Review: Martin Rivas - Sea Of Clouds

Martin Rivas - Sea Of Clouds
2009, BTA Recordings

New York City based singer/songwriter Martin Rivas might be familiar to readers in New York City as the lead guitarist and vocalist of Serious Pilgrim, but he’s been in a number of bands over the years. Over time, Rivas has recorded with Yoko Ono and has played with Jeff Tweedy. Rivas’ latest effort, Sea Of Clouds.

Sea Of Clouds kicks off with Sleeping In The Shed, a catchy bit of Pop/Rock that you'll find yourself tapping your toes and humming along with. A New Word is a pleasant mellow rock tune that's a decent listen but doesn't really stand out. Heckuva Day, on the other hand, has a classic sound that draws on deep Motown roots. Rivas manages a feat of tremendous songwriting here in a song that has distinct commercial possibilities for both Adult Contemporary formats as well as for licensing. Rivas goes to the same Soul/R&B well for Get Yourself Together, singing wholly in falsetto in a song that could have some radio impact with the right push. Rivas hits a few other high notes along the way, whether in the heartfelt simplicity of Turtle or the soul-bearing solace of Hide In Me. Rivas closes out with Sorry To See You Go, a heart-on-the-sleeve missive that's long on emotion and short on verbosity.

Martin Rivas has a pleasant singing voice and an ability to craft gentle, pretty adult pop songs, but suffers from an interesting combination of lyrical extremities (sometimes too much, sometimes too little) on Sea Of Clouds. The album gets strong nods for composition and sound, but can be difficult to chew if your focus is the lyrics. It was an enjoyable listening experience, but working in conjunction with another lyricist would likely serve to smooth out the wrinkles effectively. A great effort musically that's just not met in the words.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Martin Rivas at http://www.martinrivas.net/ or www.myspace.com/martinrivas. You can purchase Sea Of Clouds via CDBaby.

Why I love the Beatles, and why I won't be buying the box set.

When I four or five years old, my Aunt gave me a gift certificate from Record Town (now known as FYE). Record Town still sold primarily vinyl albums back then (1975 or 1976), but also sold cassettes. My parents took me to the store thinking to find something for me and asked what would be a good album for a little kid like me. The clerk there at the time recommend The Beatles Yellow Submarine. We took it home and I hated it. It was tossed unceremoniously in a cardboard box and forgotten for eight or nine years.

When I was thirteen I was bitten by the Rock N Roll bug. I was on a church choir retreat (where flashing the female head chorister and the playing of kissing games all occurred) and was introduced to three albums by a guy named Aaron Richmond. The first was a comedy album by Eddie Murphy entitled Comedian. To a thirteen year old kid the F-Bomb is just about the funniest thing in the world. But more degradation at the hands of the Episcopal Church aside, Aaron also let me hear The Police's Synchronicity and Styx' Kilroy Was Here. My life-long fan-hood of Styx was born, as was my lifelong fan-hood of Sting and the Police. Perhaps more importantly, these introductions opened my ears to a wider world of music than I'd paid attention to before. (Up until then I had listened to Yankees baseball and Adirondack Red Wings Hockey, and when I couldn't find that I'd listen to Bill Miller on WGY out of Albany, NY.

Not long afterward I came across the Yellow Submarine cassette bought so many years before, dusted it off and popped it into my GE Cassette player. Even in tinny mono I was floored. What the heck were they doing? This was amazing stuff! It wasn't long before I found a copy of Abbey Road and simply devoured that. The Beatles haven't always been an integral part of my musical life, but they've always been there somewhere, from bopping along to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on trips to Choral Competitions in Montreal to singing a solo of Yesterday in 10th Grade to the way they keep popping up at odd times at significant points in my life. The Beatles wrote music that was silly, essential and nearly timeless (and occasionally quite weird: Number nine, anyone?)

If you are young enough to not really know the Beatles you probably can't read this yet, but if I'm talking to you, go find out where most of today's edgy music originated. There isn't an artist in mainstream rock who isn't either directly influenced by the Beatles or isn't influenced by someone who is. Today, September 9, 2009, Capitol/EMI releases remastered versions of all the Beatles Albums, culminating in two box sets (Stereo and Mono). The box sets are pricey and out of the price range of most people in difficult economic times. Still, there will be a strong contingent of Beatles fans who will lay their money down, particularly for the Mono box set, which is a limited edition.

Each individual album is also available in a remastered edition. This is the first time these albums have been re-mastered since the late 1980's when they were first carried over to CD. (I believe remasters were done in the mid-90's, but I don't count those as the technology wasn't radically different and there is little or no sound difference.

I personally won't be buying them. I have five Beatles albums currently, and am sentimental about the ones I have. The sonic difference between the old and new editions won't make that much difference to me because I don't have good enough equipment to make a difference at this point (and I can't afford them anyway!). It would be fun, though, to unwrap the mono box set and hear the songs as The Beatles originally wanted them heard. I have provided links below to all the releases out today if you're interested, using Amazon.com as the destination. Be sure to check around for price variations (particularly on the box sets). I suspect these will be hot sellers this holiday season.

If you'd like to learn more about the Beatles, check out http://www.thebeatles.com/.

Out today:

The Beatles: Rock Band

The Beatles: Rock Band (Limited Edition Bundle)

The Beatles Stereo Box Set

The Beatles Mono Box Set

Revolver

Help!

The White Album

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

With The Beatles

Past Masters

Abbey Road

Rubber Soul

Beatles For Sale

Let It Be

A Hard Day's Night

Magical Mystery Tour

Please Please Me

Yellow Submarine

Review: The McKrells - Traveling Man

The McKrells – Traveling Man
2008, Thorntree Music

The McKrells are legends in Upstate New York, as well as being highly respected internationally in the Celtic music scene (Not to mention they are Wildy's World's Artist Of The Month for March of 2009). The band created a hybrid of Celtic and bluegrass sounds that earned them the appreciation of every crowd they played in, whether in a small pub in Ireland, their home base of The Parting Glass in Saratoga Springs, NY or even Carnegie Hall. The last few years have seen major changes in personnel and sound, but the heart of The McKrells; Kevin McKrell’s songwriting and voice, remains. Their latest CD, Traveling Man, was released in 2008 on Thorntree Music. It’s a change for longtime fans, but not necessarily an unwelcome one.

Traveling Man opens with the title track, a light and airy bit of Celtic influenced pop that will get your feet moving. This leads into the Bold Fenian Men, offered here as a low-key Celtic rocker. Kevin McKrell is in fine voice here, and harmonies from daughter Kate McKrell complete the aesthetic. McKrell offers up a primo performance on Shores Of America. Kevin McKrell’s voice has an iconic quality to it that is unforgettable, and Shores is the perfect opportunity to hear why.

Christmas Day is performed in the style of classic American Folk music by Kevin McKrell on guitar and vocals with harmonies from daughter Kate McKrell. It is a hopeful tune that strives for light at Christmas in darker times and is quite apropos amidst current events. One of two personal favorites on the disc is Two Peas In A Pod, a wonderful “silly little love song” that you’ll have on continuous replay. It’s a cute little mix-tape candidate that’s highly infectious and unforgettable. McKrell works in a glory days song on Ronnie’s Golden Mustang; if you’re a child of the late 1960’s or early 1970’s then this song will hit home (particularly with the Creedence Clearwater Revival, Grand Funk Railroad, John Lennon/Yoko and Lynyrd Skynyrd references), but every generation expresses these sentiments sooner or later.

My other personal favorite is The Motel de Marquis Lafayette. With clear roots in the Celtic and American Folk traditions, this is a virally infectious tune that will get stuck in your head for days, perhaps weeks. Traveling Man closes out with Tunnel Tigers in a bit of Celtic Funk/Rock (listen to the bass) that’s highly enjoyable.

There’s no doubt there’s been a big change in the sound of The McKrells. The strong Bluegrass element of their sound has departed, but it has turned the remaining McKrells back to their Celtic roots. The resultant CD, Traveling Man, is refreshing and immensely enjoyable album. As a writer and arranger, they don’t get much more talented than Kevin McKrell, and the rest of the band is top notch. Do yourself a favor and put this at the top of your listening list for St. Patrick’s Day. You won’t be disappointed.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Kevin McKrell and The McKrells at http://www.kmckrell.com/. You can purchase a copy of Traveling Man at www.cdbaby.com/cd/mckrells8.