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SILVER CIRCLES REVIEWS Nov10
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Page Contents
Sonic Trout
Chandler Travis Philharmonic Blows!
12-song CD
Zesty! Stunning! Startling!
…these are but words written on the CD package. And I might have gotten
the title of the disc wrong—it could be It’s a Chan’s Chan’s
Chan’s World—or Soul Brother #764—or Is It Yes Or
Is It Both—or maybe it could be Paint That A Mauve Part 1-2.
Whichever one you pick, it fits. Chandler and troupe continue to refuse
to grow up. The only maturity they show is in their songwriting and
musical skills—otherwise these children have as much fun as possible
sounding like they’re lost at the Mardi Gras. They spot Randy Newman,
but they’ve used up their luck, especially at the airport where they
must have gotten distracted by Sesame Street. If they’re growing
old, somebody forgot to tell them. And how did they get Jennifer Kimball
to agree to a duet? Amazing! Sensational! Thrilling!—more words on
the package. Oh, and I did get the title wrong—it’s the Chan Chan
Chan one—no, now I’m not sure. But I don’t mind because I have
my photo of Chandler (suitable for framing—or so the package tells
me)—included with every CD. (T Max)
EDWARD MORNEAU
MMMMusic Records
Jacquerie
13-song CD
Several years ago,
Ed Morneau released his socio-political blockbuster album, Trepanning,
followed last year by Cheap Grace. His primary concerns search
for the betterment of mankind, despite the cruel manipulations and detachment
of corrupt politicians, corrupt military, corrupt media, corrupt religious
zealots—aaah, you know—the usual bullshit. To train his talent to
capture such dismay and turn it into tremendous pop-folk tunes takes
major focus and development. Thus, his lyricism is direct, his finger-style
guitar work is impeccable, and his musical accompaniment is passionate.
Also having worked for years as a high-school teacher, he has sharpened
his ability to shape this cynicism in service to his enlightened vision.
Pass the torch and light the fires that seek so much more.
This disc offers one
great new tune (“Cathedrals of Sticks and Pins”—wah hey to Andy
Partridge!), amidst carefully chosen selections from the previous discs
(especially “Radio Shills,” “Selection,” “Ash Wednesday,”
and “Soul Rendezvous”), to create a more controlled, succinct punch
in the face. Or sometimes, even a gracious and soothing hand (“The
Day the Birds Stopped Singing,” “My Heart Waits for a Cure”).
Mr. Morneau’s discomfort with modern predicaments creates an eloquent
catharsis to clear our souls. Thank you, sir. (Harry
C. Tuniese)
KENNY CHAMBERS
Under the Tracks
15-song CD
Kenny Chambers, formerly
of Moving Targets, has found a way to convey through melodicism the
dynamism that was his former band’s strong suit. Now, you might someday
read elsewhere that this new crop of fifteen songs (out of over 200)
shows Chambers’ “introspective” side. And this is so. Now, usually,
“introspective” means “boring.” Not this time. Even though this
self-produced effort is comparatively low-key, these songs reward multiple
listens in a way that those of flashier yet more superficial pop practitioners
do not. Nearly all of these songs are heartfelt and worthy of close
attention, notably the harder-edged yet uplifting songs like “Matters”
and “The Kill”; the dazed “Anyway,” the anthemic “The Kid”
and the achingly poignant “Natural to Me.” I would also point to
the thoughtful “Opposites,” the poppy “Secret,” and “Love
Is Action”; and, best of all, to the emotionally wrenching compositions
“Waiting For You” and “Medicine.” This is one of the best song
collections I have heard all year. I salute Mr. Chambers on the start
of what I hope will be a revitalized career. (Francis DiMenno)
TONY SAVARINO
Naked Ear Records
Guitaring
11-song CD
Tony Savarino has been
a guitar-slinging gun for hire for so many years in this city, it is
hard to think of a band he hasn’t played in or sat in with.
This solo record is a joyful mélange of diverse styles: blues, jazz,
rockabilly, lounge, country, rock… this is nothing less than a loving
tribute and salute to guitar picking that would make lovers of Chet
Atkins, Steve Howe, Les Paul, Grant Green, and Roy Clark squeal with
glee. It’s rare that a guitar album makes so many stylistic
statements within one album and yet still remains fresh and interesting
to so many sets of ears. Listen for a cameo by Ajda the Turkish Queen
serving up her best Emmylou Harris in a classic Gram Parsons tune, followed
by a secret track that will blow your speakers off the table!
Rock on! (Joel Simches)
TIGER SAW
Burst and Bloom Records
Nightingales
10-song CD
Somewhere in the space
between my headphones forms a warm, rich soundscape. This recording
is well worth a close listen for its lush instrumentation layered with
reverb, tremolo, strings, haunting organs, reversed sounds, and even
a toy piano accenting one track. Emily and Glenn Forsythe share vocals
and harmonize over ten tracks that are solemn and nostalgic. While the
whole record is beautiful and consistent, tracks like “We’ll Always
Have the Night” and “Night, Pt. 2 (Helena’s Song)” stand out
for having a slightly different feel in their treatment. Nightingales
provides the perfect soundtrack for bicycling in moonlight or to accompany
the aches of lost love.
(Heather Kilrow)
TRISTAN DA CUNHA
Irrevolution
8-song CD
I trashed these guys
a few releases ago, and was pleased to see the review on their site.
Seriously. Most bands won’t go there. And I was gonna take the cheap
route and just reprint it here with the disclaimer, “because it’s
the same record,” which I thought for sure it would be. It’s not,
though. What irked me about that other one is done a thousand times
over here, but I gotta admit some newfound perverse respect for ’em.
The intro letter calls them “garage prog” [or] “shitty prog,”
while their site has a blurb citing the Minutemen, mad science, ethics
vs. elixers, accuracy vs. aggression, mutants, bombs, etc., then underneath
that, it just says, “We play arty shit.” Some might say “noise”
or quirky-for-its-own-sake. Ear of the beholder and all that. Silly
lyrics, very little melody, constantly shifting rhythms, but way too
precise to even consider calling it noodling. Nine years along, and
still not settling in. They’re way past going out on limbs and are
just napalming the trees now. Most bands wouldn’t risk alienating
a solid fanbase, but TDC’s willingness to push it only shows more
respect for those fans, not less. (Joe Coughlin)
INGE BERGE
10 True Things &
A Filthy, Dirty Lie
11-song CD
Through a sharp and
biting wake up call, Inge Berge is here to suggest the following: we
have all been thoroughly fooled and not only that, we are puppets on
a string, mere pawns in the game of world domination and that above
all, we are not in control. Producer, singer, guitarist, contrarian,
writer, and self-proclaimed madman, Berge makes one eye-opening statement
after another through the radio-friendly pop song. The disc’s
opener, “Hacksaw,” is positively haunting with its imagery of chains,
ropes, and tethers, along with the throaty repetition of “I’ve got
a hacksaw.” This, along with the accompanying image of Berge
brandishing a shotgun, only serves to emphasize his anarchical and often
fear-provoking approach. “Dance, Monkey, Dance” and “Fix
You Up” are among a series of clever tracks that address the extreme
lengths we go to gain acceptance, along with the evils of conformity:
“What happens to people can get in the blood/ The plasma of memory
is one great flood/ We’ll tweak the wires/ We’ll stem the flow/
We’ll open the door when we say that you can go…/ We’ll invent
you a disorder/ We sell labels for a quarter/ A pill for every boy and
every girl.” With that being said, Berge covers Concrete Blonde’s
“Joey” with its regretful theme of mourning for a relationship gone
wrong: “If it’s love you’re looking for/ Well, I can give
a little more/ And if you’re somewhere out there passed out on the
floor/ oh, Joey, I’m not angry anymore.” The interesting thing about
10 True Things & A Filthy, Dirty Lie is that it can go from
bitter and aggressive one minute to saddening and heartwarming the next.
An emotional roller coaster ride, the album is evidence of Berge’s
versatility as an artist. (Julia R. DeStefano)
ALOUD
Lemon Merchant Records
Exile In The Night
10-song CD
Lovely instrumentation…
alluring and catchy melodies… it’s a recording that belies categorization—and
that’s a very good characteristic in my book. I am enthralled by the
band’s smooth, mellifluous beauty with their occasional doses of quirk.
Perhaps this is why in their bio their music is described as “beautiful
and strange”—but strange doesn’t have to be negative as Aloud
proves. With male and female vocals that either trade off on leading
a tune or splendidly harmonize, Aloud takes uniqueness to a professional
level via their excellent songwriting and arrangements. So I realize
I’m laying a lot of high compliments here but after many, many years
of doing recording reviews, it excites me to hear a band present not
only something that is different and creative but that is subtly and
unpretentiously so, while recorded and produced well. It goes
without saying I dig the entire CD but particularly enjoyed the pop
elements of the bright and happy “Darkest Days,” the ’70s-like
grooves of “Counterfeit Star,” “Exile In The Night,” and “To
Die At Sea,” for the classical/ string/ Beatlesque aspects. (Debbie
Catalano)
THE TELEVANGELIST AND THE ARCHITECT
THE TELEVANGELIST AND THE ARCHITECT
Undetected Plagiarism
Records
Expecting Nothing
Out of Everything
10-song CD
Jerry Chen, the man
behind The Televangelist and the Architect, has come up with another
mostly winning record that helps cement his place as one of the oddest
and most underappreciated songsmiths in town. Each of his records has
had a different feel from the others; this one draws its inspiration
from film, starting with the music itself and working its way down to
every inch of the packaging, which is designed to look like a movie
poster and a screen play. This album features an emphasis on strings
and piano, which gives the music a more grandiose feel than Chen’s
previous work. There are times when it’s a little too over-the-top,
but at its best, the record sounds like something a more fucked-up Bright
Eyes or Cursive would make if they didn’t care at all about attracting
sensitive girls. (Kevin Finn)
THE MOLENES
THE MOLENES
Good Times Comin’
11-song CD
Goddamn, this is some
quality tuneage here! From our fair Granite State, the Molenes are whipping
up a delicious plate of roots-rock (or whatever they call it these days)
that doesn’t fail to move me. Listening to this gets me daydreaming
of hitting the rocky road, casually driving over to some highway
diner and attempting to order a meal as tasty as this music. Don’t
you wish you could eat music sometimes? If that were possible I’d
chow this album down like a chicken leg. Munchy words aside, I’m having
a good time with it. Some of the lyrics seem a little typical of the
genre, but they’re hardly cliché-ridden. The music’s what counts,
anyway. These guys CRACK! And they’re catchy like crack. The pedal-steel
guitar’s got a killer, lonesome sound, eerie and beautiful, while
the other guitar gets behind the wheel and drives the tunes to the store!
(Tony Mellor)
THE FRANKS
7Not Records
The Franks
10-song CD
Here comes my favorite
synonym for hot dogs with modern rock fusing hip hop, funk, and heavy
metal. It’s a bit 311 meets Red Hot Chili Peppers; a bit like Rush
in a sense of the progressive, intricate parts this band plays, a bit
like Sublime with the good old party rock under-theme. The guitar licks
are particularly creative and the bass and drums are as solid as I’ve
ever heard. I’d recommend the Franks to team up with Forgetful Jones;
another local band that has had a lot success with this up beat hard
rock, hip hop, funk formula. Here’s to the Franks! (Kier
Byrnes)
JACKSON WETHERBEE
Flying Carpet Records
Jackson Wetherbee
12-song CD
With a keen ear on
groove, tasteful style and judicious use of instrumentation, Wetherbee
delivers an album full of promise. Ten or fifteen years ago this type
of material would be included in the “Hootie & the Blowfish over
30 program list.” Actually, it still may have that market status.
Not to compare it with Hootie though, this has a better lively feel
and snap to the performance. Wetherbee has a young man’s incentive
to blend romanticism with his musical works, backed by a great cast
of musicians who deliver the vision just right. Hard to describe the
music—kind of a mellow, alternative laid back groove, confident and
relaxed yet insistent when it needs to be, right amount of acoustic
guitar, Hammond organ, and acoustic piano but enough electric to keep
it touching the rock realm. Enough of the run on sentences, this album
shows a songwriter finding his sound, and having found it, presents
a good vibe that exudes professionalism. (Mike Loce)
BRIAN SANCES
BRIAN SANCES
Here Today
14-song CD
This recording evokes
a laid back, beach music vibe: I picture sitting outside on a patio
at a resort listening to Brian perform his easygoing music under a tent
by the ocean. Now I’m not just saying this because he’s from Cape
Cod but it does help this image, with his acoustic-y jazzy pop and reggae-flavored
music. Brian’s debut solo is solo in nearly every way as he wrote,
produced, and played every instrument but drums but it has the feel
of an entire band and would work well stripped down acoustically. There
are a few moments where I felt myself drifting but for the most part
I found Here Today to be a pleasant, enjoyable CD. Best tracks:
“Still In Love” (featuring some lovely guitar work), “Middle of
The Road” (this and a few others have a Paul McCartney vibe to them),
and “Can You See” (nice melody). Nice job for a solo debut.
(Debbie Catalano)
SKÜLL HAMMER
Pay It In Blood
10-song CD
I was skeptical of
Sküll Hammer’s full-length debut, Pay It In Blood. First there’s
the umlaut: hilarious in 1984 but kind of silly in 2010. Then there’s
the cover art: a Dungeons and Dragons-like battle scene: complete with
orcs and goblins, maces and battle axes.
When I finally played
the CD I was pleased to hear an album’s worth of straightforward thrash
metal; tight guitar work, driving drums, and angry vocals. No nuanced
metal à la Metallic. No classical guitar solos. Just straight up, balls
to the wall thrash reminiscent of some of the original crossover bands
like D.R.I. and M.O.D.
The album devolves
into silliness exactly halfway through with “Nuclear Holocaust.”
A sing-song chorus of “It’s… a… nu-cle-ar hol-o-caust”
and lyrics like, “Gather your weapons, gather your supplies, become
a wasteland warrior, or meet your demise.” Fortunately patience paid
off and I was quickly on to the second half of the album, which continues
the extreme riffs and crushing blows that endeared me to the first half. (George Dow)
THE DAVID WAX MUSEUM
Carpenter Bird
12-song CD
They tour as a four-piece,
but including guest spots, this bugger has acoustic guitar, mandolin,
dobro, fiddle, pump organ, banjo, vocals, woodwinds, horns, and something
called a jarana jarocha. I still learn stuff occasionally. You won’t
learn anything huge from this record, but that’s fine, and not the
idea anyway. Someone once said, “There’s good genre stuff, and bad
genre stuff,” and this is…not bad. It ain’t your average folk
thing, since it’s fairly informed by the main guy’s time spent in
Mexico. So while some of it has (among other things) an actual mariachi
tinge, it’s not that mindlessly happy stuff you hear blarin’ outta
the low-riders with the fuzzy dice, by a longshot. (Conversely, I’m
not sure a quote such as, “The David Wax Museum has been causing a
ruckus in living rooms and backyards throughout the country” is something
you wanna crow in your press sheet.) Not my thing, but they possess
that rare no-bullshit quality where you just know you’re not being
hustled. The more naked the sound, the harder it is to fake it. If you
like the kinda instrumental lineup noted above, doing subdued, non-precious
boondocky stuff, you’re good. (Joe Coughlin)
LUX
LUX
The Left One Alone
11-song CD
I’m going to start
this off by saying I’m probably not the most qualified person in the
world to review a jazz record, but there were two things about Lux that
immediately jumped out at me in a good way. One, the band has the same
name as one of my men’s league hockey teams. Therefore, I feel we
are already kindred spirits. Two, the music reminds me of the intro
sequence on The Cosby Show. At first, this simply led to me picturing
Cliff Huxtable doing his little head fake dance moves, but then I found
myself doing the same as I sashayed across the living room, through
the dining room and then on to my kitchen where I was quite disappointed
to discover that I didn’t have any Jell-O Pudding Pops in the freezer.
(Kevin Finn)
THE BROTHER KITE
Clairecords
Isolation
12-song CD
This CD is very moody,
shifting through extreme feelings. It groups the songs into small
stories that deal with loss, love, and isolation. Patrick Boutwell’s
vocals tug at every nerve; he sounds as if every isolated incident in
these songs he has lived through personally. It is amazing how
upbeat the rhythms can be, but the vocals remain somber, distant, with
a very airy effect on them. “The Sea is Changing” is a pretty
fast paced song about how life is always changing, and we should learn
from it, because we can’t change it. “Not Good Enough” is
a beautiful song; it starts very simple but builds into a very large
epic sounding production, complete with multiple vocals, background
singers that sound like angels, a simple repetitive but catchy guitar
rift and thunderous drums. This CD has so many layers that it’s
easy to get lost in it. I’ve listened to this several times
over the last few days, and it has definitely grown on me. It’s
very much like old Radiohead—not always approachable, and not all
will appreciate it, but those who do will probably relate with the feelings
of finding solace within the Isolation. (Melvin O)
THE HONORS
THE HONORS
Wolf Den Media
XOXO
8-song CD
Although the artwork
is pretty neat and the overall production is very good, the first listen
of XOXO didn’t leave much of an impression. However,
this is not an old A&R guy looking for the next big thing and discarding
the disc into a big pile of throw aways after a quick listen. This is
about a band like most new bands in this new world looking for an audience
for their music, so I went back for another spin. This time around,
the snazzy production by Sevan Minassian recorded in the cozy New Alliance
Recording studio sounded even better. There are even some pretty good
songs in the mix. It’s kind of like smashing Interpol and the
Smiths together but a little bit happier. Perhaps that might be
a slight reach, but it’s close enough. Lead Singer Brandon Heisler
and company are off to a pretty good start with this eight song debut.
In fact the record gets better as it goes along and by the end it’s
almost a rock record, but for the most part it’s closer to indie pop.
The fun really starts on the third track, “Call Me From California,”
which is appropriately titled since it has a surf feel to it.
The next song “Driven By Strangers,” is also really impressive.
The Honors are one of those bands that could make an impact if they
work on it and more importantly stick with it, keep writing, and play
a lot. (Steev Riccardo)
SUGAR MAMA
SUGAR MAMA
Sugar Mama
8-song CD
So I brought this huge
bag back from Olive Garden and Seymour, my lovely cat, loves to play
in bags and I was swinging him back and forth, back and forth in it
and he was so dizzy when I let him out that he almost fell into his
food dish!
Oh, sorry, let me prevent
myself— I am Mrs. Slimedog, top (reception) reviewer of the Noise,
the most knowledgeable music writer and one spicy, hot tamale on the
dance floor. You don’t need any chips with my salsa, daddy-o, Yow!
So these Sugar Mamas
play funk and reggae, funk being invented by Michael Bolton, I believe,
and reggae by pot smokers in Jamaica Plain. Slimedog says these mamas
are very good musicians and play a slick version of these styles in
a prog rock manner that seems too routine for him. Me, I like it as
I dressed Seymour in his matador costume and we danced along the kitchen
floor to this a lot. Please, everybody dance, clap your hands, clap
your hands! (Mrs. Slimedog)
TWO VIEW REVIEW
MATT BUNSEN &
THE BURNERS
Greatest Hits
10-song CD
The musicianship here
is immaculate, particularly on the country-rock numbers: “Don’t
Ask Why” is redolent of Sweethearts-era Byrds; “Jessie” is a soulful,
hook-laden anthem; “Hey Dia” is a sweet-natured roots-rocker ala
early Yo La Tengo. But the bulk of the songs are amusingly good-natured
but low-key genre parodies, and the rather broad attempts at humor mostly
fall flat. Track one sounds like a poor man’s John Cale (replace “beer”
with “fear” and you’ll see what I mean). Lyrically, the humorous
numbers simply don’t get much better from there. Outright travesties
such as “Life on the Road 2.0,” “The Trouble With Love,” and
“Drugs Make Me Happy” are, at best, negligibly enjoyable. And the
deliberately execrable cover of “Sing” by the Carpenters (with an
interpolated through-line from “And Your Bird Can Sing”) is not
bravely transgressive, but simply ham-handed. (Francis DiMenno)
Greatest Hits
10-song CD
Recorded on both coasts
and featuring lots of well-known locals, they say here that they’re
difficult to pigeonhole. Not at all. By their own admission, it’s
largely a novelty record and, despite their claim to be “genre-hopping,”
mostly use country rock as a springboard. They tag one (“Drugs Make
Me Happy”) as a swing tune, and say that it made it to the finals
of the International Songwriting Competition. (The mind reels at the
thought of what kind of ungodly entries didn’t make the cut.) There’s
an honest-to-God Carpenters cover here which manages to make me long
for the original, and they throw the guitar lick from the Beatles’
“And Your Bird Can Sing” into it, which I could only take as a personal
insult. The music is appropriately slick, but the lyrics are often shamefully
junior high. I’m all for bands having their fun, but I’ll never
understand why those who can play at these accomplished levels would
squander the time and resources to pinch off D-grade Al Yankovic knockoffs
when they could do something truly lasting. (Joe Coughlin)
POWERHOUSE
POWERHOUSE
In The Meantime
12- song CD
I think I will never hear a CD as lovely
as a beer. This band is not the one, to make me feel a bit less glum,
at the task of describing dull pop rock songs that leave me bored and
feeling numb. “Aimee Mann backing Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers” it
claims to be; lesser imitators would describe their sound more succinctly.
The sound is shiny bright and everything is played quite right but the
guitar leads sounding like Neil Young fuzzed out, is the only part of
these tunes I can truly tout. Also, a certain sameness to the songs
makes this CD seem rather long. Alas, I must return to my endless quest,
for a cd that I can claim to be the best. But for now I turn a disappointed
ear away from this music I can no longer bear. (Slimedog)
MARTHA’S VINYARD
FERRIES
Sick Room Records
In the Pond
4-song CD
This band started out
as a joke name Bob Weston (Shellac/ Volcano Suns/ Mission of Burma)
came up with as a springboard to play some shows with Elisha Weisner
(Kahoots). Once they enlisted the help of Chris Brokaw (Come/
Codeine), they recorded some music and released a post-punk rock EP
under this moniker. Lovers of MOB, Volcano Suns, and Kahoots,
will gravitate to the low-key vocal and the angular, intellectual grind
of this mini musical masterpiece! This is 10 minutes of fun you cannot
do without. Available as a download or a limited edition 12”
with a special etching by artist Rosemary Hoeft on the other side. Nice!
(Joel Simches)
THE LIGHTS OUT
Rock Pony
4-song CD
Anodyne rockers that
are almost offensively predestrian. Hook-laden MOR that seems strangely
enervated. These songs might have seemed like hot stuff back in the
heyday of Benny Mardones and Rodney Bingenheimer, but I am looking for
something a bit more revolutionary than yet another rehash of full-bore
genre cliches, no matter how cleverly manipulated and meticulously presented.
“Make Me” is the most original and innovative performance, yet at
the same time seems to be the least fully realized composition on this
sampler. (Francis DiMenno)
ELSEWHERE
Miss Cashew Records
1981
6-song CD
A band set on world
domination, Elsewhere has crafted an EP of ear-pleasing originals in
the tradition of power pop. As is stated within their one-sheet,
the band is a “product of a rare musical mutation that combines the
energy and raw angst of punk with the ambition and creativity of progressive
rock.” Introspective lyrics and catchiness make the disc an
overall pleasure to listen to, with each of the tracks having the potential
to be radio hits. Although not particularly groundbreaking, the
band has put forth an honest and entertaining effort. There is
a lot to like here. (Julia R. DeStefano)
TOTEM
37’ Productions
Totem
5-song CD
Digging the Totem vibe
here. Time shifting alterna-acoustic song structuring with harmonized
vocals. Kinda moody, AM-radio processing on the vocals which for some
reason remind me of a lighter Roger Waters-type storytelling penchant.
Not in the timbre, but the insistence. Or maybe Alan Parsons
Project vocals. It’s possible that the guys in this band never heard
of either of those, so I’ll stop my comparisons and just say that
this is an enjoyable listen. Also, there’s one surprise heavy metal
track that throws you for a loop, rocking! (Mike Loce)
SERPENT SPEAK
SERPENT SPEAK
Exhibit 966…Declassified
5-song CD
This EP sounds like
it would work nicely as the soundtrack to one of those video games in
which you have to shoot aliens by the shipload or perhaps a horror movie
that takes place completely in the dark. It definitely should be the
soundtrack to something as its industrial blend of distorted and whispered
vocals, synths and clanging metal objects certainly inspires feelings
of dread and discomfort, but doesn’t possess enough real songwriting
craftsmanship to work on its own. While that lack of true songs will
keep me from going back to this record very often, Serpent Speak’s
creepiness did leave me a little unsettled, which I’m guessing is
probably the point.
(Kevin Finn)
TOMN
TOMN
Tomn
6-song CD
Tomn fuses together
a dreamy concoction of music that blends his Brazilian music influence
with modern pop and adult alternative. I hate using typical music biz
genre terms but I want to get across how the sound is both exotic and
radio-friendly. So there you go. The first track should really set the
tone, but Tomn’s collection is a bit of pleasant surprise. The opener
is the gorgeous and enchanting tune, “Primeiro Encanto”… but later
in track five, we hear the catchy modern rock song “Off the Map.”
Well, as far as I’m concerned Tomn can go as far off the map he wants
because from beginning to end he (and all his talented guest musicians)
truly delivers a stellar piece of musical art with this EP. (Debbie
Catalano)
ERICA ETHER
Breathe In the Ether
4-song CD
These four tracks remind
me of early ’90s dance music. The songs are up tempo with preset synth
sounds with phase shifting washes. Some of the beats are busy. The production
sounds like it was home-recorded on a laptop and is most noticeable
in the vocals. My main problem with these tracks is the vocals. The
songs seem over-sung and Erica’s delivery has a karaoke champ feel
to it. Harmonizing the vocals on “Sex on Heels” tightens things
up a bit but when singing the hook on “Memory” she is trying too
hard to belt it diva style and quickly sounds out of key. With a little
EQ work, a better mic, and more variety in vocal delivery Erica could
have a cool Deee-Lite vibe. (Heather Kilrow)
If you’re sending a CD in to
the Noise make sure to use our new address.
And everyone else should
update our contact info too. Thanks.
T Max/ the Noise
24 Beverly Drive
Georgetown, MA 01833
978-352-8656
tmaxnoise@aol.com
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