Everclear - Return To Santa Monica

Everclear – Return To Santa Monica
2011, Cleopatra Records

Through it all, Art Alexakis just keeps going.  His band, Everclear is on its third lineup, with the only original remaining member being Alexakis himself.  The Portland, Oregon band, formed in 1992, were darlings of the alternative rock scene throughout the 1990’s, leaders of the pop-based rock response to the grunge sound coming out of Seattle.  There has been a trend in the last few years of bands re-recording their hits, as aging acts separate from the major label apparatus have found a way to regain control of their catalog for licensing.  Everclear jumps on the bandwagon today with Return To Santa Monica.

The up side to such a move is it improves a band’s ability to generate income; for fans it can be an opportunity to hear a fresher version of a favorite hit or three.  Everclear does right by the fans with Return To Santa Monica, offering up a nearly live sounding collection of reborn hits from their catalog.  “Santa Monica”, “I Will Buy You A New Life”, “Father Of Mine” and “AM Radio” are particularly vibrant.  “Unemployed Boyfriend” seems even better than it did the first time around, though whether this is due to a change in the rendition or a change in the times it uncertain.  Everclear rounds out the remakes with “Wonderful” and “Everything To Everyone”.

Perhaps the biggest treats for fans, however, are the cover songs spread throughout the album.  The remake of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” is classic, and Steve Miller’s “The Joker” gets a new look.  Death Cab For Cuties “I Will Follow You Out Of The Dark” is among the highlights on the disc, as is the closing number, Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl”.  The only misfire on the entire album is a somewhat messy cover of The Police’s “Every Breath You Take”, which Alexakis muddles his way through on, showing neither the vocal range nor (here, at least) the sense of personality to pull this tune off.

These sorts of collections are as much for financial gain of the artist (as opposed to a label) as they are for fans.  Sometimes such collections can be ill-gotten nightmares, but Everclear manages to pull the whole thing off with a bit of panache.  The album plays like an intimate live show, with even the production values bending in that direction.  So instead of a boring retread of hits and covers you know, listeners get a quality, live-in-studio set of songs that will have you tapping your toes and remembering the 1990’s fondly.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)
Learn more about Everclear at www.everclearonline.com or on Facebook. 
           CD                        Download
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Steve Lieberman (The Gangsta Rabbi) - The Rabbi Is Dead

Steve Lieberman (The Gangsta Rabbi) - The Rabbi Is Dead
2011, J-Dub Records

The Gangsta Rabbi is back. New York's reigning king of garage punk, Steve Lieberman hits harder than ever on his 3rd album for J-Dub Records, The Rabbi Is Dead. Lieberman's insight into social, political and religious issues is as wonderfully skewed and-yet-somehow on the mark as always. With 50,000 albums sold, 2 million downloads and 100K YouTube views, The Gangsta Rabbi is an underground revolution.

The Rabbi Is Dead traverses the socio-political landscape, touching on subjects such as STDs, taxes, prejudice, puppies, the Police reunion and the fall of commercial radio. As always, you'll need a lyric sheet to have any idea what Lieberman is singing about, the music is entertaining, and Lieberman's lyrics deciphered offer a slightly twisted yet viable understanding of the world as it is, and perhaps how it should be. Highlights include the wild "A Dove Flies Over Baghdad", "Jewish Boy In The Moshpit", "Plus Sized Girls (Always Rock My World)" and "Over The Sea Of Reeds".

Lieberman fleshes out the sound this time around, adding six-string guitar into the mix, augmenting the usual drums, bass and flute sound and giving his songs more sonic weight and density. It would be nice to listen to a Gangsta Rabbi record without a lyric sheet, but it somehow just wouldn't be right. The Rabbi Is Dead is certainly an acquired taste, but if you really get it, you'll love it.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Steve Lieberman at www.gangstarabbi.com or www.myspace.com/gangstarabbi.  The Rabbi Is Dead is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes. 

Alice Ripley - Daily Practice, Volume 1

Alice Ripley - Daily Practice, Volume 1
2011, Sh-K-Boom Records

TONY winner Alice Ripley has been acting on and off Broadway for twenty years, as well as recording albums and gigging with her band Ripley and creating works on canvas and in mixed media.  As an artist whose creative energies seem to have no end, Ripley often uses one art form to balance off another.  So it was in 2009, when Ripley played conjoined twin Diana in Next To Normal.  Aside from earning Ripley a TONY for best actress in a musical as well as a Helen Hayes award, Next To Normal left Ripley with another legacy.  Each night Ripley would return to her hotel room and recover from the emotional weight of her performance by singing some of her favorite songs while accompanying herself on acoustic guitar.   These impromptu therapy sessions were memorialized on the album Daily Practice, Volume 1, released earlier this year on Sh-K-Boom Records.

Daily Practice, Volume 1 is raw and unvarnished, featuring Alice Ripley in an almost manic performance state.  The result is unsettling at times, striking at others, and throughout is underscored by the emotional complexities and beauties of the human condition.  Ripley opens with Carole King's "It's Too Late".  This is one of the mellower offerings on the album, but Ripley's vocal performance is impassioned and full of emotion.   "Message In A Bottle" is halting and uncertain at times.  While the original version by the Police seems to focus more on the hope for salvation, Ripley's version seems more focused on the desolation and hopelessness of the narrator's position.  The performance is striking and raw, delivered in the uncomfortable tones of someone who doesn't know what to do next.

"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is played straight to the letter, but misses the soaring feel of the original in a workman-like performance.  Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know" is slowed down a bit, with Alice Ripley all over the place vocally.  Ripley seems to relish the emotional outbursts of the song, articulating representatives of the FCC's seven deadly words with particular fervor.  "Essence" (Lucinda Williams) displays a particular vulnerability; the emotional charge in Ripley's voice is palpable and real. 

Ripley goes all out for Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road", capturing the gritty honesty of Springsteen's writing style perfectly.  The sense of hope and joy amidst a dreary world is compelling.  Nanci Griffith's "The Flyer" drips with the loneliness of the road, staying true to the original.  Ripley takes on The Eagles' "Take It Easy" in halting fashion.  It's a solid cover, but doesn't have the carefree feel of the original.  Ripley takes a fair shot at R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts", but sounds overwrought.  The whiney, self-involved nature of the song and the heaviness of Ripley's voice just don't make for a great mix.  Ripley closes on sound footing with a solid cover of Carly Simon's "Anticipation".

Cover albums are always fraught with difficulties for fans and critics alike, but Daily Practice, Volume 1 is not your typical cover album.  The ten songs collected here represent a daily process of catharsis that allowed Ripley to maintain her balance during one of the most trying roles of her career.  The unvarnished nature of the album will give some listeners pause.  This is Alice Ripley, warts and all.  Most artists would never have the audacity to release recording in such a raw state.  From a purely aesthetic standpoint, Daily Practice, Volume 1is raw and unsettling.  Put into perspective, it becomes a statement of freedom, and of that particular beauty that grows from human imperfection and perseverance.  Daily Practice, Volume 1 comes straight from the heart.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

 Alice Ripley's web presence is fleeting and hard to find.  Her blog, aliceripleylinkup.blogspot.com has not been updated in a while, but you can pick up some good information about her there.  The site for her band, Ripley, www.myspace.com/ripleytheband has also not been updated in a while.  Luckily, Daily Practice, Volume 1 is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Artist Of The Month: Sami.The.Great - Nothing Left To See

Sami.The.Great - Nothing Left To See
2010, Bold Love

They say big things come in small packages. Whomever coined that phrase might have been thinking of Sami Akbari, AKA Sami.The.Great. Once a small fish in the big pond of the New York City Indie singer/songwriter scene, Akbari has made a name for herself with honest, creative songwriting and a dynamic presence on stage, in-person and in the studio. Akbari’s latest EP, Nothing Left To See, shows an artist very much coming into her own. Akbari shows a musical grace and maturity far beyond her relatively tender years, and displays the melodic temperament of some of the great acts of the British Invasion (The Beatles included). Sami.The.Great also has the honor of being Wildy’s World Artist Of The Month for August of 2010. Take note of her name(s), and don’t be surprised if she becomes a national (and perhaps international) presence over the next few years.

Nothing Left To See opens with "Love's A Losing Game", a bright and airy song of incandescent cynicism that is heartbreaking in its simple acceptance of a losing hand. Akbari has a voice that's as sweet as wine, and hearing her wax poetic about the inevitability of loss is a compelling experience. Truth be told, it's a wonderfully crafted song befitting a songwriter of many more than Akbari's early 20-something years, and Akbari delivers it with a deft coolness that will surprise you. "Nothing Left To See" isn't so much a come as a baring of the soul to love; Akbari lays it all on the line in one of the most honest and revealing pop songs you're likely ever to hear. You'll find yourself hanging on her every word, and your heart will leap with Akbari's voice as she ascends into her angelic upper register. In "Lose You" Akbari faces the heartbreaking realization that in order to be herself she needs to give up someone she loves. The song is heart-wrenchingly beautiful and sad. Akbari once again dips deep into the well of honest emotions and events and surprises with both the candor and musicality of the song.

"Satisfy" laments the speed at which life passes us by; not so much sad for the things she's done but an acknowledgement that whatever our choices there are things we miss. The song is a lush exploration of the emotions surrounding that one friend who always grounds you no matter how crazy life gets and no matter how far away from your roots you feel. Akbari's cover of The Police's Roxanne is dance-beat infused barn burner full of sensuality and tension. In this case the dance beat sounds a bit contrived, but Akbari's vocal is so full of vitality you can pretty much ignore the distraction. Nothing Left To See closes with "Wasted Emotion", a pensive and dreamy capitulation to a relationship that doesn't work but which she can't walk away from. There's a sense of déjà vu that underlies this song, as if she's been here before and made the same mistake time and time again but somehow cannot pull away.

Sami.The.Great indeed. I don't know where the New York City music scene has been hiding Sami Akbari but the secret is very much out. Nothing Left To See shows Akbari in many lights, and each displays an artist truly on the rise. With a voice that can hang you out to dry, break your heart and welcome you in all in the same breath, and a deft touch for songwriting that speaks of wisdom well beyond her years, Sami.The.Great is one big break away from being a household name. Nothing Left To See can be nothing less than a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Sami.The.Great at http://www.samithegreat.com/ or www.myspace.com/samiakbari.  Nothing Left To See is currently only available via iTunes unless your lucky enough to catch Sami.The.Great live.  Expect wider distribution to follow.

Review: Isaboe - Love Son

Isaboe - Love Sun
2008, Ninjagirl Records

Australian singer-songwriter Isaboe had her first musical indoctrination at the age of 5, learning to play paradiddles on her father's 1950's Ludwig drum set. The days of youth quickly ran away with Isaboe, but the music beckoned her back and at the age of 14 Isaboe discovered The Police, bashing her way through Stewart Copeland's manic percussion and finding a sense of utter joy. Next came the guitar and saxophone and the discovery of jazz. Before long Isaboe was writing up a storm. In 2006 she set out to record an album. Two years later, after re-writes, a hiatus and time off from work to complete it, Isaboe released her debut album Love Sun. Full of personal reflections and empowering images, Love Sun serves as a powerful yet frustrating introduction to the world of Isaboe.

Love Son opens with "Brightest Love", an upbeat-yet-mellow rock love song with orchestral undertones. Listeners may be reminded of a blend of Aimee Mann and The Moody Blues here. The orchestral pop continues on "Calling To You", a song about seizing the moment where love is concerned. "Future World" continues unfettered with a light electro beat beneath Isaboe's ethereal vocals. Isaboe draws on themes of universal consciousness and connection in a somnolent piece that lingers across four-and-a-half minutes. Isaboe gets too caught up in prose on the title track; "Love Son" plays more like a diary entry than a mellow pop song.

"Golden Year" is a mildly upbeat song of reminiscence that seems to shake Isaboe out of her torpor. The energy carries over into "Revelation", an acoustic/electric track that decries the state of humanity and aims toward a more spiritual state for mankind. Isaboe's prose gets the best of her again on "Stellar Child", a song so caught up in Isaboe's new-age lyrical wash it forgets to grow and flourish as a song. Isaboe saves her best work for late in the album; "Home" is a love song that sits a bit outside the traditional love song box but carries a lovely, ethereal arrangement and melody and is likely to be a favorite for most anyone who comes across it. Love Son closes with "For All Our Days", a more traditional love song that sinks back into Isaboe's complacent, ambient pop arrangement style.

Love Son is something of a confounding album. Isaboe has a wonderful voice, and a keen ear for melody, but her tendency to arrange most everything with a monochromatic acoustic/orchestral pop style makes the bulk of her songs sound like one long cycle. There's a lot of potential displayed on Love Son, but Isaboe really struggles to maintain her pop sensibility under the weight of ambient but not energetic songwriting.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Isaboe at http://www.isaboe.com/ or www.myspace.com/isaboeofficial. Love Son is available digitally from e-tailers such as Amazon.MP3 and iTunes.

Review: Stellar Vector - A Flock Of Cowards

Stellar Vector - A Flock Of Cowards
2010, Mildly Misanthropic Music

Stellar Vector has had a long and varied path to where they stand as one of the more revered Prog-Electronic bands on the Minneapolis scene. Originally a synth-pop group called {space bar}, Stellar Vector started as a duo of Charles Sadler (vox/keys) and Jonathan Ford (guitar). Over the years classic progressive rock has become more and more of their oeuvre (Gabriel-era Genesis, David Bowie), mixing with Buzzcocks-style Punk. Stellar Vector's debut album, A Flock Of Cowards, finds the band finally comfortable in a sound, but still seeking out the boundaries of where that sound might take them. A Flock Of Cowards drops on April 2, 2010.

A Flock Of Cowards opens with the guitar-driven rock of "Buffalo Jump", a reference to a hunting technique used by the First Nations of North America. The title appears to be more contextual here and ties to an awkward lyrical progression about striking out on your own. "Lacking Self Control" is repetitive and lacking subtlety, while "A Flock Of Cowards" is shows some of the tensile energy of early Police recordings. "February 14th" is a modern rock account of a Valentine's Day planned as a breakup day. The song plays more like prose than poetry; overly wordy for the format without a good flow.

"Titanic Work Effort" details the negative effects of a workaholic lifestyle in vaguely poetic terms. It's among the better compositions on the album, but may drag on a bit too long. Much of the rest of A Flock Of Cowards follows a somewhat non-descript path. The music is listenable but doesn't really stand apart from the crowd. "Closing Notes" is an exception, having a quirky, kinetic energy that demands attention. The closer, "The Not So Hidden Track", could be a knock off on They Might Be Giants' "Particle Man". It's an amusing 30-second morsel but doesn't change the trajectory of the album.

Stellar Vector shows flashes of melodicism on A Flock Of Cowards, but seems to have a hard time matching up energy to intent at times. On the whole the album is a bit flat, although there are lively moments. When the band's quirky side and dry sense of humor come out we see Stellar Vector at their best.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Stellar Vector at http://www.stellarvector.com/ or www.myspace.com/stellarvector. A Flock Of Cowards drops on April 2, 2010, but you can download it now from Amazon.com.

Review: Annie Automatic - Fighting Chances

Annie Automatic - Fighting Chances
2010, Broken Seal

You might think that California rockers Annie Automatic have an air of mystery about them. Their lead singer (French) and guitarist (Cash) have eschewed patronymics, and the band’s logo offers up only an oddly scripted letter A in the crosshairs of a rifle’s scope. Despite the affectations, it would be hard to find a more elemental Rock N Roll band than Annie Automatic, who returns to basics on their second album, Fighting Chances. The result is flat-out great Rock N Roll.

Fighting Chances opens with Nepenthe, exacting an intriguing sound that balances on the precipice between Classic Rock, Modern Rock, Psychedelia and Punk. The song features basic Rock construction reminiscent of The Police's early work; a soaring chorus with clear honest vocals and a creative spark that's anathema to modern commercial radio. Suffice it to say Nepenthe is a great start! Something Sacred is a strong ballad with a highly likeable chorus. The emotion implied in the lyrics doesn't necessarily translate well into the arrangement. The result is something of a disconnect but still a very solid song.

A Song For Billy is a mournful tune featuring ethereal voices mixing with string instrumentation to build a creepy baroque feel at the end. An intriguing listen, the song takes a little while to get there and then resolves fairly quickly back into the melodic sense of the chorus. It's a haunted song that will stick with you, although it won't grab you right off the bat. Annie Automatic closes with Candy Apple Kisses, the potential hit of the EP. The melody here is absolutely infectious; the sort of song you hear on the radio and then search furiously to find out who did it.

Annie Automatic makes a big splash with Fighting Chances. This is the sort of EP that can seriously raise the profile of a young band. Four out of five songs are strong comers with real commercial legs, but Annie Automatic does commercial by making great music rather than by trying to be commercial. Fighting Chances will leave you wanting to see what Annie Automatic will come up with next.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Annie Automatic at http://www.annieautomatic.com/ or www.myspace.com/annieautomaticmusic. You can purchase Fighting Chances as either a CD or Download from CDBaby.com. The album may also be downloaded from Amazon.com or iTunes.

Review: The Midnight Kites - The Color Of Light

The Midnight Kites - The Color Of Light
2010, The Midnight Kites

The family that plays together stays together. If that old maxim is true, then Bruce (guitar) and Jill McDougall (vox) should have a nice long life together. The fact that they play together so well as the core of Denver's The Midnight Kites is a bonus. Add in Connor DeFehr (bass and brother of Jill McDougall) and Dave Farmer on drums, and you have a glorious crossroads where Rock, Pop, Country and Folk meet. Jill McDougall's sweet alto voice and mellow demeanor will recall for listeners Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies) or even Natalie Merchant in her early days with 10,000 Maniacs. The Midnight Kites greeted 2010 with their debut album, The Color Of Light, released on New Year's Day.

The Color Of Light opens with Green Eyes, an ethereally swarthy Pop tune full of contented longing. Set in a sparse arrangement peppered with just the right filler, The Midnight Kites seem equally comfortable with sound and silence. Proving that sometimes less is more, Jill McDougall gives an enthralling performance on Falling Is Healing, coloring the melancholy musical reflection with love and longing seen through the complications of day-to-day life. My One Wish intrigues with its mellow feel with an angst-filled energy lying just beneath the surface. The song is driven by an energy that could have come from an early Police tune, with DeFehr channeling Stewart Copeland throughout.

Caution To The Wind is a thing of beauty, between Jill McDougall's plaintive alto and a haunting cello solo, all set against a simple arrangement that's as fetching as it is sparse. The Midnight Kites take an intriguing turn with a highly unusual cover of Landslide consisting of Jill McDougal's vocals supported by nothing other than percussion. The concept may seem overly simply, but the execution is brilliant, with Farmer paralleling the harshness of life in a way you wouldn't imagine as a counter to the heartbreak and resignation in the vocal line. The Midnight Kites take us for a wonderful ride through the Americana sounds of Storybook and Coyote on the way to the haunting Sungate. I'm not quite sure what the reference of the song is, but there is an incompleteness implied in the lyrics suggesting a trial that is still occurring. The song is a beauty even it its meaning is hard to decipher. The Color Of Light closes with the most Pop-oriented song yet. Swimming Naked has real potential for the licensing world; I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this song picked for TV or even a movie soundtrack. It's a song about living without inhibitions or fear, written around a brilliant hook with subtle, intelligent lyrics and a melody that won't quit.

Husband/wife duos have a mixed track record at times, in part because such a group often relies on harmony between the two, while great songwriting often relies on a certain amount of conflict when more than one writer is involved. That being said, whatever The Midnight Kites are doing works. Bruce McDougall's minimalist approach on guitar dovetails beautifully with Jill McDougall's haunting voice, and both are held in counterpoint to the sharp and energetic rhythm section of Connor DeFehr and Dave Farmer. The Color Of Light presents a consistent sound full of energy and life, and a sound driven as much by the spaces between notes as the notes themselves. This is a thrilling debut. I, for one, can not wait to hear what comes next.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Midnight Kites at www.myspace.com/themidnightkites or http://www.midnightkites.com/, where you can purchase The Color Of Light as a CD, Download or combo package directly from the band.

Review: Sting - If On A Winter's Night...

Sting - If On A Winter's Night...
2009, Deutsche Grammophon

Sting has always been something of a musical chameleon, from his days fronting 1980’s Punk-gone-Rock heroes The Police through his Jazz, Pop and Electronic phases. Sting has emerged in the 21st century as a classical musician with a predilection towards old English madrigals, church songs and Bard’s tales. For the holiday season Sting holds forth with one of the most unusual and intriguing holiday albums of the year. If On A Winter’s Night... offers up a couple of original tunes, and re-workings of a few songs Sting has done before, but plants itself firmly in the Renaissance and Victorian eras musically.

If On A Winter's Night... opens with Gabriel's Message, a song Sting originally recorded for the A Very Special Christmas series back in the 1990's. This version has something more of a madrigal feel, making use of harmonies in both the vocals and instrumentation to accent the simple arrangement. Soul Cake commemorates the practice of handing out Souls (or Soul Cakes) on All Souls Day to children who would come knocking for them. The belief was that each cake eaten would free a soul from purgatory. Soul Cake makes use of the chorus from Peter, Paul & Mary's A Soalin' as well as the traditional "Christmas Is Coming". Sting's rendition of John Joubert's There Is No Rose Of Such Virtue is consistent with the fuller arrangement for chorus and is an interesting introduction for American audiences to the Anglican choral classic. The rendition offered here is a bit muddied at times in the vocal harmonies but is still quite a pleasant listen.

The Snow It Melts The Soonest is a British Minstrel's tune that dates at least to the early 19th Century. It has an achingly beautiful and sad melody line that Sting brings to life while keeping its antiquarian feel. Christmas At Sea is an original song with the feel of an ancient sea chantey. This tune would not have been entirely out of place on The Soul Cages, although there is definitely more of a classical feel here. Sting's reading of Lo How A Rose E'er Blooming is a moving one. This song became a Christmas staple in the Anglican church but is of German origin. The original writer is unknown, as the song dates to the 16th Century, but has been used by Christian Churches around the world since its first publication in 1599. The Burning Babe, based on a poem by Robert Southwell wants to bridge the gaps between British Madrigal, Jazz and Celtic styles. The song feels like it wants to be so many things and may become a bit muddled in all of the creative energy swirling around it.

Sting retools The Hounds Of Winter (from Mercury Falling) in an acoustic arrangement that wants to be quasi-classical but isn't, quite. It's a compelling arrangement nonetheless, but loses some of the intensity in favor of a more lyric translation that works nearly as well. The chorus still has the same pop and zing and the original, but the first verse feels a little lost at times. Sting digs deep into choral history for Cherry Tree Carol, actually a collection of three separate tunes as collected by Francis James Child. The song dates to the early 15th Century, being rumored to have been sung at The Feast of Corpus Christi. Sting's rendition is very close to the most popular of arrangements, going with the classic sound that will be most familiar to listeners who know the song. Lullaby For An Anxious Child Sting originally recorded for I Shall Be Released. Once again he gives it a semi-classical facelift, actually improving on the originally recording. Sting revives his long-time affection for Kurt Weill with Hurdy Gurdy Man, an original tune that sounds as if it were very inspired by Weill's style. This is the most interesting new tune Sting has written in some time, having a dark, melancholy feel that's inescapable. Sting closes with You Only Cross My Mind In Winter, marrying a J.S. Bach melody to Sting's lyrics for a gorgeous original that isn't entirely in line with the rest of the album but isn't too far separated from it.

I wasn't sure what to expect from Sting after Songs From The Labyrinth, but If On A Winter's Night... is a good listen. Sting doesn't have the lower range to hit some of the notes cleanly that he's laid out for himself here, and that can be distracting, but in general it's a strong album. Sting serves no musical master other than his own personal muse, and expectations are useless, but it would be nice to hear him get back to something a bit more in the popular realm. Nevertheless, If On A Winter's Night... is a great eclectic holiday album that beats the slew of cookie cutter Christmas albums that hit the market each Fall/Winter.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn all about Sting at http://www.stingwintersnight.com/. You can purchase a copy of If On A Winter’s Night... in Sting’s web store, or you can download the album from iTunes.

Review: The Primary - People Going Places

The Primary - People Going Places
2008, The Primary

The Primary is a Dallas, Texas based quartet that’s been together since 2007. Active on the local club circuit, The Primary has experimented with numerous style and sounds (Pop/Rock/Jazz/Electronica/Classical) in their time together, mixing and matching sounds over time. That process of experimentation continues on their debut album, People Going Places.

People Going Places kicks off with Getting Strange, an oddly disjoined song that sounds like a mix of styles. There's a Police-inspired rhythm section including guitar, a vocalist who sounds like he's from the school of depressed New Wave Brit-Pop singers and a guitar player playing a counter-intuitive parallel to the vocal line. It honestly sounds like lines from two or three songs thrown together in a mix that doesn't entirely run afoul of the individual parts but never really gels. Exit follows a similar path, suggesting an Avant-Garde leaning in the band. Call Off Your Dogs I frankly didn't enjoy, although the song is built around a blistering guitar line that offers hope. The Primary mellows out a bit on For You, a dreamy pop tune that works well with Joshua Vasquez's voice.

You'll have to wade through A Life and Dear Old Friend to get to Heart Of Darkness, featuring a slightly heavier sound played in metronomic fashion. This is the best composition on the disc even as it ranges through experimental and psychedelic temperaments. The Primary closes out with The Last Breath, which returns more toward the morbid, droning side of the spectrum.

The Primary has an interesting sound that's quite unrefined and a bit too shoe-gaze without having any real driving force behind the songs. There's also a tendency toward over-filling the musical space that results in periods of sonic mess or sonic discomfort on People Going Places. It will be interesting to see how The Primary's sound develops over time. There's potential here, but they're still searching for their sound.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Primary at http://www.theprimarymusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/theprimarymusic. People Going Places appears to be at the demo stage, with final mastering still to come, but watch for availability on The Primary’s website and/or MySpace page.

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: Wizards Of Waverly Place – Original Soundtrack

Wizards Of Waverly Place – Original Soundtrack/Various Artists
2009, Walt Disney Records
Wizards Of Waverly Place is one of the hottest television properties Disney owns these days, so it’s no surprise that they’ve chosen to release a soundtrack from the show featuring such young stars as Selena Gomez, Aly & AJ, KSM, Drew Seeley and Raven-Symone. Wizards Of Waverly Place features twelve tracks that are from or inspired by the hit show, many of them Rock and Pop classics with the word magic in the title that have been re-interpreted to varying degrees of success. Wizards Of Waverly Place was released on August 4, 2009.

Series star Selena Gomez has four songs on the soundtrack. Opening with Disappear, a highly produced bit of Pop fluff, Gomez displays a strong, pleasant voice amidst heavy hooks. This is a legitimate Pop hit outside of the teeny bopper set the show is aimed at. Magical is another legitimate Pop hit. Gomez shows off a lot of texture in her voice here and a quirky side that is endearing. Up next is a cover of Pilot’s Magic that’s updated for today’s Pop sound. I can’t say I’m a big fan of this version but it isn’t too far off the mark. The other Gomez track is the series theme song, Everything Is Not As It Seems. If you listen to any sort of Pop radio you already know this one.

Up next is Steve Rushton covering Jeff Lynne/Electric Light Orchestra’s Strange Magic in a faithful cover with incredibly harmonies. This was my favorite cover on the disc, and Rushton shows real talent as a vocalist. Honor Society takes on The Cars’ Magic and loses in a Karaoke club bit of blandness. The vocalist here just doesn’t have the panache or quirk of Ric Ocasek and ends up sounding mechanical. Mitchel Musso digs into The Police’s Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic to much the same effect found on the previous track. The vocalist displays little personality and is so ensconced in vocal effects and pitch correction software we may never know what his voice really sounds like. This rendition is bland in spite of the upbeat chorus. KSM gives a fair rendition of Steppenwolf’s Magic Carpet Ride, providing enough attitude and oomph to make the song believable and fair harmonies to boot.

Meaghan Martin draws Olivia Newton-John’s Magic and delivers a flat, highly-processed reading that simply doesn’t work. The energy and vitality of the original make this unlistenable by comparison. Andrew Seeley (of High School Musical fame) takes on America’s You Can Do Magic in a version designed and produced to do well on Pop Radio. There are more vocal effects here than you can wrap your head around in a re-envisioned Pop/Dance package. Raven Symone chips in with Some Call It Magic, a decent but not highly memorable pop tune that will likely play well on Radio Disney and not elsewhere. Aly & AJ hit gold covering The Lovin’ Spoonful’s Do You Believe In Magic. There has always been something of a bubblegum quality to this song, and that spirit isn’t lost here, but the vocalists have wonderfully textured voices that highlight the duality of the song. While vocal effects are probably endemic on anything Disney touches, the voices of Aly & AJ sound like they might just be real, and the energy here is high.

Wizards Of Waverly Place is a mixed bag. Highlights include Aly & AJ, Andrew Seeley, Steve Rushton and the irrepressible Selena Gomez. The choice of including covers of classic songs either soars or crashes and burns, depending on the artist/song. Some of the artists included here just don’t have the voice or personality (either that or it’s been produced out of them) to carry the songs they’ve been assigned. The album will do very well with the Radio Disney set, and some of the songs are legitimate Pop tunes that will do well on commercial radio. This is one of those albums where the ability to download just the songs you want may be advantageous.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Wizards Of Waverly Place at Walt Disney online. You can purchase Wizards Of Waverly Place at Amazon.com, or you can download the album from Amazon MP3 or iTunes.

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: A Beautiful Curse - As It Should Be

A Beautiful Curse - As It Should Be
2009, CTM Entertainment

A Beautiful Curse started out as a project intended to write music for movies & television, but has grown into something more organic over time. Musician and producer Kenny James (George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars, 24-7 Spyz, The Samples) began this project in 2004 while producing works for various Indie films. After meeting guitar player Brian Skeel (Contingence), the two hit it off and started working together. By 2007 Skeel was a vested member of A Beautiful Curse, but something was still missing. In 2008, the band discovered vocalist/pianist Savannah Kocher. Within a month of finding her, Kocher was inducted as a member of A Beautiful Curse. The synergy the trio discovered had much more life and vitality to it than just a writing project. It soon became clear that A Beautiful Curse would have more facets than that. Cut to 2009, and the release of As It Should Be, a stunningly ambitious and divergent album that thrums with its own inner life.

As It Should Be opens with On The Other Side, a dark and vaguely Middle Eastern sounding tune that owes serious homage to early Sarah McLachlan recordings. Vocalist Savannah Kocher has the same ethereal air that infused McLachlan's early work. The sound here is a bit more of the electronic age, creating a stark tapestry against which Kocher's voice plays perfectly. At about the five minute mark the song kicks into overdrive, with a heavy guitar-driven segment reminiscent of Evanescence and A Beautiful Curse begins to displays some Prog tendencies you might not have previously guessed at. The mix of crushing Rock/Metal and Ethereal, near-Ambient Rock is quite unusual. The Soul Divine kicks off with some headphone worthy sounds reminiscent of the great albums of the 1970's and develops into another Ambient/Prog Rock/Trance hybrid. Fans of Pink Floyd will dig the vibe here. A Lot Like Diamonds is more in the dance club realm, carrying a sparse and halting melody line surrounded by much percussion and electronic sound. Kocher is entrancing on vocals, but the song just doesn't seem to have a lot to say, and while the rhythmic nature of the arrangement has a lulling effect, the song gets bogged down in its own complacency.

A Mind Of It's Own features a distinctive arrangement of rhythms and sounds supporting the free-form rap of Kenny James. This is one of the more interesting songs on the disc, featuring a roving bass line that sounds like it could have come from an early Police album. This Is My House takes us back to the 1980's in a Jan Hammer-inspired instrumental that will get your feet moving. Delicate brings slow jams into the 21st century with a sound Barry White would approve of. This was perhaps my least favorite song on the disc, but it accomplished what I presume the artists were trying to achieve. A Beautiful Curse closes out with Everything Is Changing, a bit of electronic dance craft that sticks to formula over creative force. Unlike much of the album, this feels like something of a cookie cutter track, created perhaps to fill out the album but not really offering much for listeners to dig into.

A Beautiful Curse suffers from trying to be too many things. Hard rock? Check. Lyric/Ambient Rock? Check. Electrohouse/Dance? Yep. Rap? Got that too. R&B? Yes. The difficulty becomes that by the end of As It Should Be the listener has no real idea who or what A Beautiful Curse wants to be. The band is at their best with Kocher on vocals and with the mix of Electronic and Rock genres. This is an album constructed for the age of downloads, with single songs that will play well to multiple genres, but it will be hard to build a long-term fan base from such divergence in sounds. When a band aims to be flavor of the month they may well get what they aim for, but nobody wants old flavors once they're used up, and A Beautiful Curse has too much talent to just be flavors of the month. Hopefully over time the band will pick a direction that at least becomes a primary sound and dabble elsewhere. As It Should Be is a strong collection of songs, but it's too scattershot to really be called an album.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about A Beautiful Curse at http://www.abeautifulcurse.com/ or www.myspace.com/abeautifulcurse. You can purchase a copy of As It Should Be at Amazon.com.

Review: The Alternates - Four Song Demo

The Alternates - Four Song Demo
2009, The Alternates

North Hollywood, California experimental rock quintet The Alternates are young and hungry. Each member is 19 years old and they have been together since their high school days. The Alternates have already made the L.A. scene their own, playing to packed houses at such venues as The House Of Blues, Whiskey A Go Go, The Dragonfly and BB King’s Blues Club. The band is developing a strong reputation as a live act, and beginning to develop material for an album. Today we’re taking a look at The Alternates’ Four Song Demo.

The Alternates open with Changing Course; the highlight song of the disc. There's a Garage/Folk/Rock feel to the recording that strikes a vague resemblance to a theoretical jam session involving The Lowest Of The Low and The Police. The other three songs, Should Have, Who Can You Trust? and It Seems Useless were pleasant but didn't really stand out from the crowd. That's the general story for The Alternates' demo CD; it's pleasant but doesn't really inspire me go back and listen again. Don't get me wrong, I think The Alternates have something, but the material here just feels too comfortable. There's an inherent edginess under the surface of The Alternates that comes closest to the surface on Changing Course but then disappears almost completely. When The Alternates can find and harness that creative core they're going to be something to hear.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Alternates at www.myspace.com/thealternates.

Review: Kicksville - The Singles: Season 1

Kicksville – The Singles: Season 1
2009, Ropeadope Digital

Kicksville is a musical collective of sorts, mixing organic and electronic instrumentation to cover some classic (and occasionally obscure) songs while rolling out some originals along the way. Current membership count is at 58, spanning 12 cities and 3 continents. This new musical underground started releasing weekly singles on their website in December of 2008. The Digital album The Singles: Season 1 consists of 13 tracks, available individually or as an album download. “Season 2” will begin on the band’s web site on April 25, 2009.

Season 1 opens with Phatty, an instrumental bit of musical madness in the same vein as The Miami Vice Theme. It’s not Jan Hammer, but it will definitely get your feet moving. Walking In Your Footsteps is one of two Police covers on the album and includes a verse I hadn’t heard sung before (although I believe it was included in the lyrics of the original liner notes on Synchronicity). This is a decent cover, but Kicksville trades some of the panache of the original for a dance beat. This is one of those songs that you don’t cover unless you can either nail the song as originally done or you really make it your own. Kicksville doesn’t quite manage to do either, but it’s still a pleasant listen. Backdoor Man is interesting for the mix of Country and Electronic styles. Kicksville’s cover of The Talking Heads’ Once In A Lifetime is enjoyable although it does sound a little bit canned, as if perhaps the producer suggested the song but the vocalist never fully bought into it. I liked their take on The Police’s Invisible Sun, although it does create a bit of cognitive dissonance. The song itself is contemplative and paranoid, whereas the vocals here are spoken/yelled in an urgent/angry tone that isn’t convicted.

The Singles: Season 1 is a mixed bag of songs, both literally and musically. Perhaps it’s the disconnection of having such a large group of musicians working together around the world, likely sending files back and forth rather than sitting down together in a studio, but there just isn’t the organic feel of a band here (yet). Kicksville is ready to embark on Season 2, and it will be interesting to hear what the explosive growth in the population of Kicksville will do to their sound. There is definitely some good stuff here, and some stuff you’ll have to wade through to get there, but as a musical/sociological experiment it is interesting to observe. There is a wealth of talent here. We’ll see where they go.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Kicksville at http://www.kicksville.com/ or www.myspace.com/kicksvilleband. You can download The Singles: Season 1 via Ropeadope Digital.

Review: Black Suit Youth - East Of Eden

Black Suit Youth - East Of Eden
2009, Black Suit Youth

Black Suit Youth is one of the first few bands we reviewed here at Wildy's World. The Long Island Band personifies the DIY ethic, self-releasing their own album (Our Future Is History) and taking significant pride in the fact that they own their own destinies musically. They're back in 2009 with a four-song EP entitled East Of Eden and an edgy sound perfectly balanced by a refined pop sensibility that wasn't as clear on their debut. East Of Eden finds Black Suit Youth singing and screaming their way into your mind to hard yet surprisingly hook-heavy Pop/Rock songs that is likely to make Modern Rock music programmer salivate with glee.

Black Suit Youth kicks it into gear with Scarecrow, a guitar-driven rocker with a big chorus and harmonies that are more likely in an arena-rock act. The catchy melody and pop-style arrangement make this a song that could easily cross over to popular radio. It Takes Two To Strangle keeps up that Pop gravitas in a driving rock song that is highly commercial. This sense of Pop/Rock drama was present on Our Future Is History but wasn't as prevalent or refined. To say that Black Suit Youth has kicked things up a notch is an understatement. East Of Eden sticks a little closer to the Modern Rock bone, but can't avoid this new and addicting vein in Black Suit Youth's sound. East Of Eden is destined to be a concert staple and might just end up as a generational anthem. The last track is a non-LP version of Here Goes Nothing. Keeping with the strong pop presentation, it’s almost if Black Suit Youth has stolen the pop sensibilities of The Gin Blossoms (we wondered where they went) without losing any of the edge they previously possessed.

Call me highly impressed. From Our Future Is History I would have picture any sound migration for Black Suit Youth to be toward the harder end of the spectrum. Instead, Black Suit Youth has found a golden pop pen to write their hard-edge, guitar driven songs with. East Of Eden is a transformational release for the band. If they keep this up they're going to end up with an awful lot of hits.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Black Suit Youth at www.myspace.com/blacksuityouth, where you can purchase East Of Eden on CD. You can also download it through iTunes.

Review: The Urgency - The Urgency

The Urgency – The Urgency
2009, Mercury Records

Coming out of South Burlington, Vermont, The Urgency isn’t exactly what you might expect. No Phish-style jams can be heard. There are no alternative jazz leanings in their sound. What you do get is a highly rhythmic, post-punk style with an energy level that matches their name. Add to that the musical theater influences vocals of Tyler Gurwicz and you have a sound that is wholly distinctive. Their debut album, The Urgency, will be released on April 21, 2009 on Mercury Records. The path from South Burlington to Brooklyn to the world stage seems an unlikely one, but in listening to The Urgency you get the feeling these guys were always headed for something big.

Subtlety is not a trap The Urgency falls into, as displayed on the opening trap, Fingertips, which sounds a bit like a meaty Police record. Lead vocalist Gurwicz sounds like a cross between a young Sting and a young Colin Hay, and the rest of The Urgency provides him with a wonderfully rhythmic and melodic backdrop against which to sing. Crimes is infectious and would like do quite well as a single. There's a theatrical element to this song that hearkens back to the arena rock days of concept albums and bands like Styx and Queen. Rooftops mixes a strong melodic mix with a great driving rhythm and Gurwicz’ soaring vocals. The Urgency just keeps getting better and better as you listen.

Hot Damn takes a half step back and then blows the roof off the whole thing with a bridge that explodes into a dark and rhythmic chorus. Slowing down a bit, The Urgency visits us with Memories, a classic-sounding heavy Rock ballad with a sing-song chorus that's worthy of a top-ten single. If you doubt the Police influence then listen to Stop, complete with the classic Reggae undertones from early Police records and a vocal line that Sting could sleep walk through. All We Are is The Urgency gone to The Edge, complete with screaming co-vocals. The song is well done but is very out character with the rest of the album, sounding a bit too formulaic. Move You is another step apart from the sound of the first seven songs, but at least keeps the atypical flavor of the rest of the album. Revolution lays it down in a full-bore modern rock instant classic, complete with ultra-dynamic vocal line and some incredible harmony work. Think Queensryche with Sting singing lead and you have the general idea. The Urgency closes out with the solemn and searching Lullaby, perhaps the best writing on the disc.

The Urgency officially hits shelves in a couple of weeks. It's unfortunate that they are probably 20 years too late to meet their maximum commercial potential. Nevertheless, great music will always find an outlet, regardless of the markets and mores of a given generation. Tyler Gurwicz may be the most dynamic new vocalist of the year (we'll see), but there's no doubt you'll be hearing a lot of The Urgency this year. The Urgency is an excellent debut album, worthy of high recommendation and praise.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Urgency on their home page or on MySpace. The Urgency goes on sale April 21, 2009. You can pre-order The Urgency at Amazon.com.

Review: The No Tomorrows - Hanging In Space

The No Tomorrows – Hanging In Space
2008, Osiris Records

Hailing from Midlands, United Kingdom, The No Tomorrows come as something of a dichotomy. Punk rock sensibilities mix with that highly developed British melodic sense to create a sound that isn’t punk, isn’t pop and isn’t new wave, but somehow transcends all three into a highly accessible and enjoyable patois. Led by the distinct vocals and quasi-Andy Summers guitar style of Baz Kane, The No Tomorrows will make you stop and listen. Bassist/vocalist Tony Start and drummer/vocalist Peanut lay an incredibly tight and rhythmic base that allows Start to expound on his muse, and the listener benefits. Their debut CD, Hanging In Space, is pure DIY.

The more I listen to Hanging In Space, the more I am reminded of some of Andy Summers solo work. The feeling here is repressed energy. The No Tomorrows go for a very laid back sound, with very subtle guitar work. Baz Kane has a pleasant vocal sound but isn’t overpowering vocally, and that may drive the sound of The No Tomorrows as much as anything. The No Tomorrows sound entirely in their element on Live Today, an active rocker with a memorable melody that would work really well at college radio. The No Tomorrows pick up steam with We Are Free, getting into some real guitar-rock sound. This song actually sounds a bit like mid-career U2. Corporate Land starts out promisingly but falls into a repetitive trap. City Of Dreams is a highlight, one of the more enjoyable listens on the CD. Other highlights include Life After Midnight, Actions And Words and Folding Space.

The No Tomorrows take an interesting Lo-Fi, minimalist approach to Rock N Roll. It’s going to work for some and not for others. Hanging In Space suffers, at times, from a lack of energy, particularly on some of the slower, more languorous material. The songwriting is good, the sonic quality a bit fuzzy (stylistic), but I didn’t leave the listening experience a particularly strong opinion one way or the other. It was pleasant but didn’t make a distinct impression.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The No Tomorrows at www.myspace.com/thenotomorrows, where you can purchase Hanging In Space directly from the band using PayPal.

The Boneless Children Foundation – Stars For Anyone
2007, The Boneless Children Foundation

San Francisco’s The Boneless Children Foundation requires your attention. Compared to bands such as The Talking Heads, The Police, The Who and even The Dead Milkmen, The Boneless Children Foundation make a mark on their listeners right away. Their latest CD, Stars For Anyone was released in 2007.

Stars For Anyone opens with the title track, an upbeat garage rockers with a bit of pop mystique. The Boneless Children Foundation remind me significantly of the early days of The Figgs (when they were a quartet). Carl Sagan is an amusing and befuddling work of rough edged alt-rock. No pithy nuances here, just a vague inference between the number of the stars in the universe, the number of cars on the freeway and love. Relax is a fun song that has a bit of the rock anthem aura to it, while People Care About Their Cars descends into good-natured, silly chaos. Other highlights include My Little Book, Get Up, King and Will Never Come True.

The Boneless Children Foundation offers an unusual mix of raw, unvarnished rock and flashes of distinct musicality. The sound is rough, closer to what you might hear live than to your usual over-produced studio recording, but Stars For Anyone charms with its raw energy and enthusiasm. Call it post-punk alternative, but don’t get too attached to the label. There’s flashes of Weezer in the sense of humor found here. It’s an enjoyable listen.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Boneless Children Foundation at http://www.bonelesschildren.com/. You can purchase a copy of Stars For Anyone at www.cdbaby.com/cd/bonelesschildren2.