Review: Jana Mashonee - New Moon Born

Jana Mashonee – New Moon Born
2009, Miss Molly Records

Jana Mashonee is a voice to be reckoned with. Her soulful, stannic alto is full of vibrato and swirling hues that capture the listener’s attention. She’s a performer for whom you’d gladly buy a concert ticket even if she was singing the phonebook. An award winning (7 Nammy Awards, 1 Grammy nomination) Native American (Lumbee Indian) singer, Mashonee aims for greater popular exposure with her latest CD, New Moon Born. With a mix of Soul, R&B, Latin, Native American and pop styles, Mashonee appears to have found a winning musical combination.

New Moon Born opens with Osiris’ Star and an incredible vocal line from Mashonee. The lyrical depth is more than you might expect from your typical, pop-oriented album; but nothing else here indicates that Mashonee is typical. There are some samples of fairly typical pop fare such as Solid Ground, Used To Be In Love and Water’s Edge. At the same time there are some real stunners on New Moon Born. For Just One Night is a gorgeous, affecting performance featuring some delicious minor key vocal harmonies. The Spanish version, Una Noche is even more powerful. Miracles spices things up with a funk-filled bass line and a dance beat guaranteed to get your feet moving. Sunday Morning shows Mashonee working in her upper register and sounding remarkably like Paula Cole.

So far, so good, but Carousel is the song you came to hear. Jana Mashonee shows signs of a big, powerful voice all throughout New Moon Born, and on Carousel she lets it run with vigor. Carousel is classic Soul/R&B ala Aretha Franklin (or more recently, Melinda Doolittle). Mashonee can belt with the best of them and delivers an absolutely stunning performance here. If she can do on stage what she does on CD then she has the potential to be a legend.

Jana Mashonee is already an icon. She is a sterling musical representative of The First Nations of the Americas, melding Native American and Latin sounds with traditional pop music in a fashion that has few forebears. Her powerful, hue-filled voice is instantly memorable and recognizable; resounding in the listener’s mind like a lucid dream. Mashonee delivers the songs on New Moon Born with a passion that burns right out of your speakers, and she’s impossible to overlook. New Moon Born has the potential to be a breakout recording.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jana Mashonee at http://www.janamashonee.com/ or www.myspace.com/janamashonee. New Moon Born will be released on January 20, 2009. You can order copies or digital downloads through Amazon.com.

Review: The Divorce Papers - The Last F***ing Song You'll Ever Hear

The Divorce Papers – The Last F***ing Song You’ll Every Hear
2009, Poorboys Productions

Miami, Florida based The Divorce Papers are breaking it down. Barriers, that is. Swimming firmly in the rock/punk/alternative based full of big, loud, distorted guitar solos, heavy strummed bass and a punk attitude as big as the state of Florida, The Divorce Papers have wed their musical futures to an infusion of hip-hop genes into the mix. The resulting first EP, The Last F***ing Song You’ll Ever Hear is telling.

The 2-song EP opens with The Last Song, an interesting hybrid of pop, alternative rock and even a little bit of hip-hop. The sound is unique and fresh, although the mix on the EP was very poor (I had to turn it up to way above normally healthy levels just to hear it). There’s nothing pithy here; The Divorce Papers project a great punk attitude and a willingness to take chances. A little classic guitar rock style is evident as well as The Divorce Papers allow themselves to bask in some old school guitar solos along the way. Daze is more of a hip-hop influenced song but over a distinctly Rock N Roll base.

Don’t expect sonic excellence here, that’s not what The Divorce Papers are about. This is about Rock N Roll, pure and simple. The Divorce Papers are a band that would sound equally good in a cinder block garage or a dynamic sound space. It’s hard to tell a lot about a band from just two tracks, but this is a good start. The pop/rock world is continually reinventing itself by melding styles and breaking down walls between genres. The Divorce Papers are no different, but they might just be unique enough to catch on.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Divorce Papers at www.myspace.com/thedivorcepapers or www.last.fm/music/The+Divorce+Papers, where you can download these tracks for free.

Review: Lisa Jaeggi - Demo(nstration)

Lisa Jaeggi – Demo(nstration)
2008, Lisa Jaeggi

Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Lisa Jaeggi describes her style of music as skateboard acoustic soul. The daughter of Swiss and Japanese parents grew up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. and attended Guilford College in North Carolina on her way to New York City. In spite of referring to Justin Timberlake as a genius in her media bio we still think she’s pretty cool and talented. Jaeggi’s CD Demo(nstration) is self produced and very compelling. Let’s check it out.

Jaeggi draws from disparate influences including Lauryn Hill, Citizen Cope, Jack Johnson, Sam Cook and Bob Marley; it’s fair to say that you should leave your expectations at the door. Jaeggi marches to her own drummer and you’re better off just trying to keep up with her rather than getting bogged down in pre-conceived notions. Jaeggi opens with Oh Lady You Shot Me!; a gritty folk-pop song reminiscent of Fiona Apple. Up next is You Can’t Spell Believe Without Lie, a lyrical wonder supported by just Jaeggi on guitar. Empirical Science is performed in a talk-sing style similar to that practiced by Nellie McKay but with a darker depth. Men-Like Gods is a compact and catchy song that would greatly benefit from additional instrumentation. The recording offered here is great for a demo, but this song begs for a fuller sound.

Vendetta is a bit of acoustic hip hop that wants desperately to be a big time Rock N Roll anthem. This may the breakout song that Jaeggi needs. With a good band behind her this could become a monster. The CD also includes Tell His Mother, Somebody Else and The Bard, all of which are fine compositions but perhaps not as dynamic as the rest.

Lisa Jaeggi is lyrically brilliant, mining every day topics like a true story teller. Jaeggi finds that nugget in a topic that either you didn’t think it, or finds a different light to shed on it than you might have considered. Vocally she exudes a strong, warm voice that stands up to anything you’ll hear on the radio. The musical arrangements on Demo(nstration) are spare, with Jaeggi providing guitar or keys are need. The base arrangements are excellent, but some of the material here would definitely benefit from the fuller arrangements a band could provide. Pay attention to Lisa Jaeggi, you’ll be hearing from her again. Talent like this doesn’t stay hidden for long.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Lisa Jaeggi at www.myspace.com/lisajaeggi. Perhaps you can talk her into selling you a copy of her CD, Demo(nstration). It’s worth having.

Review: Jaime Garamella - Upside Downer

Jaime Garamella – Upside Downer
2008, Dogburn Records

Jaime Garamella is a Brooklyn-transplanted singer/songwriter originally from Bston. Along with his band, The Spanish Channel, Garamella produced and recorded his debut CD in 2008, Upside Downer. Combining the quirky song craft of Elvis Costello and Ben Folds with the stylistic vigor of Ryan Adams or Fountains Of Wayne, Garamella dazzles with eight songs full of gorgeous melodies, arena rock style harmonies and memorable instrumental arrangements.

Upside Downer opens with The Wishing, a compact rocker than opens up with soaring harmonies and new wave keyboard accents. This song is radio ready today, and would get a lot of attention in the right market/demographic. Tiny Voices has some of the most striking harmonies on the CD, buoying a positive message with jangly guitars. It’s a very distinctive composition that could only come from Garamella. Upside Downer is a wonderful song that is probably 25 years too late for its maximum commercial potential. Delicious minor triads in the harmony make this one stick out in your head. Still a potential hit even today.

Me & You is a refreshing surprise amidst all of this great Rock N Roll. A bleakly beautiful song of love and sorrow, Me & You captures the angst of love lost more perfectly than any photograph ever could. The last track on the disc is of particular interest. A Weak Heart juxtaposes physical heart problems with the pain of a broken heart. The song is a bit of a downer and displays Garamella’s willingness to take chances musically. It is the primary reason why I am convinced we’ll still be talking about Jaime Garamella in ten or twenty years time. Other highlights include Devil’s Advocate, Odyssey and Pompeii.

Jaime Garamella writes pop gold in a musical age when such things are extremely undervalued. Garamella is the sort of artist who could make it in most any era of music because he has the ear necessary to breach the imaginary walls of musical culture and taste. Upside Downer is a brilliant album. Even if Garamella never records again, he’l be remembered for this album.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jaime Garamella at http://www.jamiegaramella.com/ or http://www.myspace.com/jamiegmusic. You can purchase a copy of Upside Downer at www.cdbaby.com/cd/jaimegaramella. Downloads are available through Digstation.

Review: Low Red Land - Dog's Hymns

Low Red Land – Dog’s Hymns
2008, Low Red Land

Yet another expatriate band from Boston, Low Red Land relocated to San Francisco and took up a heavy touring schedule. A dynamic songwriting style has garnered them significant attention and gains them new fans at every show. In the same musical vein as folks like Lucero, Fugazi and Crazy Horse, Low Red Land exploits unfluences ranging from Rock to country to folk to hardcore. Their debut album, Dog’s Hymns, hit shelves in 2008. Their reputation as a big rock band precedes them; let’s see how Dog’s Hymns plays.

I found Dog’s Hymns to be a very experiential album. In a case like this it becomes less important to talk about specific tracks than it does to discuss the general mood, affect and experience of the album itself. My initial impression is that Low Red Land is in some ways a throwback to the AOR Era of music (not in sound, per se, but in style and approach). The closest comparison I can come up with for Low Red Land is Canadian legends the Rheostatics. Vocalist Ben Thorne sounds like Glen Phillips of Toad The Wet Sprocket, and this easy vocal approach is set up against the vibrant rock sound of the band. My personal favorite track is Hunt Song. Big guitar and a driving rhythm sell this rocker with a distinct pop sensibility. That is the other thing that sticks out about Low Red Land; their pop sense. Even the most rhythmic rock tune has a light and airy feel about it like it has been kissed by the pop gods. Dog’s Hymn is an off-center example of this quality. Also a potential winner is Landmark. Battles goes the Americana/Rock hybrid route, sounding like Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers but with a fuller sound.

The most unusual song on the CD is Goodnight Moon; this extremely inventive composition makes use of unusual and distinct chord progressions to alter the soundscape; sufficiently capturing the attention of even the most casual listener. Other highlights include Better Angels, Wovoka and Duke.

Low Red Land is a little out of the mainstream sonically, but has such a delicious sense of pop musicality that they might just pull the mainstream their way. Dog’s Hymns displays the type of unique song craft that is both the bane and boon of popular music. Make sure you take a few minutes to check out Low Red Land online. Not everyone is going to like it, but I am betting more will than won’t. A strong debut.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Low Red Land at http://www.lowredland.com/. You can purchase a copy of Dog’s Hymns at www.cdbaby.com/cd/lowredland2.

Review: Marc Gunn - What Color Is Your Dragon?

Marc Gunn – What Color Is Your Dragon?
2008, Mage Records

Marc Gunn is known the world over for being one of the biggest promoters of Celtic music in the business. His “Irish and Celtic Music Podcast” (3,000,000 downloads on iTunes) and “Renaissance Festival Podcast” are popular downloads on the World Wide Web. He is also known as the lead vocalist of the Brobdingnagian Bards, who have frequented Renaissance Festivals and Fairs for a number of years now. He is a regular performer at Dragon*Con, the largest Sci-Fi and Fantasy fiction convention in the world. He was even tapped to headline a Lord Of The Rings Oscar night party. Late of Austin, Texas, recently relocated to New Orleans to be part of the city’s musical renaissance. Gunn sent us a copy of What Color Is Your Dragon?, his 2007 release to check out. So what are we waiting for?

Gunn has certain themes that recur throughout his music that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Much like the guys from Big Bang Theory, Gunn is fascinated with The Lord Of The Rings, Star Wars, Harry Potter, dragons and innuendo. All of these subjects are delivered in the classic style of an Irish or English bard, the sort who would travel from town to town in Medieval times to bring news, stories and songs to the working and farming classes in exchange for food, drink, lodging and perhaps a few coins. Gunn kicks things off with the humorous Don’t Go Drinking With Hobbits; implying that the pint sized anti-heroes of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic series might just drink you under the table. A Rabbit For Halloween is an interesting tale in music about rabbits, witches and brooms. It’s highly entertaining and a perfect example of the Bardic style Gunn lives by.

Samwise Gangee is another trip to Tolkien’s Hobbiton. It’s very well done but likely to appeal only to hard core Tolkien fans. The Virgin Diet (How To Have Fun Losing Weight) is absolutely hilarious, although perhaps not entirely PC. Dub this style Geek-Folk if you want, but this is the sort of song that used to earn Bards their bread and butter. How Do You Tell A Woman You’re In Love is an interesting turn, with Gunn sounding vaguely like Gordon Lightfoot. It’s a solid tune that sounds like it could have its genesis in a Renaissance Fair musical production.

From the drinking game category Gunn comes up with the Pleasant Pheasant Plucking Song. This tricky bit of musical alliteration is ripe for slips of the tongue that would send the censors into fits of apoplexy. It’s a party song that gets more and more debilitating the more you miss, but the highlight of the record is Lusty Young Sith. In classic bard style, Gunn tells the story of a light saber battle that’s full of sexual tension and innuendo. Each stroke and thrust of the ensuing battle is lovingly detailed here. If I Were A Horse takes on another function, winning the award for the most creative use of the word snot in a song. It’s an entertaining ditty, particularly after a flagon or three.

My other favorite from the CD is The Last Chicken Of Dublin, which details the dangers of running a-fowl of authority. This song is entertaining and bold without going over the top. Gunn visits Tolkien’s world twice more: The Nazgul Song and Gollum Blues. Both are fun to listen to but are likely to be a bit much for non-fans of The Lord Of The Rings. Gunn takes one amusing and off-beat crack at opening up the Harry Potter narrative with a song in the voice of the son of Professor Lupin and Tonks: My Father Was A Werewolf. This one will appeal to fans of J.K. Rowling’s classic series as it is faithful to the spirit of Harry Potter without being stale. Other highlights include Monkeys Over Mongolia, Pig’s Song and I’ve Saved The Earth.

Marc Gunn pulls this music off as more than just a novelty act because he sells every note of every song. There is a fair bit of novelty value here, but Gunn is a serious musician who chooses to have fun with his material. What Color Is Your Dragon? Is a lo-fi classic, getting at the Celtic roots of folk music like few others in the genre. This CD will appeal heavily to Sci-Fi and Fantasy Fans, SCAdians and other Renaissance Fair folken. Beyond that, anyone who likes singer-songwriter styles may recognize this is it in its rawest, most basic form. Even if you’re skeptical of the subject matter, sit back, relax (as you might) and give it a fair listen. Marc Gunn will charm you, make you laugh and perhaps even make you think. Somewhere along the way magic happens. What Color Is Your Dragon? Is a classic; a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc. Don’t pass it by.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Marc Gunn at http://www.marcgunn.com/. You can purchase a copy of What Color Is Your Dragon? at www.cdbaby.com/cd/gunnmarc5.

Socks For Dinosaurs – Miracles And Magic
2008, Socks For Dinosaurs

Socks For Dinosaurs is the brainchild of Kevin Cosgrove. Based Maryland, Cosgrove sought to build a musical community by recording an album of songs he wrote for friends to sing. The other goal of Socks For Dinosaurs was to build a signature sound without being tied to one particular style. It would appear that the goals of Socks For Dinosaurs have been met. Socks For Dinosaurs debut album, Miracles And Magic, is very distinctive and instantly recognizable.

Miracles And Magic opens with Here In This Moment, an avante-garde rock recording in the spirit of The Rheostatics. The lead vocalist on Here In This Moment even sounds a bit like Martin Tielli. The song itself is quite a pleasant listen, although the peripheral instrumental flourishes can get a bit distracting. Brazil plays on the edges of Latin Jazz. The melody line is quite listenable but the arrangement seems a bit out of time with the melody and lyrics. The odd placement/arrangement of instrumental soliloquies does end up mudding the musical waters a bit, although it seems that is perhaps the intent here. Tired explores the dark waters of sleep deprivation in an arrangement that wants to be beautiful but never quite crosses that line. Dark, minor key secondary melody lines ive this an almost disturbed sound that sticks out in the mind.
Is Love Real asks the age old question not in the dulcet sweet tones normally heard but in dark and disjointed minor keys; juxtaposing love and attraction as opponents rather than components of a whole. Weary Angel is a tribute that is sweet and full of sentiment that attempts to capture the melancholy grace of a classic country tune. In this instance Socks For Dinosaurs succeeds, although the running together of violin and pedal steel guitar in the bridge creates more dissonance than appealing sound. East Coast Land is an odd arrangement that sounds like it escaped from a 1970’s jazz vault. The melody and base arrangement are at least interesting, but there’s just too much going on in the periphery to allow a subtle intrigue to develop.

Change is as close as we get to a truly marketable tune, drawing on 1970’s soul and funk influences. This duet has some real highlights but still gets caught in Socks For Dinosaurs’ tendency to overproduce the songs presented here. It’s as if melody and harmony are never enough; like a painter who draws a perfect flower but then continues to add embellishment and effects until the perfection and even the character of the original is lost. The incessant tendency to tinker to make the music sound perfect to the creator is one that comes up often in music as well as other art forms can be the quick path to musical peril. Tar River follows somewhat the same path, coming across as a transitional piece from an off-off-off-Broadway show. Late At Night closes out the set in a select piece of jazz noir. This is the most enjoyable track on the disc, as Socks For Dinosaurs seems to pull back just a bit and let the song breathe.

Socks For Dinosaurs is afflicted with an inability to let their songs be songs. The endless push for the perfect sound or note or phrase turns art into a mercurial pixilation of notes and silence; devolving from song into minutiae devoid of real personality or character. While there are a couple of bright moments on Miracles And Magic, in the end it was a difficult listen. Technically brilliant performances just get lost in all of the detail and enhancement; squeezing the intended spirit from the music. This will appeal to a narrow demographic of jazz fans but isn’t likely to find much traction outside of that small group.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Socks For Dinosaurs at www.myspace.com/dogsofrebellion. You can purchase a copy of Socks For Dinosaurs at www.cdbaby.com/cd/socksfordinos.