Stone Diamond - We Stole The Stars From The Black Night

Stone Diamond – We Stole The Stars From The Black Night
2013, Davin Enterprises

The men of Stone Diamond are all twenty year veterans of rock and roll.  Cy (vocals/bass); Josh (vocals/guitar) and The Tongue (drums) have overcome the sort of drama and antics that derail many bands.  In the process they have developed and intense and primal sound that is melodic and tuneful.  Writing from a simple, straightforward perspective on the world, Stone Diamond brings a bluesy perspective on their musical sound, and an ability to transcend the moment at times.  Stone Diamond’s debut album, We Stole The Stars From The Black Night, drops on October 6, 2013.

Stone Diamond throws down the gauntlet with "Love Stays", a velvet smooth classic rocker with serious pop pretensions. Lead vocalist Cy sounds more than a bit like John Thomas Griffin (Cowboy Mouth), and has serious presence.  "Let It Roll" has a bluesy underbelly and is laced with subtle guitar licks as it builds into a powerhouse chorus. You'll want your dancing shoes on here.  "Flavor Of Tears" is repetitive but musically intense, with some serious guitar work filling out the arrangement. 

"Tattoo" has a contemplative and dreamy feel, while working a guitar style that's inspired by Hendrix. The listener’s connection is a bit more tenuous this time around, but there's a lot going on in the background. "Dark Lover" recalls early 80's blues influenced bands like Cinderella and Whitesnake, right down to the incessant rhythm section and snaking guitar solos.  "U Know" is a slinky diet featuring the sumptuous voice of Mimi Moo.  The pacing is slow but the song builds in intensity as it goes.  Stone Diamond turns contemplative and wistful on "When We Were Young", a middle of the road rocker with a big, loud, repetitive chorus.   The band gets efforts for camouflage this time out, but the sonic craft can't overcome the bland nature of the song. 

"No Boundaries" is a song of hanging on that's guilty of the same sins as "When We Were Young", a trend that carries over into "Just 4 1 Day". Stone Diamond gets back to the blues for "Traumatized", but remains stuck in neutral energy wise. The band kicks out the jams on "Long Hard 5 Days", a high energy rocker about letting loose for the weekend. The chorus is uncharacteristically messy, but you'll be dancing so hard you won't notice.

Stone Diamond starts strong on We Stole The Stars From The Black Night, but struggles to maintain their initial, intense energy level across the full album.  Nevertheless there are some real rock and roll gems to be found here, and front man Cy croons like a big-time front man.  The real treat on the album, however, is the exquisite guitar work of axe-man Josh.  His sometimes subtle, sometimes in your face fills and trills enhance the musical atmosphere on We Stole The Stars From The Black Night; you’re going to like what you hear.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.stone-diamond.com. 

Review: Mad Anthony - Mad Anthony EP

Mad Anthony - Mad Anthony EP
2008, Phratry Records

Cincinnati sits squarely in the heart of the rust belt, combining Northeastern attitudes with Midwestern sensibility in a fashion that's perhaps unlike anywhere else in the United States. The result of this mish-mash of attitudes and ideals is perhaps nowhere more visible than in Cincinnati’s arts scene, and in particular, the music scene. The mix and meld of style like Punk, Classic Rock and even Grunge is perhaps nowhere more vibrant and carries with it a pragmatic sensibility that you just don't find in cities like New York, Chicago or L.A. Mad Anthony has grown up in this particular Rock N Roll stew, and wears the result flavors well. Their debut release, a self-titled EP from 2008 simultaneously makes you want to dance while exploring the eternal conflict of human nature versus the higher self.

Vocalist/guitarist sounds like a cross between Jim Morrison and Cowboy Mouth's John Thomas Griffin and carries himself vocally with a confidence that never rises to a swagger but has substance throughout the disc. Mad Anthony opens with Strangest Dream and one of the more vibrant guitar licks you're likely to hear. The song is a fun bit of madness that will make you want to dance. The vocal line gets a bit messy with two vocalists at times who sing together but not quite together. Otherwise it’s a great song. Get You High is a gloriously mad Rock N Roll romp with serious drive without ever getting loud. Puget is about the struggle to be a better person, particularly as it applies to relationships. The song is intelligently written and conveys real relationship issues in a raucous Rock tune complete with Police-style chants. Hope Of The Consumption is an angry tune that shows its punk roots all the way back to The Clash. Listen to the guitar work here and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Mad Anthony closes out with July 24th, a vibrant punk rocker with some vaguely progressive tendencies. The resolution here is left a bit open, suggesting that the divergence of want and need, of good and evil, in mankind continues and may be examined again.

Mad Anthony sticks to their Lo-Fi, Garage sound throughout the 5 songs on Mad Anthony, driving listeners along in vaguely understated fashion (for Punk) to a highly danceable yet sociological conclusion. The hanging ending is a bit of genius, inviting the listener to come along and find out what comes next. Mad Anthony is good. We're game.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Mad Anthony at http://www.madanthonyband.com/ or www.myspace.com/madanthony. You can purchase a copy of Mad Anthony at CDBaby.com.

Review: Officer Roseland - Stimulus Package

Officer Roseland - Stimulus Package
2008, Officer Roseland

Take a bit of Beatles style pop sensibility, the testosterone-laced flamboyance of Cowboy Mouth and a little trash/punk attitude; mix it all up and let it simmer in the underground Philadelphia Punk scene and you get Officer Roseland. Ironic and wry in an in-your-face fashion, Officer Roseland offer up their cure for what ails you with 2008's Stimulus Package, their fourth release.

Dan Daidone (bass/vocals); Brian Jones (guitar/keys); John Ilisco (drums) and Rob DiJoseph (guitar/bass) mix it up on Stimulus Package, running between highly precise pop/punk anthems and reckless rockers straight from the mosh pit. The CD opens with We Want Your Money, a tongue-in-cheek diatribe on the "selling out" side of the music business most bands deride from the stage as the practice from the souvenir booth. Up next is Modern Rock extravaganza Spiders, sounding a bit like Three Doors Down crossed with Matchbox 20. Exploding from the genteel disposition offered on the first two tracks, Officer Roseland blows up in pure punker glory on That's Armageddon. These first three tracks offer an excellent triangulation of the depth and breadth of Officer Roseland's style. It's not so much that Officer Roseland can't pick a direction; they just refused to be tied down into one sound.

Cracked Harmonies has a great minor key twilight sound to it that keeps this driving rocker coming back into your head, whereas Don't Even packs a testosterone-laden punch ala Cowboy Mouth's John Thomas Griffin. Other highlights include the frenetic The Day B4 U Almost Died, Letting You Go and Bloo Bloo.

Officer Roseland knows how to mix it up in the mosh pits as well as on the big rock stage. Stimulus Package is full of humor, strong melodies and punker attitude tempered by a strong pop sensibility (most of the time). Stimulus Package is a highly enjoyable listen that I imagine could only be enhanced in a live setting. This is good time Rock N Roll.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Officer Roseland at http://www.officerroseland.com/. Officer Roseland will pay you to download Stimulus Package from their website. We’re not kidding…

Review: The Wildcat - The Wildcat

The Wildcat – The Wildcat
2008, The Wildcat

The Wildcat are a Hollywood, California alt-rock trio that’s part garage and part Americana. Joshua Gollish (guitar/vox), Robin Everhart (bass) and Ric Rocc (drums) give it all they’ve got on their third release, and full length debut, The Wildcat. The Wildcat rocks it old school, from the foot-tapping, hook filled guitar rock songs to the vinyl-lp replica looking CD.

The Wildcat opens with Nothing's Fresh, a deliciously bright rock tune with big guitar sounds and a real pop bent. This is rock and pop at its most streamlined and enjoyable. Lead vocalist Joshua Gollish reminds me distinctly of John Thomas Griffin of Cowboy Mouth, and at times channels a bit of Eddie Vedder to boot. The Wildcat is definitely more in the Cowboy Mouth territory, while Can't Sleep and Where The Wind Blows have that Seattle influence that is distinctly Vedder. The Girl is an incredible messy blues tune with lots of slide guitar and dirty licks. Shimmy Interlude is a fun little musical sidebar, and All That Remains hearkens back to a 1960's musical ethic. Other highlights include Shimmy Rock and Some Friends (which has a guitar lick that sounds like it was partially borrowed from The Eagles' Life In The Fast Lane).

The Wildcat is a rough work that runs all over the map. It's a very enjoyable listen, but there's little cohesion or consistency throughout the album. This means that while it's a great listen it's not likely to find a lot of commercial oomph. The Wildcat (the band) comes across as your quintessential bar band. These are guys whom you'd be very happy to be entertained by on any given weekend night, and they're good enough to be more than just a bar band, but until a real musical direction or cohesion comes into play it's probably what they'll be (and there's no shame in that - The Black Crowes have been a bar band all of their careers - a very good and successful one).

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Wildcat at www.myspace.com/thedeniercri. You can purchase a copy of The Wildcat at www.cdbaby.com/cd/wildcat.