicious hooks and great harmonies make this a winner.

Little Man identifies with the good luck charm character in classical story telling. Perhaps they’re on to something. Little Man doesn’t break any new musical ground here, but manages to breathe inspiration and life into classic sounding material. The songwriting is strong and the band plays together like a well-oiled machine. Of Mind And Matter is a definite keeper. Make sure you check it out.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Little Man at www.myspace.com/sweetlittleman, where you can purchase a copy of Of Mind And Matter.