CD Review: The Lions - Sounds Familiar

The Lions - Sounds Familiar
2008, The Lions 

Familiar, indeed.  Calgary’s own The Lions released their full-length debut CD in 2008 under the moniker Sounds Familiar.  Sounds Familiar is a brilliant mesh of garage, surf, rock and Americana influences that sounds as fresh as it does familiar. Sounds Familiar is approached from styles that would be very comfortable on your local oldies station, but updated to sound modern and new rather than antiquated. 

Opening with an ode to the 1960's - the guitar riff from Secret Agent Man, the Lions quickly bring you into today with In The Long Run.  In The Long Run could be the working class anthem of today ("In the long run/we're gonna make it out of this hole").  Good Time Girl draws on a garage sound with a big full guitar sound and a bass line that will drive you around for a while. 

The Lions show their easy-going, Orbison-esque side on It's Not Love, and their fun side on Yeah Yeah (Yeah Yeah).  Here they come across as a Kinks/Clash hybrid.  Other highlights include Girl Like You and the exquisite Doesn't Matter To Me, which is joyous and melancholy all at the same time. 

The Lions aren't stuck in the 1960's, but they've definitely taken the tour a number of times.  They've managed to take their interpretation of that particular era of rock and make it fresh and new for the twenty-first century.  They come across as a high-energy band where the love of music trumps everything else.  They are a pleasure to listen to, and Sounds Familiar is an instant classic. 

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Lions at www.thelions.ca or www.myspace.com/thelionsrockband.  You can purchase a copy of Sounds Familiar at www.cdbaby.com/lionsrock, or you can purchase digital downloads through iTunes.

CD Review: Michael Marton - Once Alive

Michael Marton - Once Alive
2007, Michael Marton

For the initiated, the Canadian Rock scene has long included a tremendously varied array of sounds and styles, owing to the efforts that Canada has put into encouraging the independence and diversity of its musicians and musical styles. Consequently artists have come onto the world scene from Canada that may have not had the chance for similar exposure if they had originated in the stale corporate music culture of the United States. Unfortunately some of this has started to change in recent years as major record labels have made more inroads into Canadian Culture and found ways to subvert things such as the Canadian Content Rule. Nevertheless, there continues to be a diversity of sound and style in Canadian Musical Culture that is absent (or at least much harder to find south of the 54-40 (the line, AND the band).

I bring this up because it's time to take a look (listen) to Michael Marton, whom I believe is one of the unique products of a musical environment that Canada has worked hard to foster and maintain. Michael Marton is a singer-songwriter in the tradition of Bruce Cockburn, who is one of the singular legends in the Pantheon of Canadian popular music. Like Cockburn, Marton mixes in politics and real life experience into rock songs that are both thoughtful and fun. On his debut CD, Once Alive, Michael Marton has offered up his world view and muse. It is a worthy and fantastic effort.

Opening with the jangly guitars of Off To War, Marton lays out the justification for every war, petty or great, that mankind has fought. Off To War is a great rock song with a compelling message, and is the ideal start to this set. Once Alive is a lilting rocker with just a bit of country or prairie air to it. This is perhaps the finest song on the set, but I'll let you judge. Other highlights include Blinded, with its jazzy piano runs, and Attention. Attention is probably the most radio-ready song on Once Alive, and should find comfortable placement among the Adult Contemporary set.

Also be sure to check out Baby Don't Cry and I Won't Go as songs of interest. Michael Marton writes dynamic rock and roll songs. The musicianship here is top notch, and Marton's quirky voice juxtaposes a sense of sincerity and reality onto the songs offered here. I give Once Alive a strong recommendation to my readers as a fine example of the singer-songwriter craft and of how it is still relevant and real when done right.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Michael Marton at www.michaelmarton.ca, where you can purchase a copy of Once Alive. You may also purchase the album as a download through either PureTracks or iTunes.

CD Review: Live Fish - For All We Hope

Live Fish - For All We Hope
2007, Live Fish

Contemporary Christian music has come a long way in the past 20 years. In the late 1980's there was a significant quality gap between CCM and popular music you might hear on the radio. This gap was evident not only in the quality of the songwriting, which tended to be very clique and glib, to the production values encountered on many CCM CDs from that time. The advent of artists such as Stryper, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Jar of Clay and Five Iron Frenzy have transformed CCM into a viable commercial art form while still focusing on the ecumenical goal of the art. Live Fish are one of many beneficiaries of the advance of CCM as a musical art form, and offer up their own entry into the popular music library, For All We Hope.

Live Fish musically come across as a heavier version of Matchbox 20. The songs are hook heavy and poppy, with perhaps just a bit stronger guitar presence than Rob Thomas and company. That said, there is something very formulaic about For All We Hope. The album is very listenable and commercial, but fails to distinguish itself from its peers in either CCM or commercial rock and roll. The focus here is more on the inspirational side of CCM as opposed to worship, and the album will certainly find its fans. It's not a bad album, just not a great album.

Missing is the highlight of this particular album, with Beautiful Life and Fade Out coming in close behind. Fade Out is the heaviest rocker here and definitely will get your feet moving. This may be a big hit in the CCM community, but unfortunately there are just too many bands in the commercial realm with a similar sound -- there's no musical “whoa!” moment here to make For All We Hope stand out.

All is not lost however. As I've noted, it's a good album, and the band is very solid from instrumentation to vocals. There are flashes of greatness here, and with additional time to write/play together, Live Fish might find their piece-de-resistance yet.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Live Fish at www.livefishband.com, where you can purchase a copy of For All We Hope.

CD Review: Costanza - Sonic Diary

Costanza - Sonic Diary
2008, ZerOKilled Music 

She was once the muse of Tricky, but Italian techno artist/vocalist Costanza has built quite the following.  On her full-length debut, Sonic Diary, Costanza offers an interesting mix of covers and original tunes laid over dreamy hypnotic beats. 

Sonic Diary is a mish-mash of tunes and beats, some of which work well and some where the result is less clear.  I would tend to say that this album is more satisfying artistically than it is musically.  Costanza shows a lot of what she can do on Sonic Diary, and it is a pleasant listen, but is not something I would feel drawn back to.

Sonic Diary opens with an immigration questionnaire set to music (Just Another Alien), which becomes more tedious than interesting.  One imagines this to be a political statement of some sort, but allowing the text of the document to speak for itself is unimaginative, at best.  Highlights, on the other hand, are God's Gonna Cut You Down (Johnny Cash) and Back Into My Mothers Womb, both of which capture a little bit of the energy and spark that much of Sonic Diary seems to just miss. 

Sonic Diary is an interesting exercise.  It works on the level of being pleasant music, easy to digest in the background, but does not have the emotional or artistic punch to truly be memorable or interesting.   

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Costanza at www.myspace.com/costanzafrancavilla, or www.costanza.tv.  You can purchase a copy of Sonic Diary at www.cdbaby.com/costanza3.  

CD Review: Copper Box - Need A Little Squeezin'

Copper Box - Need A Little Squeezin'
2008, Copper Box

If you want to know how to make a party go mad with delight, you start with the band. You can go the traditional straightforward rock route, but if you want to appeal to a broad array of attendees you've got to have some variety in the sound. So you take elements of Rock, Country, Zydeco, Pokla, Klezmer and even some Jethro Tull-inspired flute playing and you mix them up into one musical super group. Or you could just pick up Need A Little Squeezin', the dynamic and wonderful new CD from Oshkosh, Wisconsin’s own Copper Box.

I'm guessing you'll likely never see Copper Box on MTV-2 or VH-1, but this is an incredibly entertaining band nonetheless. Need A Little Squeezin' works because it is firmly ground in the fundamentals and styles of music that has pleased crowds for ages, but has a modern edge and energy to it similar to the life Brian Setzer breathes into his music.

The title track, Need A Little Squeezin' starts off the album with a bang, with the wonderful (and sorely under-represented) vocals of Michelle Jerabek. Her voice has a true Nashville sound with just a hint of a rock edge to it, and is much more interesting than a lot of the bland voices that float out of Nashville these days. This is followed up by Apple Of Your Eye, which has some of the best Ian Anderson-inspired flute playing this side of, well, Ian Anderson.

Need A Little Squeezin' avoids the whole Lawrence Welk sound that I always envision when I see an accordion (although Hopeless Lover definitely rides the edge). What you get instead is a vivacious presentation of new songs in the Zydeco vein, or snappy, modern interpretations of the occasional classic (Jambalaya). Copper Box has created a musical framework that should (in theory) do for Zydeco what Setzer did for small-band swing a number of years ago. Need A Little Squeezin' is a rollicking good time, and will cause spontaneous smiling and dancing at any sensible party. It's a must-hear.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Copper Box at www.copperboxsite.com, where you can purchase a copy of Need A Little Squeezin’ as well as two of their other releases.

CD Review: Cold Steel - Cold Steel

Cold Steel – Cold Steel
2008, Cold Steel

Cold Steel comes barreling out of Carson, IA like a freight train out of control. This foursome from the Midwest has its eyes on you, and it’s either move out of the way or get swept along. On their self-titled debut, Cold Steel draw on metal and glam rock elements to create a trip back to the best days of 1980’s hair metal.

Led by brothers Alex (Guitar, lead vocals, profanity) and Matt DiBaise (Lead guitar, vocals, shenanigans) Cold Steel lays down a sound reminiscent of the days of Motley Crue, Ratt, and Twisted Sister. The sound is bit more modern, but the general mood and attitude reflects that of 1980’s MTV metal. Highlights include Everyday’s The Same, Something Wicked and Your Disease. The Motley Crue cover (Looks That Kill) is also definitely worth the price of admission.

All in all, this is a very successful debut CD. It establishes the Cold Steel sound and is a more than sufficient starting place for a band looking to make a career of their talent and ambitions. The sound is a bit dated, from one perspective, yet it’s a sound that seems to be coming back into vogue some. The only real constructive criticism is that the music on the CD comes off a little bit flat at times, compared to what I am certain is a very dynamic live sound. I’m not sure if this is just a limitation of the CD format or if it was a production choice. It detracts a little bit from the disc, but not enough to keep it from being recommended.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Cold Steel at www.myspace.com/coldsteelband. You can purchase a copy of Cold Steel’s self-titled debut through their website.

A slow couple of days...

We've wrapped up our first six months here at Wildy's World, and have taken the last couple of days for a little breather. After writing 149 reviews since January (66 in June alone), a little break was due. But never fear, we'll be back tomorrow with more reviews!

Also in the next few weeks you will see the debut of Wildy's World's artists profiles. These will be quirky interviews and bios with artists we've reviewed, like, or just think are interesting.

So onward into tomorrow. You keep sending your recordings and reading along, and I'll keep telling the world about them!

Be well.

Wildy