MY OWN WORST ENEMY
Pristine Indigo Records
Total Action
12 song-CD
This is a very ambitious and extremely busy production replete with arrangements slopping over with cowbells, tambourines, glockenspiel, and Sue and Steve’s inimitable vocalizing; it almost sounds like the band barricaded itself inside of a 32-track studio, held Pete Weiss at gunpoint, and ordered him to go apeshit. Ahem. Anyway, this collection puts me in mind of all those great, underrated all-American garage-punk bands of the 1960s like The Outsiders, the Gants, The Music Machine, and Richard and the Young Lions; just listen to “Come On” or “Turn It On” and tell me that they couldn’t pass muster on any of the Nuggets collections. Listen to “Green Apple” and tell me it isn’t a local classic nearly on a par with “Prettiest Girl.” And “Catherine the Waitress,” replete with backwards-masked cymbals, evokes the frenzy of the early Feelies. The album also offers welcome subtleties: earlier songs, like “Snowflake” and “For Her” are given bright new textures; the slow-burning duet “Lose Your Mind” works its way into a frenetically clattering show-stopping climax, and the heart-rending “Pay Attention to Me” might well be the band’s masterpiece. This may be one of the best albums of the year. (Francis DiMenno)
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THE CAMPAIGN FOR REAL-TIME
Wonderdrug/Curve of the Earth
L.A. Tracks (1933-1969)
6-song CD
Opening track “Is Anybody Listening” sounds a LOT like U2 (and some damned good U2, at that, like something off of Boy or October). Next up is “Raise Your Hands,” which feels a bit more like a Radiohead/ Coldplay hybridization, and while that may sound like shite to some of you, I fucking dig the hell out of it: nicely controlled atmospherics, beautiful harmonies and a tight-rope walk between hip-hop and psychedelia. This track should be at least 12 minutes long instead of the under-four-minutes that you get here. Even the straight-up, updated disco of “Solid Bitch” works, simply because it isn’t played ironically. Come on, you have to at least be curious by now. The guitar meltdown that closes the disc is unexpected yet perfectly fitting. Until now, I had only read about C4RT because their Rumble win, so now I feel six songs more knowledgeable. Superior production values add an extra layer of shine to one of the brightest discs I’ve heard in some time. But next time, no fucking teaser discs, you bastards. (Tim Emswiler)
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MAX HEINEGG
Wheelkick Records
These Familiar Days
12-song CD
This is a strong consistent collection with melancholic yet upliftingly touching songs. At times the arrangements are lush and expressionistic, as on “Echo,” and the extraordinarily touching “Stella.” At other times, as on “Failsafe” and the title track, the arrangements are notably spartan and minimalistic, ala Morphine. Dana Colley contributes saxophone on a few of these numbers, with Ian Kennedy adding strings and Maclaine Diemer and Jason Dunn taking turns on keyboard. Heinegg’s vocals are frequently evincing, as on the pick hit “Straightaway” and the touching “Alibi.” This is one of those albums that reveals new subtleties with each listen; you get a whiff of prog and of ’70s singer-songwriter balladry, but mostly, owing to the strong vocal line throughout, and the exceptionally melodic values which imbue nearly every song, this is quintessential chamber rock, thoughtfully arranged and produced. Heinegg varies the fare with texture rather than tempo, and as a result, this collection as a whole offers a subtlety more akin to jazz than rock. A keeper. (Francis DiMenno)
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JAKE & THE JAKES
Take A Sip Records
Last Call
7-song CD
Here’s the breakdown of the latest CD by this power trio. “War is Over” is catchy hard rock, kind of call-and-response vocals alternating between distant-sounding, distorted vocals and clearer vocals. “Waiting on You” evokes old Black Sabbath that starts off with a sound that recalls “War Pigs” with its vocal/instrumental trade-offs before it morphs into a melodic rock-off. “Stripes” is more hard rock that melds with a mournful blues harp and a back-and-forth dialogue between drums and guitar, which is interesting and effective. Then there’s the puzzling “Charade”: two minutes and 43 seconds of drum solo with a drum major’s whistle thrown in there. Sure, it’s a nicely done solo, but maybe they should have used this as an intro or outro to the CD. The obligatory “ballad,” is “Is This All,” which, to the band’s credit, it rightfully underproduced. It gives the song a raw, almost tribal sound. The guitar is clear yet subtle with its un-effected solo parts. The CD jumps right back in to hard rock with “Really Want It,” an early metal-sounding song that evokes Judas Priest. Overall, this CD is catchy, has interesting and varied musical ideas within the power trio structure, is nicely produced, has great instrumentation, and at seven songs, is a perfect length. It grew on me. I wish I had a lyric sheet, though. (Robin Umbley)
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THE INCREDIBLE CASUALS
Iddy Biddy Records
World Championship Songs 1980-200
24-song CD
Now, I could write a gripe-saturated review arguing about their cherry-picked selections and moaning about the absence of my personal favorites (only three songs from Nature Calls? What gives?)—but what would be the point? I mean, it’s THEIR greatest hits, not mine, even though none of them were hits, but coulda-woulda-shoulda been if I had anything to say about it. Local favorites like “Picnic Ape,” for instance. Or “Records Go Round.” Or the deliberately spacy (and wonderful) “Blind World” (a.k.a. “Barnyard In Orbit,” only backwards). Or the lovely “Be Here Now.” Or the gritty Costello-esque “Don’t Tell Me.” Or the inimitably charming “This World” (compare with “Far Away Eyes”). Or the enigmatic “She’s Got Tony.” Or the magisterially lascivious “College Girls” (“They’re hard to talk to but easy to touch”). Or the impossibly clamorous “Burn Me Up.” Or the just plain perfect “Think Hard”—the best song The Raspberries never wrote. Anyway… So. Does this long-overdue retrospective prove that the Casuals are actually rock’s missing link between The Beach Boys and The Rolling Stones? Well, let’s not get carried away. But as ludicrous hyperbole goes, it’s actually not so far-fetched. If you don’t believe me, just listen and see. (Francis DiMenno)
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BONE GUNN
From the Chain to the Sky
4-song CD
Songwriter Bryan Kane seems to be looking for a forum for bringing more eclectic ideas into a musical genre and Bone Gunn seems to be the right vehicle for what he calls “Experimental Folk.” I don’t know if I would call this “Experimental Folk.” There is certainly a great deal of experimental elements reminiscent of early Eno, Crimson, and Japan mixed with modern jazz and flourishes of experimental bands such as Add N to X and Einsturzende Neubauten. This collection of studio tracks brings together an otherwise unlikely blend of jazz, rock, world beat, industrial punk, poetic imagery, and enough sonic weirdness to make it work. Bone Gunn is certainly no ordinary head-trip. People who want something a little different, a little more intelligent and a little out of the rut of the mainstream should own this. (Joel Simches)
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TULSA
Park the Van Records
I Was Submerged
7-song CD
I had a good feeling about the fellas in Tulsa prior to spinning their new disc, I Was Submerged. As a product of the Park the Van label, home to celebrated indie freak rockers Dr. Dog and The High Strung, I knew at the very least they kept good company. But it only took the album opener “Breath Thin” to prove that the Boston four piece have the chops to stand on their own. With psychedelic fuzz guitar licks that call to mind Cream and Iron Butterfly, echoey lyrics that balance ’60s pop sheen with Pixies-era Frank Black and rollicking drums that tumble over the record’s sonic landscape like boulders, Tulsa, with only seven songs, appears ready to hit ground running and begin earning their keep. (Ryan Bray)
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WHO SHOT HOLLYWOOD
Grist Mill Records
Who Shot Hollywood
6-song CD
Who would have thought that ’80s new wave would make such a great comeback around these parts? Well, okay everyone knows that it’s back and it has been hep for a great while, but who would have thought that a band whose average age is 15 would be on this bandwagon? These kids in America are pumping this out like a flock of seagulls who whip it good as they search the church for missing persons learning modern English while speaking in tongues and turning Japanese, all the while getting the look of love from living in the plastic age. Well, I guess everything counts in large amounts, especially when your on a Mexican radio so world, shut your mouth! (Joel Simches)
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DRUNKS DON’T LIE
Happy Hour
9-song CD
Greetings, Zortar here. The name of this band is Drunks Don’t Lie. A strange name, I think, as it seems to me that only lies spew from Slimedog’s festering, rabid mouth. But onto the subject at hand, I’m hearing traces of psychobilly with slide guitar peeking out, punk energy, neat little back up vocals popping out here and there. So during the first two songs my pleasure receptors are flashing on. Unfortunately, after that the songs seem to settle into a more conventional mode mixing funk beats on some songs with Nirvana-like vocals that go on a little too long. I think this band has a lot of promise unlike the mass dregs of robotic fools I see using up the precious resources of your planet. This is a very nice planet, I’ve found, if you just ignore the humans. If these drunks can harness what goes on in the first two songs they’ll really have something. (Slimedog)
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MISS FAIRCHILD
Oh La La Sha Sha
10-song CD
This is funky dancin’ music. As the sticker on the CD says, “they’re putting the K back to Fun.” Um, yeah. But I put this on to review as I was cleaning up the house. I started dancing around with the vacuum, though I never managed to turn it on. This CD is way too much fun to ruin with that noisy thing. It’s funk with a heavy ’70s influence. Miss Fairchild is three white guys (with an additional horn section—how can you not love a horn section?) who sound like they were adopted at birth by Sly & the Family Stone. But it’s 2007, so they’ve got some updated R&B sounds with turntables, computers, and modern keyboards. “Poppa Music” starts with just a drum beat, vocals fold in, and horns and other sounds are layered one by one, and come in and out throughout resulting in dynamic changes with the groove never stopping. “Trust Game” is one big, long groove with techno blips, horns, smooth layered vocals, and a guitar solo, which adds the blues to this rhythm. This is fantastic party music, or music to put on while procrastinating with the housecleaning. Hey, housekeeping is overrated anyway. Just dance instead. (Robin Umbley)
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DAVE CRESPO
The Bostonian Troubadour
3-song CD
Much singer-songwriter music is pretty much the same after a while. It’s all about some kind of spiritual journey and tales about the people met on the way. Dave Crespo may also be singing about the same thing, but he seems to engage his audience by singing about things that everyone can relate to. This kind of inclusive vibe in his music is an inviting and refreshing change. He sings about the war, places of solitude where people need to go to sort out their everyday life, and how to love the ones you hate. Ain’t that nice? Very simple, open and honest. These three songs breathe fresh air into a tired genre. (Joel Simches)
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LOS WÜNDER TWINS DEL RAP (D-Tension + Effect)
Los Wunder Twins Del Record
The We Are A Supergroup EP!!!
12-song CD
Ahhhh yeah ya’ll! This CD includes D-Tension and Effect performing separately and together as Los Wünder Twins. It opens with the bad boyz from Lowell, MA—Los Wunder Twins Del Rap. They sound like a derailed train with each wünder twin spewing lyrics from the roof. Their influences land them somewhere between ICP, Eminem, and Run DMC. Is that Lenny Lashley I hear (Darkbuster)? Scary! Somewhere between all this explicit content comes Effect and another evil hip hop track called “Corporate American.” Old school grooves and lyrics that would make 50, or “fitty,” jealous. Then D-Tension brings game as well. They offer plenty of lyrical tricks and treats over a sea of syth-ridden house mix! I’m off to drive around with my sub-woofer cranked. There are no duds in this hip-hop pistol full of hits. Thank heavens for the radio edits. (Lance Woodward)
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McALISTER DRIVE
Something to Sleep With
12-song CD
McAlister Drive is a four-piece pop-rock outfit with the standard guitar, bass, vocals, and drums, but with the addition of piano. The musicianship and production are outstanding. For the most part, the songs are melodic, catchy, and have nice harmonic backing vocals—which all seems ready-made for a station like The River. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but as a whole, the songs don’t stray from the mid-tempo, which tends to meld them all together when listening to the entire CD at once, and they don’t really bring out the electric guitar until the third song, “Why.” “Where’s the Sun” highlights some nice, clean guitar solos. Overall, the songwriting and arrangements are really quite good, but Christoph Krey’s vocals just aren’t doing it for me; the tone or style isn’t distinctive enough or something. The songs need an edge. I hear these songs more for a vocalis t like Shirley Manson of Garbage. A female vocal with attitude would do wonders for these otherwise good songs. (Robin Umbley)
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WHY TWIST THE HAIR
Healthy Skin
13-song CD
Describing the sound of Why Twist the Hair proves to be much more difficult than I would have imagined. Their songs are piano-driven and synth-infused, the vocals mellow but theatrical. The lyrics are bizarre and the songs are whimsical and well, trippy. The song “Formula,” with oscillating vocals backed by only a xylophone, is a musical catastrophe to the point of comicalness. “Hot Rod,” on the other hand, is a highlight—it reminds me a lot of The Beatles. This is not a band I would ever willingly listen to, but I must admit if I were ever to be gripped by the urge to take psychedelic drugs, this would be the album I’d want playing in the background. (Emsterly)
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THE UNDERPAINTING
Catbird Records
The Underpainting
10-song CD
This probably would have been more properly named The Brian Michael Roff Project, or Brian Michael Roff & Some Occasionally Heard Musicians. Really, there might be a couple of songs here that would suffer from the omission of the backing band, but otherwise, they’d work better as a dude playing acoustic guitar and singing. This disc has been driving me batshit as I try to figure out who Roff’s voice reminds me of. One obvious call is Cat Stevens, and that’s no knock, because Cat wrote some great shit and sang it uniquely. But there’s another voice in here that I can’t put my finger on, but if I could tell you, it would tell you volumes about this. Hell, for all I know, it’s Brian Michael Roff and I just don’t remember. Anyway, the songs are mostly self-deprecatingly mopey, and the lyrics are obtuse enough to appeal to lovers of obtuse lyrics. So, if that sounds like your bag, check this, and write to me if you figure out who the hell he sounds so much like. (Tim Emswiler)
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MAX G & THE SPOTS
Shiny New Apartment
9-song CD
It’s apparent right off the bat that these guys aren’t going to win any points for originality, but there’s something that needs to be said for feel. Shiny New Apartment doesn’t find the Spots reinventing the wheel by any stretch, while lyrics about a new apartment and terrifying experiences at an open mic night barely dip beneath the surface. But all and all, the band’s latter day sins are offset by the relaxed vibe that carries throughout the record. This is summertime groove rock, the kind of feel good record you can put on while enjoying a beer on the porch or goofing with your buds. Plus, any band with the foresight to bring in Morphine’s Dana Colley on sax (“Here I Am”) wins points in my book. It’s not earth shattering and bands of the Spots’ breed are about a dime a dozen, but when done well as on Shiny New Apartment, it never disappoints. (Ryan Bray)
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CHRIS FITZ BAND
CFB Records
15-song CD
This CD demonstrates that bluesman Chris Fitz has come such a long way since the first time I saw him at the Chicken Bone Saloon in Framingham over ten years ago. His band has since acquired Ken Clark, master of the Hammond organ, which adds a cornucopia of delicious musical tone. The opening track, “Freedom,” is rich in classic Strat tone. The Hammond along with the rhythm section (Greg Silva on bass and Chuck Shuler on drums) lays down a groove that allows ample room for Chris’s guitar and vocals, which remind me of Charlie Sexton of Arc Angels.
The dynamics on this CD are varied and outstanding. Sounds go from the very sparse of “Dirty Wide River” with just vocals and electric slide guitar to all-out raucous on “Welcome to the Rhythm Room,” with its Buddy Guy style delivery and staccato guitar.
Chris lays down some great Dobro tracks on “Gotta Make Things Right,” “21st Century Blues,” and “Long Winded Mama.” Other standouts are “Last Train Out,” which has a foot-stomping rhythm and excellent interplay between the guitar and organ. “East West Love Affair” is reminiscent of The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and The Yardbirds. “If You See Her” incorporates textures that range from Gov’t Mule to ZZ Top. All in all, this is a rock-solid CD that proves the blues are still alive and well. (John Hess)
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BRING BACK PLUTO
Nine
9-song CD
This is what we critics used to call righteously funky fusion. Sai Ghose is a real find as a drummer; I particularly like his cymbal work. Mark Joice has a genuine talent for the aptly phrased solo, and Jerry Wilfong is a highly skilled and disciplined bassist. Overall, this collection is brimming over with fat bass and splendiferously riffing guitars and modal noodling and all the other jazzy touches that imbue such music with a sense of spontaneity and craft so often missing in plain-vanilla rock ’n’ roll. And there are enough interesting musical ideas in a song like “India Looking West 2” to put some of our most celebrated combos to shame. (Francis DiMenno)
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WAITIKI
Redezvous in Okonkuluku
14-song CD
Hey! I recognize this stuff! It’s like the music I grew up with—lounge music! Exotica! Martin Denny’s Quiet Village. (My parents actually had the original on vinyl… now in my possession.) And the cover art reminds me of Maui (where I eloped). Quick—I need a mai tai.
Musically, this is a revival, or “fresh retrospective,” of instrumental mood music to play at your next swinging cocktail party. It’s all extraordinarily well done by this four-piece who play woodwinds, vibraphone, melodica, and a plethora of percussion. “China Clipper” (oh, those old Pan Am flying boats!) has a very jazzy soprano sax and nice little drum solos. I’m on a mental journey to the old Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki. “Cave of the Tarpon” has some space-agey vibraphone and sultry flute. “L’Ours Chinois” has an intriguing “violinytar” and Polynesian style percussion. Waitiki even covers Martin Denny’s classic “Tiki” and “Voodoo Love,” updated with what sounds like a bit of electronica. It’s definitely the soundtrack for my next luau in Lahaina. Bring on the poi and the kahlua pig! (Robin Umbley)
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THE HAMMOND GROUP
Product Launch
8-song CD
Essentially this is akin to nouveau-rockabilly. It’s very tidy and cleanly produced, and likeable enough if you enjoy modern-day production approaches to retro genres. Essentially, if you like The Feelies, Dire Straits. The Descendents, and The DBs, and you enjoy the retro subtleties of postmodern combos like The B-52s and bands of that ilk, then by all means you should also add this to your playlist. I particularly recommend “Blow My Mind,” “Cute Top,” “Sticks,” “My Favorite Things,” and “The Band Gave Me Drugs”: songs so goofy and good that like most aspirational art it’s also inspirational and makes you want to pick yourself out of the gutter, bum a double sawbuck off your old parish priest, get a haircut, clean yourself up, apply for that job on the loading dock, work to get that G.E.D., meet a nice girl, and work your way up to foreman, and never mind that the gypsy lady predicted that the truck barreling around the corner that hits you the day after your honeymoon is going to kill you dead. Heh. (Francis DiMenno)
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HEL TORO
Gimmick
11-song CD
I’m not sure what the gimmick is, exactly, with this loud, fast, and not particularly artful three-piece, but I haven’t caught on. I’m sure there’s a market out there for this, specifically 23 year-old guys looking to blow off some steam in a testosterone fest, where the individual songs don’t really matter. It’s the loudness and the semi-screamed vocals that are the point. I don’t know what you call this, exactly; the songs vaguely resemble punk but they’re louder and have the urgency of, well, guys who need stress relief. Track five, “Bad Vision,” shows some promise of creativity with more subtle vocals but the guitars never, ever seem to vary. Track six, “Gorilla Swing,” ends off with promise with a funkier, melodic guitar (and is it piano in there, too?) after having played practically the whole song with fuzzy simplistic-sounding loudness. I wish they would have played off the ending theme throughout the body of the song. Maybe doing something more with the guitar than full-volume played through a fuzz box would help, also. This CD pretty much sounds like a cars continuously piling up on the Mass. Pike in an ice storm. (Robin Umbley)
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HISS & CHAMBERS
Making Eyes
8-song CD
Hiss & Chambers would be a decent band if they broke away from the cliché and attempted to forge their own style instead of ripping off every band that has ever ripped off The Cure. The band seems to be going for a danceable sound, and they’ve certainly achieved that, but I just get the feeling I’ve heard all of these songs before. The songs are certainly catchy and well played, but I can’t get past the frantic nu-metal guitar lines and dramatic goth vocals. I’d be curious to see if this band is any better live—I bet they could get a crowd dancing. (Emsterly)
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MIKE DELANEY
1-800-CONFESS
16-song CD
Greetings, Zortar here. It’s my pleasure to review this music/comedy record. For those who are familiar with the excellent music of Peter, Paul and Mary and The Kingston Trio, well, that cutting edge folk music is right here, Mr. Delaney, who is middle aged and looks like your junior high school science teacher has material about middle age food concerns i.e. “Low Carb,” “Colonoscopy.” And I guess that‘s his target audience. Slimedog feels depressed thinking this CD is aimed at his age group but I think this suits him to a tee. I take considerable pleasure watching his mind and body rot away.
This is a hilarious album though the three songs I found funny are meant to be the serious ones and the others are funny in their utter ineptness. Lame folk music with corny lyrics, all I can say is oh, joy-oh, joy-oh, joy. (Slimedog)
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VARIOUS ARTISTS
Alt Country Extravaganza—New England Alt Country/Americana/ Roots Music
16-song CD
Most alt-country acts manage to fall into one of two categories: those who herald a stripped down approach that handles country music with a sense of history, and others who prefer taking a flamethrower to tradition and souping the genre with equal doses piss and vinegar. Personally I’m a fan of the rockers, which sucks for me since most of tracks herein sweep along smoothly like tumbleweeds in the dirt. Local standouts such as Girls Guns and Glory, Lucky 57, and Three Day Threshold clearly have their finger on the pulse of many of country music’s overarching themes, namely booze, girls and doomed relationships. But a lot of the tracks feel indistinguishable and run into one another, making for a cumbersome listen that wears out its welcome toward the end. (Ryan Bray)
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VARIOUS ARTISTS
Heavy Rotation Records
Dorm Sessions Volume 4
19-song compilation
Once again, beware of records that open with commercials for themselves. Worse, when they outro with a track that tells you the record’s over now. Thanks, guys—no way I coulda figured that out myself. Two cuts each by several apparently prominent locals (Thick As Thieves, Big D & The Kid’s Table, Kid:Nap:Kin, and more). I say apparently, because I’ve heard the names for while now and, based on what I’d gleaned prior, I was shocked at how uniformly HARD they’re all straining to fit into some cut-and-dried alt-rock demographic, to the point that it could almost all be the same band. It’s that over-emoted, over-arranged, not-really-about-anything stuff that underage girls cream themselves over, but I guess it’s flying in the clubs too. It only hits me as variations of Nickelback on a caffeine bender, and I’m happy to discuss. Interesting note: the label’s outta Berklee, and they make a point to mention all the bigger labels the students went on to work for. In other words, strictly business, folks. (Joe Coughlin)
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AMNEJA VU
Presents the Factory
12-song CD
I’ll admit I used to be a fan of this brand of prog pomp. But it’s been many a year since I’ve cracked out my copy of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Now, if that is still your favorite album, you might as well pick this up. And even if you hate prog like poison, there are two songs here that you might actually enjoy; the lush arrangements of “Can’t Die in a Dream” and “The Answer?” are melodically gorgeous. But bear in mind that “The Factory” is a genuine throwback: an ambitious prog-rock concept album with all the attendant pomp and circumstance. Meaning that nearly every riff that might, in a better world, have revealed and unfolded its melodic subtleties with a more restrained approach is, instead, blown up to poster size and used to bludgeon us over the head in a sort of sonic assault more akin to an interrogation than a listening experience. Alas, bigger is not always better and grandiose doesn’t always mean grand. Otherwise, the great pyramid would be a condo and not a tomb. (Francis DiMenno)
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HATED
Behind The Mask
9-song CD
I hated Hated. Hah! I said it. Aren’t I clever? I just don’t get this metal bangheader music. Yes, I’m a middle aged Guatemalan lady and you would think this would be right down my alley but, no. They do have nice guitar interludes sometimes but when they say, “I want to get inside your mind, through your nose and there I’ll hide,” it just seems so unsanitary to me. These guys sound very worked up and angry to me. Settle down, boys, and have some chamomile tea. I must say this devil music gives me the chills.
I notice that not only do they list what each musicians plays but all of they’re equipment including guitar straps! Fascinating, is all I can say. This contains grungy, fuzzy guitars and someone yelling at me in the most unpleasant tones, no thank you, please. I’ll stick with Shakira and reception tops. (Mrs. Slimedog)
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THE SET OF RED THINGS
Who Touches Pitch Defiles Herself
11-song CD and red vinyl
What may sound alien to me and maybe a little threatening to our leaders, comprises the colorful sound of The Set of Red Things. They are a mixture of noise rock coupled with shrill Yoko Ono-esque type vocals. Thus dawns a new age of psycheadelia driven by a new drug that’s foreign to yesterday’s hipster scene. As Frank Zappa tried to warn us, this music will offend the record executives making it impossible for them to go mainstream. Thanks to technology and the simplicity of pressing and self-releasing an album, The Set of Red Things are allowed to grace the public with their music and allow the few listeners to hear the dissonance instead of being force fed the same key and time signatures all the time. I feel bad for the musicians who spend their days being brainwashed by satellite radio at their corporate monkey or monopolized franchise jobs then go home and try to write songs that inevitably will turn out sounding as generic as what they are fed. The guitarist is extremely clever who uses new and interesting sounds to add color to their music. The one downfall is the vocals that can get on my nerves after a few songs. (Leonid)
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A WISH FOR FIRE
Skeleton Key
5-song CD
Raw and powerful, yet with a canny knack for melody is a great way to describe this band. Owen Beane’s vocal approach and sense of melody are easily reminiscent of Matthew Bellamy from Muse. The band hits hard, while maintaining a radio ready modern rock ethic, comeplete with juicy guitar riffs, meaty hooks, and skillfully pounded percussive rhythms. This EP is skillfully produced and hopes to push all the right buttons. This will be in my laptop for some time to come. (Joel Simches)
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THE UNDER
The Under
4-song CD
Most Boston bands that cite Rush and prog rock as influences usually send music lovers like me running for the nearest exit, for most of these bands think that Dream Theatre is good and try to employ all the chops they have mastered into one sweet, boring solo after another. The Under doesn’t seem to be that egregious. They are here to remind us of the Rock that is in Prog Rock. People who like their Sabbath dark and rocking, but still air-drum to “YYZ” will enjoy this. The lyrics could use a little more angst and less pretense but the balls-out rocking sections more that outweigh the occasional cosmic flights of fancy. (Joel Simches)
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THE FLASHING REDS
The Flashing Reds
6-song CD
The Flashing Reds blend lots of folk and Americana rock. Flashes of Jerry Garcia, Robbie Robertson, Joe Jackson, and Levon Helm decorate this piano driven pop mélange. Though the vocals and playing seems pretty ragged, the songs are genuine and homebred. Clearly these guys just want to get together, have a few brews and play some tunes, though I wish the band was a little tighter and cohesive and for gosh sake, turn the drums up a bit! I hope these guys will record these tunes in earnest someday. (Joel Simches)
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ATRIS
Of the Commons
6-song CD
Upon checking out their blog, singer Mason Taylor mentions that the emerging theme of these songs is how the middle class has become forgotten and has lost its voice. While he may believe that his songs are speaking from common people to common people (hence the title), Atris neither preaches to the common people, nor caters to them musically. Atris’s music is complex and full of mood and tempo shifts. Musically it’s chardonnay and a fine brie; Of The Commons is a journey of people outside looking in on the rest of us. Atris evokes the musical theatre of Gabriel-era Genesis, and early Marillion, while lyrically staying close to the earth, instead of close to the edge. (Joel Simches)
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FRED SHAFER
Fred Shafer
4-song CD
From the opening salvo of tried and true lyrical clichés, it becomes painfully obvious that Fred Shafer is a product of his influences and a packaged concept of what a commercial rock songwriter is supposed to sound and look like. Every inflection, every harmony, every drum beat sounds like it was rehearsed and refined beyond the point of any soulful significance long before it was ever committed to a file on someone’s Powerbook. It comes as no surprise that he’s toured with bands like Staind, who are clearly masters of this very type of gutless schlock. He’s also landed himself a pick endorsement deal. Nuff said. (Joel Simches)
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MOB HIT
Dinner for Three
5-song CD
You know that any band who thanks Internet porn and beer in their liner notes is dead serious about how much they rawk. And rawk these guys do!! Mob Hit rocks as hard as a spikey haired porn star on meth after shot- gunning a six-pack of Sparks. Dinner for Three is a non-stop bullet to the groin with pounding drums, cement heavy guitars and a voice that will make your uvula ache. If the onslaught of hardcore thrash tickles your fancy, Mob Hit will supply the goose feathers and exacto blades. You supply the gag ball. Some assembly and inflation will be required. (Joel Simches)
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WALTER NOONS
The Aughts
10-song CD
Walter Noons is a singer songwriter who writes and performs and arranges all the instruments and sings and stuff like that. While the tunes are somewhat interesting, Noons has all the warmth, charm and smarm or a singer/songwriter at a Chinese restaurant lounge. There are a few political, pop culture, and drug references to give the songs a little indie cred, but the vocal style seems like such an affectation that I feel like I am hearing a South Park/Trey Parker parody. If this record is a joke, it is truly sublime. If it’s not, I am truly sorry I laughed so hard. I didn’t mean to. Honest. (Joel Simches)