Great American Robber Barons – Reno Nevada and Other Songs of Gambling, Vice and Betrayal

Great American Robber Barons – Reno Nevada and Other Songs of Gambling, Vice and Betrayal
2013, Great American Robber Barons

Some bands you can see coming from miles away, while others sideswipe you like a bread truck emerging from a dark alley at 4:00 a.m.  Great American Robber Barons fall into the latter category, but in sometimes subtle measures.  Led by Keith Dion (Ponsonby DC’s, The Ophelias, 3:05 AM and Corsica) and Diana Mangano (Jefferson Starship), Great American Robber Barons leave an impression.  Reno Nevada and Other Songs of Gambling, Vice and Betrayal is a cathartic and occasionally surreal musical journey that is much better experienced than described.

Keith Dion is an enigmatic vocalist, displaying a talk/sing style on Reno Nevada… that is a cross between Fred Schneider (The B-52’s) and John Plymale (The Pressure Boys, The Sex Police).  His sound is perhaps something of an acquired taste, but there is a stoic, geeky quality about his delivery that is ultimately charming.  On the other end of the vocal spectrum is collaborator and foil Diana Mangano, who has the sort of pipes that stop people dead in their tracks.  Their talents intertwine throughout the album, with sometimes amazing and sometimes mixed results.

Great American Robber Barons open up with “At The Hands of the Robber Barons”, a delightfully campy and catchy rocker with killer pop instinct.  Mangano belts this one out with aplomb, and the smooth guitar lead and backing instrumentation make this an instant winner.  The first class musicianship demonstrated here is apparent all throughout the album, with Great American Robber Barons never overplaying their musical hands.  “Reno Nevada” is an intriguing little story song, but how deep you dig into it will have much to do with how you respond to Dion’s voice.  Try to overcome any initial misgivings and focus on what he has to say, as Dion raises observational songwriting with wry wit to new heights at times.  The highlight of the album is “I Know You Just Don’t Want Me Anymore”, a bluesy, piano-based rocker ala Ray Charles.  Mangano gets a bit torchy here and sings her heart out.  It’s a goose bumps moment.

The band shows off their instrumental chops on “Nowhere Left To Go”, a smooth and pretty rocker with some pizzazz.  Like many rock instrumentals it outstays its welcome a tad, but it still manages to be a great listen.  Mangano takes another solid turn on “It’s All My Fault For Ever Trusting You”, a bluesy folk/rocker that feels slightly repressed.  Solid songwriting and strong performances all around make this work, but you can almost feel the band wanting to open up the throttle a bit here.  “Shut Up And Deal” has some of the best piano work on the album, but Dion’s angular talk/sing style makes this tune feel a little out of place.  Great American Robber Barons right the ship with “Hoo Hoo Man”, a classic bit of Saturday Night classic dance and roll. 

Things get a little uneven from here on out.  “Nobody Saw It Coming”, “Cemetary” and “What Were They Thinking” all enjoyable, if a bit off the wall at times, but the remainder of the second half of the album has more of a filler feel than anything else.  The 16 songs offered here could easily have been condensed to 11 or 12 and improved the overall listening experience.

Great American Robber Barons offer up some delightful turns on Reno Nevada and Other Songs of Gambling, Vice and Betrayal, with a few missteps along the way.   Keith Dion is a consummate musician and bandleader with a distinct persona and sound.  Diana Mangano, on the other hand, could fill concert halls with just the sound of her voice.  This seemingly strange pairing has a gravitational draw that is hard to ignore.  Reno Nevada… is driven by top-notch songwriting, first class musicianship and the fire and rain contrast of the two lead vocalists.  Great American Robber Barons are one lucky break away from being household names.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more on Great American Robber Barons’ Facebook page.

Review: Shady Cats - Love Callin’

Shady Cats - Love Callin’
2006, Grady Crumpler

Raleigh, North Carolina’s Shady Cats has been a long time in the making. Singer/songwriter Grady Crumpler started playing a regular gig near his home back in 1995. After being invited to play a private party, he hooked up with drummer Bill Eagen, who provides the rhythmic core for Crumpler’s songwriting. Together with a revolving committee of musicians, they became known as Grady Crumpler & Last Call, and eventually Shady Cats. Shady Cats began recording songs and demos nearly a decade ago. This piecemeal approach led to a focus on the songs rather than a specific sound for the band. Crumpler shopped songs to various producers. Consequently Shady Cats’ debut album, Love Callin’, has three producers of note involved. John Plymale (The Pressure Boys, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Superchunk, Meat Puppets); Dick Hodgin (Hootie & The Blowfish) and John Custer (Corrosion Of Conformity, Cry Of Love) all bring their masterful hands to bear on Shady Cats’ work. The result is an uneven but promising album that makes up in creativity what it sometimes sacrifices in continuity.

Love Callin’ opens with the uber-catchy title track. Vocalist Grady Crumpler has an enigmatic and enjoyable voice that's occasionally reminiscent of Elvis Costello. "Love Callin’" is a great start; if this song had been released circa-1986 the members of Shady Cats could have bought mansions with the proceeds. "Lost Myself" marches the line of demarcation between 1970's classic rock and 1980's pop; a territory that Shady Cats tread throughout much of Love Callin’. "Lost Myself" has one of those melodies that stay with you and recur at the oddest moments. Crumpler shows a deft lyrical touch on "She Kisses Me With Her Eyes". The song is virulent, catchy enough to knock "Lost Myself" out of the catbird seat in your brain, and the imagery is just off the beaten path enough to catch your attention.

Shady Cats have a special guest on "In The Moment", with legendary producer and performer Don Dixon (REM, Guadalcanal Diary, Hootie & The Blowfish, Moxy Fruvous) sitting in on vocals. Dixon's vocals are top notch, but the song gets a bit too wrapped up in its soul-searching feel. "You Got A Way" finds Shady Cats back in the early 1970's sonically, featuring big guitar riffs and barre chords as rock and jazz mix in uneasy but pleasing measures. On "Lines", Shady Cats head for a solid rock arrangement with country accents (primarily in the guitar line). "Lines" is a highly enjoyable song that stands out in spite of not being ostentatious. Shady Cats show serious chutzpah on "I Want Independence", with Crumpler laying down the most serious guitar solo on the album. Shady Cats find pop magic on "Take Me", a high-speed rocker with R&B roots that could be a hit in any decade in the rock era. If "Love Callin’" would have enabled the members of Shady Cats to buy mansions back in the 1980's, "Take Me" would have bought the entire town.

Shady Cats dig in with a positive message on "All The Way", but message falls a bit flat in a lounge arrangement that sounds contrived and very much out of context with the rest of Love Callin’. "Till The Rain Comes" sticks with the positive thinking, pointing out that sometimes even the rain is a good thing. The sound here is a cross between Elvis Costello and Fleetwood Mac (particularly in the harmony vocals); a retro sound that sounds amazingly relevant for the music scene of today. Shady Cats wind down with the theatrical rock aria "Desperation", among the most enjoyable tracks on the disc. The Cats taken listeners on an interesting turn at the albums close, dangling another side of the band as they walk out the door that is likely to bring listeners back the next time around.

Shady Cats put their best foot forward on Love Callin’, blending 1970's classic rock and 1980's pop and in the process serving up a highly palatable brand of rock 'n roll that's highly palatable for today. Grady Crumpler is a solid lead on vocals, and accents the songs on Love Callin’ with mildly adventurous guitar work that will please the ears of casual listeners while seeming a bit too tame of fans of classic rock. Love Callin’ is a safe album, but some of the songs here are so catchy they might need to be quarantined.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Shady Cats at www.shadycats.com. You can purchase Love Callin' as either a CD or Download from CDBaby.com.

Review: Audio-OK - Good Men

Audio-OK - Good Man
2006, Pussycat Kill Kill

Berlin quartet Audio-OK has its roots in early post-Soviet East Germany, where high school friends Torsten Volkmann (guitar/vox), Bjorn Volkmann (bass) and Niels Scherer (guitar/vox) got together to listen to illicit import albums from the likes of B52's, The Fall, Fugazi and Sonic Youth. The trio formed a Joy Division cover band before turning to their own material, gigging for the first time in 1993. The band split up a few years later, but reunited in the era of computer-based recording and have released their debut album, Good Man, adding Berlin drummer Eric Fessler in the process.

Good Man opens with Bad News, a Lo-Fi, Alt-Garage tune built on one riff. The talk/sing style and bare-bones instrumentation creates a stark sound that's mildly appealing in doses. Keep It is overly simplistic Grunge/Garage that leads into the musical misadventures of Between The Lines. A comparison had been floating around in my brain for several days but I couldn't come up with the name. It finally struck me today; Audio-OK reminds me a lot of 1980's Pop/Punk outfit The Pressure Boys, although MLV sounds a bit like Bobby "Boris" Pickett (The Monster Mash); this is most apparent on The Good Man, which also happens to be the best songwriting on the disc. Audio-Ok closes out with Higher and a live version of Gush; the former a rant and the latter something of a mess.

Audio-OK has some nice moments on Good Man, but it's a fifty-fifty proposition. The talk/sing style will be a matter of taste; the music in general is highly simplistic, and melody is more of an afterthought than a central theme of the songs. Audio-OK gives it their all on Good Man.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Audio-OK at www.myspace.com/audiook.