The Von Ehrics - Two Foot Stomp

The Von Ehrics - Two Foot Stomp
2011, Lucky Buck Records

Dallas punktry band The Von Ehrics, named after the prominent ECW wrestling family, are back with their fourth album, Two Foot Stomp.  With an irrepressible sound and a can-do attitude, The Von Ehrics took seven months to write and rehearse Two Foot Stomp before stepping into a studio with producer Dave Willingham (Polyphonic Spree, Earl Harvin Trio).  The result is a blend of punk and country displaying the melodic sensibility of Bob Mould (Husker Du, Sugar). Suffice it to say The Von Ehrics will grab your attention quickly and simply won't let go.

Two Foot Stomp opens with a working class hero anthem entitled "Last Of The Working Slobs".  Set in a society that has moved on and forgotten the working class that built it, the song is full of great energy and unfettered angst, and houses a chorus you won't be able to get out of your head.  "Gone" is a catchy outsider's anthem that sounds like a cross between the Gin Blossoms and The Refreshments with a bit of outlaw country thrown into the mix.  It's an intriguing blend that you'll keep coming back to.  "Smokewagon" is a high energy tribute to the band's touring van, likely to target them for being pulled over in most states. 

"Lord, I Pray" is an entertaining blend of punkabilly and gospel that's unforgettable.  The Von Ehrics obviously had fun in recording this number, as it oozes from every pore of the song.  "Rock And Roll" is a catchy song, written for those times when nothing less than rock n roll will do.  In spite of the low-fi approach, The Von Ehrics prove to be very musically competent, a fact that is highlighted here.  The effort to capture a classic country motif on "Goodbye/The Ride" falls flat, however.  It is a sign of things to come, as Two Foot Stomp levels off into solid but unremarkable songs for the rest of the trip.  The closing track, "Texas (When I Die)" shows a brief revival of the energy and chutzpah of the first half of the album, but can't save the second half of the album from a somewhat ho-hum assessment in light of what it followed.

The Von Ehrics turn a brilliant and essential 6-song EP into a solid 12-song album with distinctive highlights on Two Foot Stomp.  Considering a lot of what is put on the market these days, that's not a knock on the band.  It's simply that the first half of the album is so good that the second half stands little chance.  There's really not a bad song on the album, which might aptly be called "The Two Sides of The Von Ehrics", but don't be surprised if the first half of the album gets significantly more spins than the second.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The Von Ehrics at www.vonehrics.com or www.myspace.com/thevonehrics.  Two Foot Stomp is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Review: Research Turtles - Research Turtles

Research Turtles - Research Turtles
2009, Judson Norman

Research Turtles combines Southern Rock and British Polyphonia on their self-titled debut album, released in August of 2009. Brothers Jud (vox/bass) and Joe Norman (guitar/vox) decided to put together a van after Jud returned home from Louisiana State University. They grabbed the best local musicians they knew, Logan Fontenot (lead guitar) and Blake Thibodeaux (drums/percussion), and set out to realize their musical vision. All four members hail from Lake Charles, Louisiana, and graduated from high school within a few years of each other. Research Turtles have become favorites in New Orleans and have opened for Toad The Wet Sprocket. Research Turtles was produced by Justin Tocket (Marc Broussard, Sons Of William).

Research Turtles open with the crunchy guitars and smooth rock chorus of Let's Get Carried Away, a mildly catchy song with commercial potential (most likely in an Adult Alternative format, if they still exist as such). Damn is a verbally expansive love song that alternates descriptive, intelligent verses with a chorus mired in an emotional short-circuit of words. The song is an entertaining listen and sounds ripe for a teen comedy soundtrack with its Weezer-esque theme. Mission finds Research Turtles mining a Ramones-style post-punk anthem style with a pure pop chorus that seems a bit out of context but works all the same. Hints of The Refreshments can be heard in Cement Floor, one of the better songwriting efforts on the album. This song will get you moving even given its quasi-reserved tone.

As a former guitar dabbler myself, I know how irresistible a good riff can be. You just have to use it somewhere, even if it doesn't quite work in the context. So it is with The Riff Song, built around an iconic guitar riff that stands out on its own and outshines the song crafted around it. The ideas crafted around the riff in question just don't feel authentic for the band, like they were trying to write something to fit the riff rather than write something from the heart. Tomorrow is Research Turtles at their most accessible. The chorus alone will make this a likely concert favorite, and it displays the band's ability to write honest music with a real Pop feel. Into A Hole has a 1950's feel to it with its mild R&B underpinnings and sing-song chorus. Color this one another potential concert favorite. 925 is the most driven song on the album, built on another delicious guitar riff that this time has found a good home in a strong and interesting Rock N Roll song. Research Turtles close things out with Break My Fall, perhaps the best all around song on the disc. The sound here is a little light for Modern Rock Radio, but this song, beefed up a bit could be a major player on Modern Rock Radio (think early Pearl Jam as sung by Hanson in their early days).

Research Turtles is an intriguing album from a band that seems to still be honing their sound, but there's enough raw material here to keep them very much on the radar. There's a penchant for harder rock that clashes with a desire to play to the easy listening rock sounds of Adult Contemporary formats. Refining that mix will be more difficult than picking one direction and sticking with it, but Research Turtles don't present as a band interested in going the easy route. The songwriting is generally very solid and the musicianship is excellent. Vocalist Jud Norman isn't a stereo-typical front man as he doesn't have that big rock voice, but his vocals are passable, and once Research Turtles really gel in their sound this band could be a little bit dangerous.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Research Turtles at www.myspace.com/researchturtles. You can purchase Research Turtles as either a CD or Download from CDBaby.com.

Review: Atomic Solace - Left To Lead

Atomic Solace - Left To Lead
2008, Atomic Solace

Central Kentucky is the place for Atomic Solace. What started out as a jam session among four bored friends has turned into juggernaut. Atomic Solace (formerly named Solace) has built quite a buzz in the past year or so, culminating in a lights out performance at SXSW 2009. The band continues to tour in support of their 2008 debut album, Left To Lead, while beginning the writing process a new project. Joe Ryan lends his impassioned vocals to the instrumental core of Kyle Moon (bass, vox); Brandon Coots (guitar, vox) and Ben Williamson (drums), dialing up the creative and musical tension to eleven.

Left To Lead opens with Over You, revealing an unusual and intriguing sound that seems to combine the Southwestern rock of The Refreshments and the Americana smooth of Blue Rodeo or even Wilco. Atomic Solace isn’t your typical Americana/Rock band, winning over listeners here with a subtly catchy tune that will stick with you. Summer Breeze continues the display of strong songwriting on a thoroughly enjoyable transition to the Latin Lounge-cum-Rock N Roll of Devil In Disguise. I really like the writing choices these guys are making thus far, and the execution is spot-on. Brandon Coots' guitar work is especially enjoyable. Atomic Solace hits a bump on Hold On, a fairly stereotypical rock ballad that finds the band losing their energy just a tad, but they rebound nicely on Left Behind. This might just be Ryan's perfect song as a vocalist, and the band rises up for their best all-around performance on the disc.

Oh, if they'd only stopped there. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing really wrong with the rest of the disc; the songs are decent and listenable, but won't light up radio dials or listener's ears to any great measure. Just Believe is a heartfelt love song, and Demon has some great vocal harmony work going on, but the songs in between just don't register much energy or interest from the band. Perhaps that's not the way it played out in the studio, but on CD it sounds like they lost direction. Atomic Solace rebounds a bit on the catchy West Coast, but it's just not up to the level that Atomic Solace established over the first six songs.

Left To Lead isn't a bad album by any measure, but it is a study in contrasts. Atomic Solace blows in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, nearly sounding like two difference bands in the process. This is one of those occasions when an EP might have been the right first step instead of pushing for enough songs to complete a full-length album. Either way, however, Atomic Solace establishes themselves as a band capable of big things on Left To Lead. They should definitely be on your radar.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Atomic Solace at www.myspace.com/atomicsolace or http://www.solacemusic.net/. You can purchase a copy of Left To Lead from CDBaby.com.

Review: The Motion Sick - The Truth Will Catch You, Just Wait...

The Motion Sick - The Truth Will Catch You, Just Wait...
2008, Naked Ear Records

Boston quartet The Motion Sick bring a prose-based lyrical style wed to archetypal melodies and harmonies that embed themselves in your aural tract for a good, long stay. The sophomore album, The Truth Will Catch You, Just Wait... takes inspiration from the television series Twin Peaks and its endless cycle of delaying the inevitable. With wit and a visceral go-for-the-throat tenacity in their lyrics, The Motion Sick are often compared to Kurt Vonnegut, but Mark Twain might be a better comparison; The Motion Sick have a bit of the Nick Cave relentless intensity about them as well.

The Truth Will Catch You, Just Wait… opens with Jean-Paul, a messy little alt-rocker full of a minimalist rock rhythm section overlaid with jangly guitar in the chorus. The song has a moderately driving, relentless quality to it that builds through each verse into the chorus. 30 Lives is a true Silly Little Love Song in the Beatles fashion. Even the melody evokes that era of uncomplicated Rock N Roll love songs. This song will haunt your brain for days after you hear it, and is cute as a devotional. Walk On Water is virally catchy. Your feet will tap, your head will bounce – it will just happen, you won’t be able to help yourself. This is another song that will run through your head of its own volition once you’ve heard it. We see a softer side to The Motion Sick on Losing Altitude; more of a typical shoe gazer than anything else. The song is pleasant but gets a little stuck on the premise, repeating “I’m losing” until you want to forward to the next track.

The Owls Are Not What They Seem is surreal, both musically and lyrically. The arrangement is built in minor keys in the verse resolving into a dark yet peppy chorus. Think Weezer or some of Barenaked Ladies darker material here. Tiny Dog (Nobody Cries) is a song full of angst that is balanced by a swaying quality that generally goes with “feel good” tunes. The juxtaposition is almost comical, and lead singer Mike Epstein seriously reminds me here of Roger Clyne (The Refreshments, Roger Clyne And The Peacemakers). Some Lonely Day is an intriguing mid-tempo rocker with some wonderful internal instrumentation going on (particularly the frenetic bass line). The album closes out with Love Will Tear Us Apart and a dance mix of 30 Lives.

The Motion Sick are post-modern rock, pulling in elements of Alternative and some of the post-grunge neo-garage sound of the early-to-mid 1990’s and a quirky perspective that fits in with the Weezers and BNLs. The Truth Will Catch You, Just Wait… is a good, honest effort that deserves your attention. The material here won’t grab you and shake your foundations, but like still waters there’s a lot going on underneath for those who will listen.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Motion Sick at http://www.themotionsick.com/ or www.myspace.com/themotionsick. You can purchase a copy of The Truth Will Catch You, Just Wait… at www.cdbaby.com/cd/motionsick2.