Video: Sheri Miller - Spoons

Check out the new video from Sheri Miller, Spoons.


Learn more at www.sherimiller.com or www.myspace.com/sherimiller. 

Video: Kate Miller-Heidke - The Tiger Inside Will Eat The Child

Here's a great performance from Kate Miller-Heidke on Australian program Q&A.

Howie Newman - You Shoulda Been There

Howie Newman - You Shoulda Been There
2011, Major League Records

Brooklyn-born Howie Newman moved to Boston in 1968 to attend Northeastern University and never looked back.  His love of sports led him to nearly two decades as a sportswriter, and as a part time color analyst for the Lowell Spinners (Boston Red Sox minor league team.)  Oh, and by the way, Newman is also one of the most engaging singer/songwriters on the New England folk circuit.  His humorous and ultimate human observational songs put listeners at ease, and his live presence is as folksy and down home as you could imagine.  Newman recently released a new captured live EP, You Should Been There, a highly entertaining 6-song cycle featuring Newman at his best.

You Shoulda Been There opens with "Products On TV", a cute and comical take on infomercial fare written before the advent of the remote control. Newman brings his usual charm in the live performance, although the recording setup leaves something to be desired. "My Baby Can't Parallel Park", a song Newman wrote for his wife, is full of pep and humor, and would have fit perfectly on the old Dr. Demento show. Done in a 1950's rock and roll style on acoustic guitar and harmonica, the song is highly entertaining and fun. Newman turns to sweet reminiscence on "Our Kids Aren't Kids Anymore", a heartfelt ode to a father's love and how quickly the time you have with your children fades. Newman does a stand-up cover of The Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe In Magic?” a solid rendition that's absolutely faithful to the original. Newman immortalizes a late night road trip with his brother from 1970 in "My Last Cup Of Coffee". It's a sweet and funny remembrance in classic, folk singer/songwriter style. Newman's anecdotes are worth listening to as well, particularly the 'music consultation' (you'll have to listen to find out.) Newman closes with "That Old Car", a folk and rhythm and blues ode to the memories an old, rusted-out bucket can represent. What might seem cheesy in another's hands out plays as sweet and sentimental from Newman.

Howie Newman keeps things simple on You Shoulda Been There, letting the sweet authenticity of his songs speak for itself. While Newman's songwriting generally stays on the lighter side, there's a palpable heart to his work that you simply can't ignore. You Shoulda Been There is highly entertaining. There will always be coffee house stages waiting for performers like Howie Newman.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.howienewman.com or www.myspace.com/howienewman.  If you’d like to purchase You Shoulda Been There on CD, you can get it directly from Newman via a PayPal payment, or from CDBaby.  Digital links are below.

     Amazon MP3             iTunes


Please note that the Amazon.com prices listed above are as of the posting date, and may have changed. Wildy's World is not responsible for price changes instituted by Amazon.com.

Chris Cubeta And The Liars Club - Chris Cubeta And The Liars Club

Chris Cubeta And The Liars Club - Chris Cubeta And The Liars Club
2011, Chris Cubeta

Chris Cubeta And The Liars Club is practically a New York City institution.  Not only have the Brooklyn-based roots-rock trio have played some of the hottest clubs in New York, they’ve also toured extensively in support of artists such as The Wallflowers, Suzanne Vega, Will Hoge and others.  This summer, the band released their third album, an eponymous, 11-song collection that is in the spirit of the band’s past work, but stretches the band’s musical boundaries more than just a little bit.

The album sets sail with a brief intro, a sonic prologue to the first song, "All We Are". "All We Are" is a striking Americana exploration of how we are lost in found in new cities, new experiences and new smiles. The catchy, active arrangement leads to a circular realization that nothing changes in spite of our attempts to hide from who we are. "Truth Be Told" is a compelling and catchy number full of dark need, from the mournfully energetic verses to the Police-style breakdown at the end. The song is full of angular guitar work and screams for you to listen closely and dig into the depths of its layered sounds. Chris Cubeta And The Liars Club strip down the sound on "Approach", a straight-forward rocker with a quiet pop sensibility and relentless build into a chorus that gets stuck in your head. Cubeta's voice won't floor you, but is affably pleasant and easy to listen to throughout the album.

"Lana" opens with a catchy guitar-driven run, reminiscent of the Gin Blossoms (right down to Cubeta's vocals.) This song is a sure winner, a pop-inflected, Americana-flavored rocker that you won't be able to get out of your skull. "Midnight" is an interesting change of pace; an orchestrated, lush arrangement with an air that can only be described as optimistically melancholy. This quiet moment is abruptly upended when Cubeta launches into the urgent "I Need You There". The crunchy, sparse song construction provides the perfect edge, competing to complement and contrast to Cubeta's lyric rock voice.

Cubeta quietly explores the feelings of sorry and abandonment of a relationship lost in "No Idea", trying to explain to the one who wronged him what she's done. The lyrics are factual and representative without anger. The arrangement more than makes up for the lack, as Cubeta lays down blistering guitar runs and solos to accentuate every tempestuous spike of anger. "Apathy" is a solid album track, exploring the intricacies of an emotion more complex than it might first appear in a relentless arrangement. "I'm Sorry" has a laid-back, vaguely psychedelic feel that comes across in the stripped-down, acoustic-ambient structure. There's a pensive sorrow here that's almost more intellectual than emotional, and plays itself equally in the arrangement and the vocal line. Cubeta winds things up by continuing the thoughts of "I'm Sorry" into "You Should Be Too", transitioning from acoustic to full-scale electric arrangement without giving up the essential flavor of the song. This switch up is an intriguing way to say goodbye, a parting shot and words of wisdom all rolled into one.

Chris Cubeta And The Liars Club craft dusty diamonds from mundane soil on their self-titled album, living in the valley that exists between Americana and edgy rock and roll. Even with the occasional ambient intervention, the pop sensibility that pervades this album is irresistible. Cubeta's everyman voice is appealing, and he always plays it off to best affect against arrangements that range from quiet ruminations to crunchy, roots-based rockers. This is one of those albums that will get its hooks into you early, and keep getting better with time.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about www.chriscubeta.com or on Facebook.

      Amazon MP3            iTunes

Please note that the Amazon.com prices listed above are as of the posting date, and may have changed. Wildy's World is not responsible for price changes instituted by Amazon.com.

Carley Tanchon - Leave The Light On

Carley Tanchon - Leave The Light On
2011, Carley Tanchon

New York-based singer/songwriter Carley Tanchon has made her success the old fashioned way.  She’s earned it with relentless touring and hard work.  The Cleveland, Ohio native has lived in Boston and Nashville, with a side-trip to Australia, but settled in NYC in 2010.  For her latest album, Leave The Light On, Tanchon enlisted the production and songwriting assistance of Felix McTeigue (Lucy Wainwright-Roche, Katharine McPhee, Madi Diaz, Anais Mitchell).  The result is a mixed blessing, with Tanchon finding a solid sound but getting too caught up in her own musical safety zone.

Leave The Light On opens with "Missing You", a regretful, down-tempo pop ballad that finds Tanchon yearning for someone from the past. Tanchon has a pleasant voice, although she sounds a bit breathy on the higher notes here. "The Great Unknown" is an apologist, multi-level love song, written in a classic singer/songwriter style. Tanchon gives an intriguing vocal performance here, and the emotional Diaspora that characterizes the song is amazingly clear. "I Guess I Know" is a soulful pop number, stripped down and wide open in arrangement. Tanchon's voice inhabits the middle as if it was born there, and the funky rhythm that underlies it all will get your toes tapping.

After a strong start, Tanchon settles into a comfortable zone that's aurally appealing but doesn't really stand out, and stays there for much of the rest of the album. "Blues In C (Fearlessly)", is a minor exception, and the almost country strains of "Walk Away" are appealing. Tanchon is almost at albums end with "On The Road" before she breaks out of her rut with the almost peppy, yet absolutely catchy tune. Tanchon takes her leave with "Love Will", an optimistic love song that's solid enough, although once again Tanchon struggles a bit with her tone when she ascends the scale.

Carley Tanchon gives fair effort on Leave The Light On, but gets too bogged down in a sense of musical complacency that is likely to wear on the listener. Tanchon starts strong, but just cannot maintain the momentum across the full album. Even in the lull the album suffers in the middle, Tanchon's voice is enjoyable as long as she doesn't try to go too far up the scale. This is a solid effort that is pleasing to the ear but never really distinguishes itself from the pack of indie singer/songwriters.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.carleytanchon.com or www.myspace.com/carleytanchon.  Leave The Light On is available digitally via iTunes, or on hard copy directly from Carley Tanchon.

Bess Rogers - Out Of The Ocean

Bess Rogers - Out Of The Ocean
2011, Bess Rogers

Some people write great melodies.  Others craft lyrics that leave you breathless.  There are even some in the music world who build arrangements that go beyond day-to-day to comprehension.  Any one of these talents can make an artist a household name.  Any two may well make them a legend.  On her prior EP, Bess Rogers Presents: Bess Rogers, we found an artist who showed flashes of these types of brilliance.  Fourteen months later, Rogers returns with Out Of The Ocean, making unbelievable strides as an artist, and transforming herself quickly from a singer/songwriter with big talent and tremendous potential into a maturing, brilliant artist you simply can’t ignore.

Rogers has built her reputation on several fronts.  The Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist has been involved in numerous projects over the years, playing nearly every style of music imaginable.  A few years back she was picked to be Ingrid Michaelson’s guitarist, and has earned a well-deserved reputation as a dynamic performer with a flair for the dramatic and the technical chops to back it all up.  Rogers began building her name as a solo performer through her web presence and technical savvy, but it’s the music that speaks for Rogers.

Out Of The Ocean opens with "One Step Free", the song snippet that gives the album its name. Rogers makes an impressive start here, although it may leave you wishing she'd finished the song. "Standing Tall" opens with a plaintive verse that resolves into a beautiful, lush and lustrous pop chorus. Roger's voice is pure ear candy for those with rich musical tastes, and she bends and shapes the melody line here like a true artist. The song itself is one of safety and confidence in love - a nice change of pace from the glut of starry-eyed pop songs and anguish filled navel gazing ballads that fill up the airwaves. "Weak Link" is an anachronistic invitation from one who views her own imperfections as the perfect complement to the object of her desires better qualities. There's a romantic, tongue-in-cheek element here that's charming, and the full, active arrangement makes it a pop gem.

Rogers bemoans the relegation of romance and attraction to chemical processes on "Math And Science", yet indicates a continued willingness to play her part. Rogers draws you in here with a chorus that simply will not get out of your head. "Anchor" goes up-tempo, running along at a gallop while Rogers keeps pace with a flawless vocal line. The melody line here is brilliant, and once again, Rogers will stay in head for days. Don't be surprised if this is a break out hit. Rogers slows things down a bit with "In The Waves", a utopian invitation from a mermaid to a broken man that parallels immersion in water and falling in love with artful delicacy. Rogers creates a gorgeous sonic landscape here with layered voices and synth over a sparse arrangement. The song closes in haunting fashion, fading away into the depths.

 

Water And Dirt" is another wonderfully catchy pop/rock rumination on love. Rogers plays with the theme of elements, and the almost hopeless part we play in the human dramas of love throughout the album, but here she creates a bit of musical and lyrical magic that's impossible to ignore. "The Fittest" is another example of the sort of diluvian, edgy pop that Rogers is capable of creating. The arrangement is beautiful and lush, but with a backbone as hard as iron. Rogers rocks out on "I'll Be Gone", throwing down the gauntlet in a relationship where the sharing is no longer equal. This is done not in angry tones, but in a driven melody with honest lyrics that are more intelligently questing than spiteful. "Second Chance" is the most stripped-down and personal of the offerings on Out Of The Ocean, showing off Rogers' voice in a more open arrangement that reveals its simple beauty in broad daylight. Similarly, "Brick By Brick" sticks to an unfettered musical formula, whereby Rogers explores the minutiae of relationships in affecting and intelligent imagery. Rogers builds the intensity of the arrangement back to where she started in a conveyance of the building process, before falling back to the simple strains of a guitar string that fades as if leaving a story in progress.

 

Bess Rogers showed herself to be a special talent with her debut EP, Bess Rogers Presents: Bess Rogers, but Out Of The Ocean is light years ahead of first effort, showing a fast-maturing talent for melody, lyrics and song construction, all wrapped up in a voice that resonates in your mind. Rogers shares the love of lush arrangements apparent in the work of Sarah McLachlan, as well as the willful, independent narrative lyrics found in Aimee Mann's work. This all comes together in a fashion that is comfortingly familiar yet excitingly original. Very quietly, and without warning, Bess Rogers will knock your socks off. Out Of The Ocean is a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc, and figures to be featured heavily in year-end lists.

 

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Bess Rogers at www.bessrogers.com or www.myspace.com/bessrogers.

           CD                       MP3                   iTunes

Please note that the Amazon.com prices listed above are as of the posting date, and may have changed. Wildy's World is not responsible for price changes instituted by Amazon.com.

Check out with current tour-mate Allison Weiss in the first episode of "Van Jams", below:

Bryan Johnson And Family - Brian Johnson And Family

Bryan Johnson And Family - Bryan Johnson And Family
2011, Bryan Johnson And Family

There’s a lot to be said for complex creations in rock and roll.  The intellectual crossroads of music theory, the raw energy of rock and roll, and the hubris to take an art form known for simple, recursive structure is an intriguing playground that can be wonderfully refreshing or disastrously awful.  Then again, there’s also a time to just let loose and have fun with the music.  That’s what Buffalo, New York-based Bryan Johnson And Family does best.  Their latest EP, The self-produced and self-released Bryan Johnson And Family, brings listeners back to the early days of rock and roll, when the biggest problems were simple heartache, and what to wear to the party this weekend.

Bryan Johnson And Family opens with "Beaches", a catchy little rocker that will have your toes tapping and a smile on your face. Ironically, "Beaches" is a forlorn love song in pure 1950's rock tradition. The Lo-Fi recording style has a period-feel that works well, although the vocal discipline in both the lead and the backing vocals is questionable, with pitch issues popping up throughout the song. "Cool Your Jets" gets stuck in the monochromatic melody of the choruses, but resolves well in the chorus. The song is catchy enough, but the chorus does wear a bit. "Deck Party" is a solid filler track, set firmly in the roots of 1950's rock. Bryan Johnson And Family overuses the catchy hook that is the basis of the song, but in a style consistent with pop songs of the era. "Doesn't Matter" has a wonderfully catchy chorus - radio worthy in almost any era of rock n roll. The recording quality/production here leaves a bit to be desired, but this has the potential to be a real hit. "Get Over" is a wonderfully is also virulent in nature. In spite of the sonic imperfections, Bryan Johnson And Family draws you in, and you're having fun before you know it. "Not Having Fun" is a solid, brief number about relationships and friends and the poor mixes they sometimes make. The song seems a bit out of place here, and is something of a discordant close to an otherwise consistent and enjoyable experience.

Bryan Johnson And Family brings a certain stripped-down charm to their self-titled EP, surfing the sounds and styles of 1950's rock and roll with a subtly modern edge. The songwriting is solid throughout, and even the sometimes questionable pitch in the vocals doesn't seem out of character with the period sound. Bryan Johnson And Family does suffer somewhat from low-end production values, a choice both artistic and necessity-driven from being an indie band with a very small budget, but the heart of rock and roll beats clearly in this deliciously rough hewn bit of ear candy.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Bryan Johnson And Family at www.myspace.com/wbwt or on Facebook.   You can get a digital copy of Bryan Johnson And Family!  Just message the band through Facebook for details!