Review: The Voodoo Fix - The Voodoo Fix EP

The Voodoo Fix - The Voodoo Fix EP
2009, The Voodoo Fix

In the great church of music history, Emo and Punk developed as a Reformation to the excesses of corporate rock. In an L.A. scene bogged down in the Reformation, The Voodoo Fix held their own personal Counter-Reformation, resurrecting a classic blues sound in grand fashion (i.e. volume) and mixing it with the raw material stylistic flourishes of Rock N Roll, Funk, Folk, Punk and Soul. The band's self-titled debut EP establishes The Voodoo Fix as a musical force to be reckoned with, mixing a determined force of mind with a laid back sensibility that somehow don't seem to cancel each other out.

With My Voodoo opens the EP with a strong case of the electric Blues. Voodoo in this case is the spell musicians sometimes cast over fans. The guitar style here is pure Hendrix and the song is a great listen. Walk On By is an easy-grooving 1970’s Funk/Jazz/Rock hybrid. The music is strong but the vocals are a bit on the bland side. Don’t Come Home is high-energy rock that falls short of exciting in spite of the high energy level. It’s a decent song but musically the least interesting of the five songs presented here. Border Patrol is my personal favorite song, featuring the best/most interesting guitar work on the album. The vocals are again somewhat flat here (not flat as in pitch, but just not matching the energy level of the music). With the right re-work and a push from an influential source this song could have major commercial impact. Save Me closes out the EP and is built on a monster guitar riff with strong Funk and Blues influences. There’s a distinct Retro-Modern feel here that will appeal to fans of 1970’s rock as well as denizens of Modern Rock.

The Voodoo Fix is a very interesting venture; a young band with a debut EP that makes a strong case for their musicianship and ability to right. The sound is a little bit rough, owing some credit to the early-1970’s Rock era were Blues, Funk and Soul melded in one fashion or another to each other and to Rock N Roll. The Voodoo Fix is a band to watch. Some of the songs presented here deserve a more dynamic vocal performance, but that’s the only complaint I can find with The Voodoo Fix EP. This could be the beginning of a very long musical trip for The Voodoo Fix.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Voodoo Fix at www.myspace.com/thevoodoofix or http://www.thevoodoofix.com/. You can purchase The Voodoo Fix EP as a download from either iTunes or Amazon MP3.

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.