Review: Go Time! - Speak

Go Time! - Speak
2009, Go Time!

Chicago's Go Time! was born from the demise of longtime Windy City faves Prairie Town, coming together in October, 2007 with Prairie Towners Scott Niekelski (lead vox/ guitar); Mark Marketti (bass) and Steve Grzenia (drums) casting their lots together. Go Time! wasn't complete until ex-Cromulents and ex-One Million Monkeys axeman Paul Schmidt came along. 2009 sees the release of the debut album from Go Time!; Speak draws from the same well as fellow Mid-Westerners The Psychodots (aka The Bears); mixing a working-class vocal ethic with mildly crunchy rock tunes you can really dig into.

Speak opens with You Know, a relatively monochromatic rocker with a Lowest Of The Low guitar style and a mildly catchy melody. This is bar rock at its most essential; not highly memorable but good enough for a Saturday night. Rust To Rust picks up the pace a bit with an edgy guitar opening and a driving rhythm to kick things into high gear. Niekelski sounds a bit like Ian Anderson on vocals. This is an excellent tune, built on a melody you won't be able to shake and a compact, concise arrangement that keeps things moving nicely. My Suicide is a high-energy, upbeat song about giving up and walking away; more about change than death, the song is a thoughtful for a rock tune that features some killer guitar work. Too Far Gone has a classic Southern/Garage Rock sound, like something Skynyrd might kick around in practice.

Wait And See continues with the Southern Rock style in a catchy and solid tune that likely plays well in front of a crowd. The relationship angst here is a bit atypical for the style but works well. Hey Day breaks out the Rockin' Rhythm N Blues in a dark tune that sounds more like the Tragically Hip than anyone else I can think of. No Sense To Lend harkens back to the 1960's Folk/Rock scene with a tune that's a decent listen but doesn't make a significant impression. Just Don't Know Why, on the other hand, is highly danceable Rock N Roll that will have you up and moving before the intro's done. Cost lays it open with a bit of Guitar/Pop/Punk that's as fun to listen to as I'm sure it is to play. Imagine if the Ramones and The Knickerbockers jammed together; it might sound something like this. Go Time! closes out with similar energy on the guitar rocker Cut And Run.

Go Time! is a strong band with decent material and a fun and frothy Garage aesthetic. Speak is a fitting debut for a band that's steeped in the past but hasn't forsake the future. The melodies in here range from average to above average, and there's a distinct emphasis on structure (thanks to the rhythm section of Marketti & Grzenia) that allows the band to stay tight in spite of the Lo-Fi approach. Speak is worth checking out, although I suspect Go Time! has more impact live than comes across on CD.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Go Time! at www.myspace.com/gotimeband1. You can purchase Speak as either a CD or download through CDBaby.com.

Review: Abe's Logic - War's Ragin'

Abe’s Logic – War’s Ragin’
2009, Mad Chief Records

Abe's Logic is the musical extension of Abe Vandenberg’s multiple musical personalities. The Maui, Hawaii resident is a musical chameleon who can channel Lou Reed one moment, Dave Matthews the next, and traverse several other personae in the course of a few songs. Rock, Jazz Fusion, Folk; none of these are without of his reach at a given moment, in a given song, or even on a dime. What is certain is that as a listener, if you’re not paying attention, Abe’s Logic will leave you far behind. Vandenberg is getting ready to release his latest album as Abe’s Logic, called War’s Ragin’. Whether this is social or self-commentary is up to the listener to decide.

War’s Ragin’ opens with the Ski anthem Chipping’ Away. This is the sort of song that makes you want to get up and dance and is a great start to the album. There’s a rough edge to the music on War’s Ragin’ that is appealing. It’s not garage, exactly, but it has some of that same Lo-Fi charm. Even on songs such as I Stepped Into The Shade, where Abe’s Logic layers a lot of instrumentation to build a full sound there is still an aspect to it that is rough and primitive. The Prestige is very catchy; a bit frenetic. Vandeberg occasionally reminds me of the same urgent energy that drove some of the early They Might Be Giants recordings on War’s Ragin’. That nervous momentum is very apparent on The Prestige.

War’s Ragin’ is a delicious heartland-style rocker with big, jangly guitars and a chorus you can’t help but hum along to. The theme is the ease with which we can wrap ourselves in our loves and forget about what’s going on in the world at large. War’s Ragin’ is a song with strong commercial potential. It’s Not Just Me is written in much the same fashion and is quite catchy but doesn’t have quite the same oomph as War’s Ragin’. What We Crave develops a bit further into an interesting modal vocal harmony structure with that same heartland feel, taking a band like The Bears and adding Devo-esque harmonies into the mix. The sound stays fairly consistent through That Was Safe, with Abe’s Logic saving the curveball for All Of A Sudden, which sounds a bit like REM crashed the Abe’s Logic party. Abe’s Logic corrects course and gets back to the feel-good rock with moderate to serious themes on I Want It To Stay, which sounds like it would be a fantastic tune live.

Abe’s Logic offers up some classic American Rock N Roll with a hint of garage chic on War’s Ragin’. It's is one of those albums you walk away from more impressed by the sound than anything else, but Vandenberg is quite capable with a guitar in his hands, and has a strong, clear singing voice that is a pleasure to listen to. Lyrically interesting and intelligent, the somewhat darker elements of the narrative can get crowded out by the big, loud, jangly sound, but it’s a fun listen.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Abe’s Logic at http://www.abeslogic.com/ or www.myspace.com/abeslogic. War’s Ragin’ is due for a late spring/early summer release. Keep checking Abe’s Logic’s website for details.

Review: The Eastern Gate - Seraphim

The Eastern Gate – Seraphim
2008, The Eastern Gate

Hillsdale, Michigan’s The Eastern Gate is a quintet of college friends who played together throughout their college experience; cutting and releasing an album in January, 2009, Seraphim, as their “final act” together. As fate would have it, the band shot into the Top-200 downloads on Amazon.com within hours and hit #1 on Amazon’s Movers and Shakers chart. Now the band is adding dates in and around their home base, and I would imagine reconsidering whether they really want to give up on The Eastern Gate just yet.

If you enjoy bands like The Tragically Hip, The Psychodots (Bears) or Our Lady Peace then you will find a lot to like here. The album opens with Whirlwind, in the style of Our Lady Peace. It’s a solid rocker with fair commercial presence. Still Sailing On is a key track, it’s a very active, driven tune, although the mix isn’t ideal. Come Along is more orchestral in composition/arrangement. It is a soft and sentimental track that displays some of the expanded range of the band. News is and upbeat blues rocker built around some tremendous violin fills and a great hook. Suspend Me and Rock N Roll Nun are my two favorite tracks on the album. Suspend Me sounds pretty much like The Tragically Hip with a violin player, whereas Rock N Roll Nun is very much in the mid-western style of The Psychodots (The Bears without Adrian Belew).

The Eastern Gate might just be kissed by fate. Their sound isn’t necessarily one that will be embraced by all listeners, but it might have enough appeal to take them a long, long way. Their eclectic, big rock sound with Celtic and Blues elements is unique and interesting and fresh in the music marketplace. Seraphim is very much worth checking out.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Eastern Gate at http://www.theeasterngate.net/ or www.myspace.com/theeasterngatemusic. Currently, Seraphim is most accessible in digital formats from outlets such as iTunes, Amazon.com, or Napster. Hard copies are currently available at shows and will soon be available through http://www.amiestreet.com/.