Red Abbey - Bulldozer

Red Abbey - Bulldozer
2011, Red Abbey

Red Abbey started out as a New York City Duo, but has expanded their influence to Las Vegas in the last couple of years.  Thien-nga Palmer and Trey Ordaz have built a singular blues/rock sound from guitar and violin.  Red Abbey first came to our attention in March of 2010 with their debut EP, On My Way.  The duo returns this year with an updated sound in the form of Bulldozer.  Produced by Ken Hertz (Beyoncé, Michael Jackson, Missy Elliot), Bulldozer takes a band with a viable sound and tries to turn it into a commercial enterprise.

Bulldozer opens with the title track, a muscular alt-rock number that marks a new intensity of sound for Red Abbey.  Thien-nga Palmer flashes her unusual, sultry voice, which comes across as a mix of Joan Jett, Chrissie Hynde and Mick Jagger.  Palmer shines on the verses, but the chorus does her no favors.  Red Abbey gets points for attitude and flash in spite of the sonic uncertainties here.  "Life's Avenues" plays like a cynical attempt to craft airplay out of a mix of alternative rock and 1980's hair metal.  The arrangement is catchy, but Palmer's vocal here is more about effect and sound than melody.  "One Way Ticket" starts out with a time-worn rock riff, turning into a funky rocker with blues in its genes.  Unfortunately the transition to a breakneck chorus is jarring and gives up the ghost on any melodic sensibility.

"Broken Heart" shows distinct improvement.  The first of three holdovers from the band's On My Way EP has great pop sensibility and allows Palmer to use her voice for singing rather than trying to craft sounds. Red Abbey spruced up the arrangement a bit but left the song essentially unchanged.  "Me", also from On My Way, is an energetic rocker that will have you dance and jumping around.  This anthem for self-sufficiency is the catchiest song on the album, and the most likely on the album to challenge for airplay.  "Over And Done" is vibrant, guitar-oriented rock with a driving beat.  The chorus fails to keep up with the energy and sound of the verses, with Palmer slipping into a stylistic sound again that sells her voice short.

The other carry-over from On My Way, "What Can I Say", is funky rocker that doesn't live up to the original.  "Breakout" goes for more of a punk aesthetic.  Palmer handles the sound well enough but is capable of much more vocally.  It's a solid active rock number that's all about attitude and edge.  "Pleasure Pain" is the epitome of the stylistic choices that seem to form the backbone of Bulldozer, and it is the least listenable song on the disc.  Red Abbey closes with the bluesy "Beat", and Thien-nga Palmer brings the sultry back with her best performance on the album.  Unfortunately it took ten songs to get here.

Red Abbey's debut EP set the bar high for the band as a whole, and a vocalist, in Thien-nga Palmer, who can hold her own on most any stage, anywhere.  Bulldozer would be a solid effort for a whole host of Indie rock acts, but falls far short of Red Abbey's capabilities.  The search for a more muscular sound isn't necessarily a bad idea, but Palmer tries to accomplish with affectation that which she can flat out do with her voice.  The former restricts the latter and the end result is a performance that is simply less than.  There are definitely some things to like about Bulldozer underneath the shellac of radio-ready sound.  Hopefully Red Abbey will get back to their base sound and build it up naturally the next time around.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Red Abbey at www.redabbeyband.com or www.myspace.com/redabbeyband.   Bulldozer is available digitally from Amazon.com and iTunes.  CDs are available through Red Abbey's webstore.

Victoria Hamilton - Little Red Book

Victoria Hamilton - Little Red Book
2010, VLH

You can’t help but think big when you listen to Victoria Hamilton. The 18-year old Connecticut native with the big voice has already attracted the attention of big name producers. Her debut EP, Little Red Book came about with producer Rob Fusari (Lady GaGa, Beyonce) at the helm. While it helps to have a well-known producer behind you, its Hamilton’s powerful voice and 4-octave range that stops people in their tracks and burns an impression of the singer on your psyche.

Little Red Book opens with "I Was Wrong" a pop/R&B ballad of regret that's very much radio-ready. It's not the best track on the disc, but is a great opener and solid selection for a first single. Hamilton has a sultry, robust alto voice. It's hard to tell because of the production techniques used how much of that voice is truly Hamilton, as voice doubling and other effects are used, but if that's all Hamilton her voice is absolutely striking. "Innocent" is a mildly commercial exploration of new experiences from the view of a young adult. The song has a solid dance beat and sounds like perfect soundtrack fodder for a prime-time teen soap opera.

"Hurry Up, Kiss Me" seems like the most likely hit single on Little Red Book. It's a great piece of songwriting ensconced in the mix of pop and R&B that Hamilton seems to favor and shows off her big voice. The song also has that impetuous pop sensibility that makes a great radio track. Hamilton seeks emotional penance on "Forgiven", a slow ballad that mixes melancholy, hope and regret. It's the chorus that makes this one a winner; you'll find it playing back in your mind once the song is over. Hamilton gets caught short on "Mirror, Mirror", where the verses seem to sputter between a bland arrangement and a half-hearted vocal effort by Hamilton. She and the song collectively come alive on the chorus in a fit of angst. It's not the song itself; a lot more could be done here.

"So Far, By Far" might just turn out to be the breakout song for Hamilton. Her big soulful vocal over a classic sounding soul arrangement with a modern twist is likely to turn some heads. The best overall performance on Little Red Book comes on "10,000 Things". Hamilton strips down the arrangement a bit, getting both her heart and head into a song about the value of a relationship and all of the things that can interfere. It's a great bit of songwriting that's wise beyond Hamilton's years and bodes well for her future. Hamilton closes out with a remix of "So Far, By Far". While realizing that in the pop game getting your song into the dance clubs can do a lot to drive album and download sales (and therefore radio play), sometimes it’s best to leave a good song alone. In this case the remix detracts from the power and sultry beauty of Hamilton's voice, making her sound more like a bubblegum pop idol than the bonafide singer with a big voice she appears to be.

Victoria Hamilton walks the thin line between artistry and fealty on Little Red Book. Assuming the voice is all hers, Hamilton represents a new generation of classic pop singers with roots ensconced in R&B. The tricks of the pop trade often require minimizing the voice for effects and styles that don't necessarily correlate with the talent of the artist. Hamilton runs into this fork in the road on Little Red Book, and she seems to be attempting to walk both paths at once. Ultimately she will have to choose; it's a question of reaching for the big star and backing your way into what you are best at, or doing what you love and saying que sera sera. Little Red Book is good, and Hamilton is scary good, but the strain of trying to walk two paths does show through the cracks at times. And while Fusari is obviously very good at what he does, the best producers know when to tweak and when the let the artist's performance stand for what it is.   It's worth following Hamilton a ways along her path to see what she does next.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Victoria Hamilton at www.myspace.com/victoriahamilton.  Little Red Book is available from Amazon.com as a CD.  Downloads of the album are available from iTunes.

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: David Homyk - True Story

David Homyk - True Story
2008, David Homyk

David Homyk is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to the entertainment world. Singer, songwriter, producer, actor and model, this Canadian born son of Virginia has worked with some of the biggest stars in show business. As a musician/producer, he's worked with Beyonce Knowles, Solange Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Aqualeo, Cheri Dennis and Cherish. As an actor, he appears regularly on All My Children, with numerous appearances on The Tyra Banks Show, Sex And The City and One Life To Live. Homyk also has a lot of presence in the advertising world, appearing in ads for Burlington Coat Factory, Capri Sun and Anheuser-Busch (the official mixologist for Bud Light Lime). In 2008, Homyk turned out True Story, a collection of seven original songs written, performed, mixed and produced by Homyk.

Homyk opens with the radio edit of Hard To Make A Friend, a relatively average tune with a significant amount of vocal FX work going on. Homyk sounds vaguely robotic, like a cross between Liam Gallagher and Max Headroom. The music itself has a vaguely lifeless quality; played primarily on acoustic instruments but with the mechanical nature of a computer. Fool In The Middle sounds different enough to say it's different from Hard To Make A Friend, but sounds like it could almost be alternative take of the same song, musically. All In All has a bit more verve to it, and gets points for novelty in sound but likely won't garner a lot of attention after the first or second listen.

Addicted To You is catchy and acoustic but very danceable. Homyk shows a touch for Pop hooks here that bodes well. It Makes You Believe is the highlight of the album. Sounding again a bit like Oasis, Homyk's look back at a relationship that's crumbled has real heart and soul. The law of averages kicks in thereafter on It's So Easy Now. Homyk goes from touching and real to predictable and repetitive in the course of one song. Knock Knock might not be the best song presented here, but it's the one most likely to be a Pop hit. It's the song where the guy begs to come back; catchy and annoying at the same time. It's the sort of song that catches on with the teeny bopper set and dominates the radio until it disappears as quickly as it showed up. Homyk closes out with the original version of Hard To Make A Friend, sounding like Alvin And The Chipmunks chipped in on the introduction.

True Story is a real mixed bag; there are a couple of songs here that show real hope for Homyk as a songwriter and performer, and he definitely has a distinctive Pop touch, but there are some touch moments to get through as well. True Story's biggest failing is probably the lack of another songwriter or contributor to bounce things off of. Sometimes material blooms with the advent of creative tension. Homyk has enough talent as a writer to exploit the benefits of such a relationship. The listening experience would also have been more enjoyable without all of the special effects on the vocal line. The best producers know when to play with their toys and when to put them away.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about David Homyk at www.myspace.com/davidhomyk. You can purchase True Story as either a CD or a Download from Amazon.com.

Cosmo Jarvis - Cosmo Jarvis (Hum As You Hitch / Son Of A B!tch)

Cosmo Jarvis - Cosmo Jarvis (Hum As You Hitch / Son Of A B!tch)
2009, Cosmo Jarvis

Harrison Cosmo Krikoryan Jarvis was born in New Jersey to an American/Armenian mom and a British dad. Jarvis has found his way back to his father's homeland (Newton Ferrers), where he has written over 250 songs at the tender age of nineteen. With over 100 songs recorded (and self-produced), Jarvis' recording studio is his bedroom. Jarvis even went so far as to displace his bed to the hall in order to fit all of the recording equipment in his room. Jarvis also makes, directs and stars in short films (over 40!). This prodigious level of production apparently does signify over-extension as an artist, at least to judge by the music on Jarvis self-titled album, alternately titled Hum As You Hitch/Son Of A B!tch, due out on November 3, 2009 in the UK. Cosmo Jarvis is revelatory.

Opening with Crazy Screwed Up Lady, Jarvis displays a musicality and presence that is beyond his years. His voice is somewhat anachronistic, but works perfectly amidst inspired Folk/Pop arrangements driven with hints of punk energy. Wild Humans is a humorous ditty that takes accessory pricing to a whole new level. The song is highly entertaining and active. Jessica Alba's Number is an entertaining fan-boy song and tribute all rolled into one. Featured dream girls include Alba, Jessica Simpson, Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, and Beyonce Knowles, Kate Nash, Jennifer Lopez and The Pussycat Dolls. The Royal F**k Up is a humorous but angry written from the perspective of an every day person who resents the views that the rich and powerful have of everyone else; in this particular case the target appears to be the British Monarchy, but the theme is a universal one. The song is tongue-in-cheek but full of the hyperbolic, repressed rage that fuels eventual social change. Sort Yourself Out is mix-tape material of another sort. Everyone knows someone they'd love to dedicate this tune to; an angry and pointed calling out and dressing down of someone who tends to have no regard for others. Jarvis closes with Mummy’s Been Drinking; another deeply angry song done as a rap that calls out a mother for hiding from responsibility/reality. The song is entertaining with a bit of the car crash mentality in there for good measure.

Cosmo Jarvis is an absolute breath of fresh air, blowing up the conceptions of traditional pop music with flair and a distinct sense for good musical decisions. Jarvis is an all-around entertainer who can write very well and hits on some real musical magic on Cosmo Jarvis (Hum As You Hitch / Son Of A B!tch). Jarvis' wit is prodigious on his debut album, but there's no air of novelty to the songs. This is a serious collection dished out with healthy doses of humor, impatience, anger, vitriol and ultimately a maturity that's beyond his years. Cosmo Jarvis is very much worth getting to know!

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Cosmo Jarvis at www.myspace.com/cosmojarvis or http://www.cosmojarvis.com/. Cosmo Jarvis (Hum As You Hitch / Son Of A B!tch) drops on November 3, 2009. You can pre-order the album through Amazon.com as a pricey import, or you can pick it up a bit cheaper by going to Play.com and simply paying the exchange rate here in the US. If you’re buying from the UK it’s much cheaper.

Review: Jive64 - GoTo 10

Jive64 - GoTo 10
2009, Jive64

Very quietly, or perhaps not so, Tel Aviv, Israel has become a center for Dance/House music. Offer Nissim (Madonna, Donna Summer, Christina Aguilera) is at the vanguard of Israeli DJs and Producers starting to make their presence felt on the international music scene. Hot on his heels is Hashoeve DJ Roy Cohen, who recently released his debut CD, GoTo 10 under the name Jive64. Cohen has an impressive feel for rhythms and beats and a love of 1980's dance music and video games that inform his recording. Joined by vocalist Ella (Ellita) Tadmore and Dharma (host of MTV Select on MTV's Israeli broadcast), Cohen creates a fun and exciting listen that you can get into a serious groove with.

The album opens with GoTo 10, a title drawn from the Basic computer language that the first generation of home computer programmers learned in Grammar school in the 1980's. The song is highly rhythmic and repetitive, perhaps a bit of social commentary on the segmentation and rigidity of modern life. The song is very danceable. Truth Theme (It's A La La Lie Version) started out as a love song to Cohen's lover but turned into a coming out tune that sounds like it came right out of a Commodore 64. One Live Up celebrates Cohen's love of classic video games, using sounds from games of the 1980's interspersed in dance rhythms and even adding lyrics about the games themselves. Yes, it's a bit geeky, but anyone who spent hours of their youth in the 1980's pumping their allowance away at the arcade will likely get a kick out of this song. Love Like Melody is perhaps the most entertaining and danceable track on the disc. There's a light, airy feeling to this tune that just makes you want to take part of whatever party it inspires.
Summer Start (Extended version) is a song that Cohen created a few years back independently; the version presented here is a bit different, with a heavier Trance feel to the song that it originally possessed. Cohen is so on his game here that you'll find yourself dancing or tapping along even in spite of yourself. Jive64's cover of Kylie Minogue's Turn It Into Love is nothing short of inspired, nailing the pizzazz of the original with Cohen's own deft electronic touches. Jive64's Gotmelooking Remix of Beyonce & Jay-Z's Crazy In Love is a sure thing for the dance clubs. Cohen shows he has a real touch for this type of dance music. Jive64 closes out with a remix of Rufus & Chaka Khan's Any Love that didn't work for me as well as Crazy In Love but will still likely be a big thing in the clubs (if it isn't already).

Jive64, for me, is more entertaining doing the quirky electronic mixing inspired by the aural encyclopedia of the 1980's. The more modern stuff is well done but perhaps a bit too much like Pop music we hear every single day. Jive64 really shines on the retro material, where Cohen seems particularly inspired. GoTo 10 is a great effort. GoTo get 10. You'll be happy you did.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jive64 at http://www.jive64.com/ or www.myspace.com/jive64band. You can purchase GoTo 10 as a download through Amazon.com or iTunes.

Review: Ashley Tisdale - Guilty Pleasure

Ashley Tisdale - Guilty Pleasure
2009, Warner Bros. Records

Ashley Tisdale came online as a teen pop princess with 2007’s Headstrong, parlaying that success into a vital and popular role in the High School Musical franchise. In 2009 she returns with a more “mature” solo album, Guilty Pleasure, in which Tisdale tries to show she’s all grown up by playing the bad girl. Working with top flight producers and songwriters such as Billy Steinberg (Madonna); American Idol’s Kara DioGuardi (Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood); Toby Gad (Fergie, Beyonce) and Emanual Kiriakou (David Archuleta, Nick Lachey), with an edgier, guitar rock sound on Guilty Pleasure.

Guilty Pleasure opens with Acting Out, a song with great pop bite and the announcement that Tisdale is shedding her "good girl" skin. This is a great sound for radio, kind of like High School Musical meets No Doubt. It's Alright, It's Ok is also upbeat and peppy but a little too common sounding for the alt-Pop realm. Masquerade is catchy and lyrically dense with a stream of consciousness bent that will appeal to pop radio fans. This is probably a decent chart tune as it sticks in your head. Overrated is. Hot Mess is mindless and catchy; probably a big hit on the radio even though the songwriting is less than spectacular. The lyrics to this song are very young and driven with the message that Tisdale is a bad girl. How Do You Love Someone seems to try to give credibility to Tisdale's claims to being bad but instead comes across as the awkward poetry of a disaffected junior high writer. Tell Me Lies, Me Without You and Hair are all decent Pop tunes, while Crank It Up is a likely club hit. Much of the latter half of the CD is more like (occasionally decent) filler, but filler nonetheless.

Tisdale has an okay voice, yet the amount of voice correction work done here is oppressive. The production values on Guilty Pleasure are so high that as a work it begins to sound monochromatic. This is pre-packages pop aimed at the teen market but trying to transition into an adult persona that seems more contrived than real.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Ashley Tisdale at http://www.ashleytisdale.com/ or www.myspace.com/ashleytisdale. You can purchase a copy of Guilty Pleasure at Amazon.com, or download the album or individual tracks from iTunes.

Review: Cupéro - Cupéro

Cupéro - Cupéro
2009, Cupéro

Wow.

Warwick, NY native Clarissa Cupéro just bowled me over. Cupéro's self-titled 6-song EP is the sort of introduction that knocks a listener off their feet. Whether it's the distinctly mature tone of 19-year-old Cupéro's songwriting, the no-holds-barred emotional strength of her songs or the absolutely amazing instrument that is her voice, Cupéro is a purely unexpected and welcome surprise on the musical scene. The Siena College student has influences all over the music map, from KT Tunstall to various classic rock artists to Columbian rocker Juanes (17 Latin Grammys). Juanes has inspired Cupéro to be a bilingual artist, writing and singing in both English and Spanish. The EP, Cupéro, was produced by Patrick Ermlich and E-Shy Gazit, who brought Cupéro's songs to life in ways even she didn't suspect when she contacted them as a high school senior. Now, Cupéro is a college student trying to build her fan base in the Albany, NY and New York City markets who has her eyes on bigger stages down the road.

Those bigger stages shouldn't be a problem at all. Not since Marian Call came along with Vanilla have I been so utterly stilled by a debut album. Cupéro makes you want to just drop everything and listen, and she handles active rock tunes and ballads with equal aplomb. With a voice that falls somewhere on a line between Sarah McLachlan and Bonnie Tyler, Cupéro makes fans every time she opens her mouth to sing. Cupéro opens with I've Got Your Number, a song she wrote for a high school talent show that has become her signature song. I've Got Your Number could have been a hit anytime in the last 25 years, and with the right breaks would vie for radio spins even in today's fractured market. La Sombra is a Spanish language song, and while I can't comment on the lyrics (no habla), the song has a powerful, sensuous feel that borders on overwhelming. Cupéro rips the roof on this vibrant rocker.

I Thought I Knew Love is a commanding love song that's chart ready as you read this. It's a bit off the beaten love song track but ideal mix-tape material and the sort of song that lights up request/dedication lines. Life Is A Moment is a song about striving for dreams and never giving up. It's a powerful message delivered in a powerful vocal performance. The arrangement opens with Cupéro and piano, adding in cello and other instrumentation as the song progresses. There's a Paula Cole "I Don't Want To Wait" feel to this song that's unmistakable. Don't be surprised if Life Is A Moment ends up licensed, movies or even gets covered by big name artists down the road (by then Cupéro may be one herself). Quiero Tu Amor is the other Spanish language song on the EP, a gorgeous ballad that would sell a million copies in an English version. I have to say though that the Spanish language brings out a certain sensuality in Cupéro's voice that's more reserved in English, increasing her marketability in an increasingly multi-ethnic culture a hundred fold. Cupéro closes out with You'll Never Be There, an urgent acoustic rocker with Americana leanings that just about proves that she can do, play or sing almost anything.

Clarissa Cupéro has everything but the breaks. Talent and composure well beyond her nineteen years and a killer voice make it very possible that down the road the name Cupéro will be as familiar as names like Prince, Madonna and Beyonce. Yes, it's a grand statement, and practically everything in Cupéro's life and career would have to go just right for that to happen. But based on what I've heard on Cupéro, it's not out of the realm of imagination. Yes, she's that good. Find out for yourself. Cupéro is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. Don't wait, get it now.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Cupéro at http://www.myspace.com/cupero or http://www.cuperomusic.com/. You can download a copy of Cupéro through iTunes or through Amazon MP3. I don’t have any word on CD distribution at the time of publication, but will update with links when/if they become available.