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Live March

If you have any interest in writing about the musical acts you see, please contact tmax@thenoise-boston.com. Write LIVE REVIEWS in the subject box and T Max will fill you in on how to help out your favorite acts.

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Page Contents

MIRANDA RUSSELL/

CHARLEE BIANCHINI

Cabot Theatre, Beverly, MA
2/23/17

When Charlee Bianchini invited me to review this show I didn’t know it was a benefit for the Waring School in Beverly and I didn’t know that Miranda Russell was headlining the show.

Head of Waring Schooll/ alumnus Tim Bakland takes the stage to talk about the school and the supporters of this event, then introduce tonight’s artists. The first act is Waring School alumna Charlee Bianchini (acoustic guitar/lead vocals) with Jack Tomailo (lead guitar), Chris Enright (piano), Mike Miksis (bass) and Benny Benson (drums) backing her. She confidently sings out her promising relationship originals. When she starts Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” John Aruda walks on stage with some sax blowin’. Charlee speaks lovingly of her time at Waring school – it’s where she first really started playing music. She closes her set with two more original heartfelt relationship songs. Keep an eye out for Charlie Bianchini.

After a short break Miranda Russell is center stage in a dark floral sleeveless dress that flows with her body rhythms. She has a strong country voice and a gigantic stage presence. An excellent group of musicians is supporting her – David Sparr (keyboards), Justin Piper (guitar),  Dave Landoni (bass), Joe Kessler (fiddle and mandolin), and Leo Ciaramitaro (drums) – but Miranda is the show – a total pro. She has acting skills, natural movement, a beautiful smile, and a whole lot of musical talent and personality that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat. Saying she has a strong country voice is misleading because Miranda sings her way through many genres – how ’bout some jump swing – Miranda slaps it with “Hit That Jive” – she’s helps out two female Waring students on Taylor Swift’s “Safe & Sound” – she crushes Dylan’s “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” – and does a wonderful “Linda Ronstadt Mashup” that includes “Blue Bayou,” “When Will I Be Loved,” “It’s So Easy to Fall in Love,” and “Love is a Rose.”  I’m blown away by her vocal range and control. She continues to bring up guest students to sing with her and she treats them all like they are stars. They cover George Michaels, Joni Mitchell, Traffic, Paul Simon and Leonard Cohen – stamping Miranda’s big splendid vocals on each as if the song were her own. What a wonderful quality Miranda exudes. She encores with The Eagles “Despardo” leaving the entire audience in love with her. (T Max)

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BOX OF BIRDS

Toad, Cambridge, MA
1/20/17

Standing on the floor surrounded by a group of onlookers is Box of Birds singer, Steph Durwin in a black, wide brimmed hat. She reminds me in appearance and sound, of Julee Cruise the singer from the otherworldly, roadhouse band in Twin Peaks. She has an innocent, girl next-door quality that’s balanced with a darker, more complex edge. This combination makes for a captivating performance and she does an excellent job holding the crowd’s attention. Her band is great too. I am impressed by the connection the bass and drums share as they rock out on the stage. The guitarist, with his additional support on vocals make this band sound extra tight. After the show I find one of my favorite songs of the night, “Bury My Bones,” which features some nice melodica on their bandcamp page. Great show! (Kier Byrnes)

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PULITZER PRIZE FIGHTER/
MOKITA/
FLYEATER

O’Brien’s Pub, Allston, MA
2/23/17

Flyeater open the night with a medley of rock songs. The band is quite unique and distinctive with a style to match. Composed of a drummer, two guitarists, and a bassist, Flyeater has a solid, rhythmic sound. The drummer is seen taking off all of his clothes except his boxers as he sits at the drums. In a similar fashion, the bassist wears a sparkly top and purple leggings and the lead singer is wearing a dress. Keep in mind, this is an all-male group but their confidence shines through as they just play their songs without a care in the world.

Inside the quirky venue on a little corner in Allston, Flyeater starts with a heavy song and then follows with a slower, more rhythmic track, in which the vocals and tempo increase as the song progresses.

The crowd is pretty small, but lively and interested in all the bands performing. The lead singer of Flyeater just starts talking to some people in front of him during the middle of their set.

One of their songs, “Whisky Sour,” is more melodic in sound and, as with most of their tracks, has a strong instrumental component with a few short drum and guitar solos. At times, the vocalist nearly screams some of the lyrics, but it does not quite flow with their sound. He is much better at just singing regularly with some emotion in his voice.

The lyrics are honest and open, but at times the instruments drown out the vocals and it is hard to understand the words. Despite this, most of the songs sound very similar, so I do not feel like I am missing out by not understanding the singer.

After a few songs, the next group, Mokita, takes the stage. This rock group is not as creative or stylized as Flyeater, but are more typical of their genre of rock.

Mokita continues the melodic rock sound, but in a more polished way. The band utilizes layered vocals with lots of emphasis on the drums. They have some electric sounds mixed in with the traditional instruments, which adds a nice, modern touch.

Although there is not too much that allows Mokita to stand out, they still put on an enjoyable show. They state that they are releasing an album soon, so I will definitely be on the lookout for that.

The final band, Pulitzer Prize Fighter, plays last. I have listened to them before, but have never seen them live. The group has a funky sound with distinct vocals to compliment. They have a few guitarists which allows for a variety of sounds, as each one seems to play a different tune.

The vocals sound somewhat similar to that of the pop-punk genre at times, with a strained voice that borders on yelling. Even though the sound is difficult to master, it definitely works for this band.

With this sound as their base, the band also has some R&B influences in the style of guitar playing and the layering of some vocals with background singing.

Pulitzer Prize Fighter released an EP at the end of last year, and most of their songs are from this release. The guitars are certainly the most prominent component of the set, but overall the style are quite enjoyable and the group does a great job of providing, and staying with, their distinct sound. (Kathryn Leeber)

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GREG KLYMA/

RYAN FITZSIMMONS/

DANIELLE MIRAGLIA/

PATRICK COMAN

For the Sake of the Song: A Tribute to Bob Dylan
Me & Thee Coffeehouse, Marblehead, MA
2/24/17

I didn’t think I’d be able to make it to this show, but last minute changes set me free. Tony Toledo gives a big warm welcome to the packed house and the show kicks off with Patrick Coman playing an unlikely Gibson SG while a drum machine sets the groove on “Million Miles.” Patrick knows how to use his tools well – he minimizes the guitar and lets the melody line carry the song. The simplicity of the delivery is what makes his performance powerful. He continuers with “Ballad of a Thin Man, “It Ain’t Me, Babe,” and “Maggie’s Farm” then ends with his own Dylan-influenced protest song – “When the Bill Comes Due” and it is excellent. Patrick is the subtlety.

Danielle Miraglia bounds up to the stage with tunes from Blond on Blond and Blood on the Tracks and says that’s when Dylan was the most Dylan – other people had started copying his strange vocal style so he took it a step further. She plays her own composition “Chronicles” that was inspired form something said in Dylan’s book of the same name. She’s got good physicality bouncing while she plays – her hair dances with her. Greg Klyma and Ryan Fitzsimmons takes turns accompanying her on the Telecaster. She ends cooly with “Subterrainian Homesick Blues.” Danielle is the color.

Ryan Fitzsimmons manhandles “Don’t think Twice.” His energy livens everyone up. He’s got some cool effects seeping out of what looks like a wah pedal but the effect changes from song to song. He hits us with “Masters of War,” “One More Night” (his first favorite Dylan song), and “Lay Lady Lay.” Greg Klyma joins Ryan on his last couple of songs to create a smooth segue into Greg’s set. Ryan is the energy.

Greg does the best job of getting into the Dylan voice and sells it properly.  He also tells the best story of how he admired the introductory chords of a band’s song “$1000 Car.” He repeatedly demonstrated how he loved it when he heard these opening chords (as he’s paling them). Then it dawned on him that they don’t own those chords… so his own song “Sand” just happens to start with those same lovely chords. He switches over to piano for “Make You Feel My Love” and stays there while the rest retake the stage for a full group version of of “Like A Rollin’ Stone” with them each taking the lead on different verses. Greg is the light.

The audience demands one more and the four soloists encore with “I Shall Be Released.” Wonderful show.  (T Max)

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LOS GOUTOS

Toad, Cambridge, MA
2/3/17

Having no idea who was playing at Toad tonight, it is a pleasurable surprise to walk into Toad and be immediately blown away by a band that I’ve never heard before. Los Goutos is on stage, or should I say more like spilling out into the front half of the room, as there are seven of them playing with guitars, accordions, banjos and noisemakers of all shapes and sizes strewn about. I am not sure exactly what the name of the band means, Goutos apparently means male pigeon in Greek, however their music is upbeat Americana that leaves me with a smile on my face. I love it when fiddler, Jakub Trasak, collaborates with Shamus Feeney on bodhran for a rousing Celtic inspired instrumental. I also really like Eddie “The Rattlesnake” Barrett on percussion and pocket trumpet. What he adds is subtle, but it really makes the music shine. The band seems to be having lots of fun – and that fun translates to the audience. However, having a band full of multi instrumentalists has its up and downs. In one sense, it keeps things sounding fresh, but there are large gaps of dead air when they all start swapping instruments. I talk to a friend at the bar that didn’t seem to enjoy it… he said, “it seemed wanky,” which I gather to mean that he thought it was a little show offy and that didn’t add to the overall show. Oh well, I guess you can’t please everybody.   (Kier Byrnes)

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DAN GABEL & THE ABLETONES/

DOCKSIDERS

Putney Auditorium, Gloucester High School, Gloucester, MA
2/10/17

I’m off to another gig that includes my favorite trombone player – the world famous Leslie Havens (I kid you not) performing with Dan Gabel & the Abletones.  But first up in this big soft-seated auditorium is Docksiders – Gloucester High’s student big band led by Dan Fleury. I walk in a little late and slide into the first row right side. Vocalist Sadie Cook is being introduces and she delivers a spot on rendition of “The Look of Love,” the Burt Bacharach & Hal David tune made famous by Dusty Springfield in 1967. The stylish Dan Gabel joins the Docksiders for a selection, showing off with his trombone. Then Sadie is back to close the opening set singing “Save the Last Dance For Me” into the old style Shure microphone. The song was made popular by The Drifters in 1960. The Docksiders prove that the future of the big band sound is in good hands.

The stage gets reset for the 18-piece Abletones to blast away with Dan Gabel at the helm. This old styled big band sports five sax players, a pianist, a rhythm guitarist, a bassist, a vocalist, four each trombone and trumpet players, and a drummer. They start with “Song of India” where the featured sax players stand and the trombones point right then left, wahing with their mutes inserted. Dan does a kind of jazz-rap in his invigorated self-penned “Abletones Jive.” The band’s female vocalist, Elise Roth, is decked out in a billowy sleeveless red dress, done up auburn hair, heels, and red lipstick, making her stand out from the dark suited, bright blue vest and tie uniformed band members. She sings “Massachusetts” from their Homesick for New England CD. Then she croons Tommy Dorsey’s 1937 “You’re a Sweetheart.” The next one is by the King of Swing, Benny Goodman – “And the Angel’s Sing” featuring Adam “Hot Lips” Mejaour executing a wild mariachi type trumpet solo. Some of the high schoolers get to sit in with the band and hold their own reading from the charts. Sadie Cook returns stage front and center to sing “L is for the way you look at me” – Nat King Cole’s 1942 hit “L.O.V.E.” Dan tells us about Lake Chaubunagungamaug and manages to easy fit it into song lyrics – and it’s a very catchy tune. They do a popular WWII wedding song, “My Devotion” where Richard Garcia takes the sax solo. Tonight’s luna eclipses inspires “Moon Ray” with a clarinet solo and “I Can’t Get Started” has Mr. “Snow” Fleury in a trumpet spotlight. Sy Oliver gets the trombone solo in a punchy version of “Up the Lazy River,” then whole band gets to sing in what Dan calls the Dan Gabel Glee Club.  They prove that they can take a modern hit and “big band” it with Katie Perry’s “Firework.” Drummer Jim Gancarz gets to take a break from sitting down (Dan sits in on the kit) and becomes the frontman and then returns to his backbeat spot and ends the show with a ripping jungle rhythm drum solo. Dan Gabel & the Abletones are keeping the excitement of a big band show alive. (T Max)

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COMANCHERO

Toad, Cambridge, MA
2/4/17

Tonight at Toad, Comanchero achieve an amazing accomplishment. It is something I’ve never seen any other band do at Toad. Comanchero actually fit all five of its band members on that tiny stage. All kidding aside, the band is on fire tonight. They are amazing. The combination of funk, soul, Americana, country and good ole rock ’n’ roll has the place sizzling with energy.  The extra room that the band produces by packing themselves onto the stage is used for  dancing and merriment by the audience, who cram themselves in as close to the music as possible at this already intimate show. A highlight for me is the guest singer, Krysten Muldoon, who is called up to sing some Comanchero tunes. Her soulful voice reminds me of a cross between Lucinda Williams and Carly Simon. It’s a fun show and I’m glad I made it out. (Kier Byrnes)

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CHRIS O’KEEFFE/

CARISSA JOHNSON

The Indo, Beverly, MA
1/18/17

Performing a benefit show for Healing Abuse Working for Change, a domestic violence organization from Salem, many acts are scheduled to perform, but I am only able to stay for these two. The Indo is a quaint pub located in downtown Beverly. The minimal lighting and intimate space make the atmosphere enjoyable, but the “stage” is awkwardly located and difficult to see from where I am seated. After a bit of a late start, Carissa Johnson kicks off the performances. Her music typically falls into the rock genre, as it is fueled by electric guitars and intense drumming. However, for this performance she only uses an acoustic guitar, most likely due to the small space.

Even still, hearing her perform, it is easy to notice the rock elements and power in her voice. She quickly strums the guitar and at times, drums on it. Despite having a softer voice, the way she plays the guitar and the control of her voice display her strengths as a rock performer, as the aesthetic and sound of the genre are still very evident. There are only two speakers and with such a small area, they are not as loud as they could be, making it a bit more difficult to hear her. My view is also blocked for most of her set, but surprisingly these issues do not hinder her performance for me. She effortlessly flows from song to song, giving a little background on each. Despite only having the guitar, the songs are clearly distinctive and each one sounds different than the others. One thing I really do not enjoy is when all of an artist’s songs sound the same, but the way she utilizes the guitar and her vocal abilities allow for a genuine and unique performance.

Next to perform is Chris O’Keeffe. He only plays a few songs, but they are very emotional and strong. He similarly only uses an acoustic guitar, but conversely has more of a singer-songwriter vibe. With Johnson, the rock sound and style were very evident, but O’Keeffe has a calmer and softer energy. He jokes about how his first song was possibly too sad, but I think it is very enjoyable and enticing. His vocals are a little rough at times and not as compelling as they potentially could be, but for only playing a handful of songs, he does quite well. Most of his songs are heartfelt and one stands out to me due to an emotional and melodic bridge that really grabs my attention.

A few more acts play for the remainder of the night, but these two do a great job of kicking off the night. Johnson has a few local shows in the upcoming weeks before heading out on a small, west coast tour. (Kathryn Leeber)

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PATRICK FITZPATRICK/

JON WATERMAN

Koto, Salem, MA
2/7/17

Koto is a rather large open room that serves delicious Asian cuisine. Salem resident and longtime singer/songwriter Jon Waterman runs an open mic there every Tuesday night at 8:00. The large room can make it feel a little empty when the audience is spread out in all the corners, but Jon is a pro and gets up on the stage, friendly greets all in attendance, and starts the entertainment. He whips out some lively covers on his Gibson acoustic. Jethro Tull’s “Locomotive Breath” and Grateful Dead’s “Truckin” compete for attention with Superbowl highlights on two silent TVs behind the long bar that run the length of the venue. Jon ends his three-song set with “One Way Out” by Sonny Boy Williamson (made popular by the Allman Brothers), adding in a little history about Sonny Boy and ending the song soloing over an ad-libbed diatribe of the “might be your man, I don’t know” situation. The open mic then commences with a mix of folk, electronic, and rock music before the featured artist Patrick Fitzpatrick (yes, it’s his real name) is introduced. Patrick, a conservative-looking dad, sits on a stool and proceeds to deliver some songs that are instant singsongs. Good melodies, good lyrics, sung simply with easy guitar accompaniment. His first, “Devil Made Me Do It,” is so catchy I’m singing along in harmony during the first chorus. He play his “Under My Skin” about annoying people and makes sure we know it’s not the old Frank Sinatra tune. These are easy strum songs that anyone could play. A Russian character named Alex is doing some rather random percussion accompaniment on hi hat, but the songs are solid enough so it’s not distracting. Patrick plays his lullaby, “Out of My Head,” while Alex encourages him to yell at the audience to wake up. Patrick asks for more percussion from the mad Russian on his bad attitude song “Unglued.” At the end of “I Do It All For You” Patrick breaks a pick but he’s prepared with an extra one in his shirt pocket that just happens to have been owned by heavy duty New England rocker Jon Butcher. Maybe Patrick is a big fan? No – he used to work at a dry cleaner in Manchester By the Sea and did Jon’s laundry… he found the pick in Jon’s pants pocket. Patrick is pretty consistent in his good quality song writing as he runs through one with the refrain, “Even though you’re not here right now/ I’ll make you proud.” He goes a little up tempo on “About You” then ends with what I believe to be his first cover of the night – “Don’t Murder Me” inspired by Jon’s earlier Grateful Dead offering. All in all a very good night, only lacking in an interested audience. Hint – go show up for this excellent open mic.  (T Max)

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JOE PECK

Battle Road Brewing Company, Maynard, MA
2/25/17

Taking the stage inside this brew house, which is located inside the historic Clock Tower Mill in Maynard, Joe Peck puts on a stellar performance with only an acoustic guitar and a looping pedal.

The place is packed, but I find a seat at the bar and have a decent view of the stage. While he is warming up, he shows off his incredible talent, plucking away at the guitar and strumming a few chords.

He starts off by playing his original music, but eventually adds a few covers. Most noticeably, “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra. While that may be a tough song to do justice, Peck does incredibly well.

He has great control of his voice, but it’s his guitar playing that is most prominent. As he strums the guitar with his fingers, he also drums on it a little bit, adding some beats to his already-lively songs. The loop pedal allows for a variety of sound making it seem like there is a whole band supporting him.

His style is clearly that of a singer/songwriter with a soft, yet powerful voice that commands the crowd’s attention. Even with so many people eating dinner and not really paying attention, they have no choice but to notice his singing and talents on the guitar.

He also performs a cover of “Valerie” originally by The Zutons. Again, the intricate and complex guitar playing stands out the most to ensure a powerful and excellent performance from Joe Peck. (Kathryn Leeber)

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If you have any interest in writing about the musical acts you see, please contact tmax@thenoise-boston.com. Write LIVE REVIEWS in the subject box and T Max will fill you in on how to help out your favorite acts.

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SILVER CIRCLES REVIEWS Nov10

Comment on any CD Review in Reader’s Respo™
Make sure you title your comment so we know which review you’re talking about.
You can also discuss local music 24/7 at The Noise Board

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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THE LENNY SOLOMON BAND
Not Life Threatening Music
Maybe Today
14-song CD
The Lenny Solomon Band plays a modern variation of good ole Creedence, with a dash of Petty, and a splash of Wilco. They have just enough country twang and lite-rockin’ folksy blues to grab your attention. I like this a lot, especially the easy effortless way Lenny sings with a wizened adult outlook on life and its complexities. He had some radio success with “Let’s Go to Mars,” protesting the current war, and his observations of some modern dilemmas like Katrina (“The Flood”) and personal misplaced values (“The Great Judgment”), places his sensitivity and caring center stage. There are a few novelty tunes also (“It’s Snowin’” or “Rockabilly Kid”) which balance his viewpoints. The sound of the band is a major factor, especially the mercurial guitar pickings of Bill Gibbs, who works wonders with his Telecaster and assorted acoustics. Every line is concise and wonderfully constructed, just like you’d expect from any “Nashville Star.” The rhythm section of Dennis Gurgul and Don Barry keep it succinct and snappy. This was a really enjoyable album and here’s hopin’ he doesn’t have to go to Jupiter (where governments are stupider) before another fine disc comes out. (Harry C. Tuniese)

BIG DIPPER
Merge Records
Supercluster
3-CD set
Indie rock is something of a soured term nowadays, representing a fad far removed from the earnest, unassuming music that originally spawned the title. But long before the days of the Arcade Fire, there was a time when bands could claim to be indie without smirking or rolling their eyes.
Enter Big Dipper, a band that over 20 years ago tackled the now-familiar formula of distorted guitars and knee jerk arrangements before there was even such a thing as “indie.” The band came and went rather quietly during the ’80s, but thanks to the good people at Merge Records we have Supercluster, a career-spanning discography covering the seminal band over three CDs. Spanning 50 tracks, the set includes their first recording Boo-Boo, the landmark Heavens EP, 1988’s Craps and numerous B-sides. Noticeably absent is Dipper’s Epic debut Slam, but the set still stands as a fitting tribute to a band that in retrospect beat many a jangly, alternative pop band to the punch, even some within their respective era. (Ryan Bray)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Kennebunkport: Songs of Peace
17-song CD
Mostly recorded live at a peace rally in Maine last year, this collection of anti-war and politically charged folk/bluegrass songs would seem like a throwback to a long forgotten era of hippies and Vietnam and would be a nostalgic, happy time for most of us if it weren’t for the fact that this is all happening in the here and now. Songs like “Blue State Liberal” pretty much sum up the political sentiments of just about everyone I know and respect, reflecting the current state of affairs, not just about war, but race, hunger, gay marriage, the environment. Even with veterans invited onstage to give support, nothing hits home until you hear 10-year old Keenan Beaudette’s plea for an end to the war with “Does it Bother You.” You have to be dead inside not to have some part of this CD make you think about how much things need to change for America, for the sake of democracy and the free expression of thought, and how far this country has fallen. Listening to this live concert will embolden all hopes for change and put you right in Bush’s backyard with a fist in the air. Proceeds from the CD will support Veterans For Peace and many other peace groups throughout the country. Support a means to an end. (Joel Simches)

BLACK FORTRESS OF OPIUM
10-song CD
Imagine you’re hiking through some castle or fort in an exotic country like, well, Turkey. The sun goes down. You enter an opulent Byzantine-style room. In the twilight you hear instruments and arrangements that sound vaguely Middle Eastern, but a woman’s plaintive but clear voice, in English, floats in, echoing off the stone walls. Then you hear other instruments—electric guitar, sitar, melodica, keyboards, organ, theremin. The music is simultaneously exotic and familiar yet it transports me to an older world. The MySpace page of this four-piece (Ajda the Turkish Queen, Tony Savarino, Joe Turner, and Joel Simches—who’s on the CD but no longer in the band) labels them as “goth/psychedelic” but I think Black Fortress of Opium goes beyond both. Although this exquisitely produced CD is made up of 10 separate songs, I can’t pick one that stands out because this disc must be listened to in its entirety. (Robin Umbley)

ROBBY ROADSTEAMER
Yellow Trout Records
The Most Pretentious Album
Since Axl’s!
17-song CD
To prove how pretentious The Most Pretentious Album Since Axl’s! really is, Robby Roadsteamer turned “Wicked Dude” into the first five tracks of the record. In what sounds like Robby’s one-take album, the songs sound like something a kid would improvise at a party. Casey Desmond makes an appearance on “Legend of Zelda” which is another song quickly thrown together to continue the 8-bit video game theme of the last few albums. LRP’s strongpoint was it had the hits. You could almost consider it a “best of” album. The only re-recorded song on this record is “When You Fall” which lacks the original version’s melancholy sweetness. While this album is playful, it doesn’t sound like much time was spent writing the songs. Even the highlights of the album, “Someone Put a Condom on My Dreams,” “Pussy Whipped,” and “You Got Idea[r]s!” need more to really be standout tracks. While Roadsteamer admirers will enjoy his usual antics, this album just feels like filler until his next album comes out in June to complete his Star Wars trilogy. (Brett McCabe)

ROY DAVIS & THE DREGS
Dead Weigh
12-song CD
I’m very impressed with this album; there’s not a bad song here. The band calls itself country, but I’d consider it to be more along the lines of “twangy rock.” Either way, this is windows-down, wind-in-your-hair, feel-good summer music. With this type of music, there’s a fine line between being contrived and being genuine, but Roy Davis strikes a balance that makes for a great batch of songs that are positive without being cheesy. If you haven’t heard this band, I definitely recommend checking them out, because judging by this album, they have the capability to go far. (Emsterly)

THE ATLANTICS
Big City Rock (remaster)
10-song CD
Well, this is certainly interesting: a record that comes with a disclaimer questioning its own legality. An accompanying note cites ABC records as the label, Universal/ MCA as copyright holders (hence no mention above, as it is unsanctioned), that an “anonymous benefactor” sprang for all this, and that it’s not even for sale (promo only. Shit, should I even submit this? Hey, someone sent it in). All that said, it’s fucking wonderful. One of my all-time fave LPs, from 1979, by an all-time fave live act, but which suffered from weak production, now beefed up nicely with a thicker bottom end which the original sorely lacked. These are some of the greatest power-pop tracks ever committed to tape, from here or anywhere. There’s one cover (Martha & the Vandellas’ “Nowhere To Run,” which they handle just finely). Only “Modern Times Girl” doesn’t quite work, with its slower tempos, which just wasn’t their thing. Kinda always struck me as Huey Lewis trying to do the Beatles’ “I Want You (She’s So Heavy).” Fans/ archivists should note that there’s also a recent release of their “lost”/ unreleased/ whatever second LP which never came out, and is equally astounding (and sonically more masterful). If you like this kinda stuff, you’d be a serious dick not to seek it out. (Joe Coughlin)

ERIN AND NEIL HARPE
Juicy Juju Records
Delta Blues Duets
10-song CD
This father-daughter duet valiantly attempts a recreation of old time delta blues, and if they fall short, it is less on account of Erin Harpe’s vocals, which at least hint at the wild strangeness of the originals, and more to do with the impossibility of measuring up to the originals. The steel guitar that resonates on their version of “Kokomo Blues” perhaps comes closest to recreating both the letter and spirit of their model. (Francis DiMenno)

GRANDEVOLUTION
All We Have Is Now
14-song CD
I had no idea these guys ’n’ gal had been around so long. 250 shows in five years ain’t too shabby, really. And with the first few tracks, I was truly struck by the whole light/ heavy balance thing they seem to be going for. Tough, tight and crunchy underneath, kinda luminous and feathery on top (Sarah Kollett’s vocals). A few numbers veer strictly toward the lighter side, but are still played with authority. And I thought, “Dang, this could BE somethin’!” Then, some annoying things happened. One, I tried to read the lyrics. It’s that deal where they’re all smooshed together with no space between words in a microscopic typeface. Why even bother? (What few I finally deciphered were all introspective fluff anyway.) About halfway in, I realized this is actually one of the least-nuanced records I’ve ever heard. Almost everything’s sung at the same volume, dead-on-the-meter, no actual swing or elbowroom anywhere. Too bad, ’cause there ARE melodies and arrangements here, but there’s a monochromatic airtightness to it that ultimately flattens the material into something far more calculated than they may have intended. By the end, I felt literally suffocated by the sameness. I bet if they just loosened up a little, they could take this somewhere special. (Joe Coughlin)

HARA KIRI
Hara Kiri
8-song CD
One of the difficult things about writing reviews is when you are given two similar acts at once. Inevitably, one ends up suffering in comparison to the other. So, sorry Hara Kiri if this means I’m not giving you a completely fair shake. Or maybe blame Destruct-A-Thon for kicking my ass with a sound that is much less dated and has a more scathing message and sharper songwriting. Basically, Hara Kiri sounds like a big monster, running around making a lot of noise, but not frightening anyone. I will say that the musicianship is mostly impressive, particularly the phenomenally impressive drumming on “Meltdown,” one of the disc’s few standout tracks. But if the songs aren’t there, then who really cares how well you can play? (Kevin Finn)

THE BILTMORES
Never Go Home
12-song CD
Don’t let the low budget packaging fool you. The Biltmores are a polished indie pop band with all the trimmings and they are eager to please. Layers of guitars combine effortlessly with strategically placed percussion and radio samples over a solid backdrop of bass and drums. The vocals slither and whisper into your subconscious mind like a piper at the gates of dawn tasting metallic clouds on a freefall from Souvlaki Space Station (please put your hands together for the ultra clever Pink Floyd/ Flaming Lips/ Chapterhouse/ Slowdive literary reference). I can’t stop listening to this CD and if you caught my ultraclever reference to which I (parenthetically) alluded, you most certainly will. (Joel Simches)

THE DESTRIES
We Love You Baby
14-song CD
I love this band! Their songs are all fun, upbeat indie pop gems. Fuzzy guitars, cute lyrics, and catchy choruses constitute the 14 tracks on this debut album. They sound like a mix of Bishop Allen and The Promise Ring, with some Teenage Fanclub thrown in for good measure, but they still hold down their own (somewhat) unique sound at the same time. I love the song “She’s the One”—it’s catchy, and the mini-guitar solo towards the end is a nice touch. While I don’t think The Destries are doing anything novel with their music, they are doing a great job capitalizing on a tried-and-true style. (Emsterly)

ANCIENT PISTOL
Bear Hill Phenomenon: An Atom Age Soundscape
12-song CD
Michael Feeney is the mastermind behind these entirely instrumental self-designated soundscapes, which in their tonalities bring to mind such examples as very early Gang of Four, PiL, and Wire. But the musique concrete which results, though texturally intriguing to a diehard avant-guardian, ultimately seems more an application of mathematical formulae than a living, breathing entity; I get the distinct impression that this is what two jumbo jet computers might have to say to each other as they traverse the boundless ionosphere. (Francis DiMenno)

BURY YOUR DEAD
Victory Records
03.18.08
11-song CD
Ah, yes, Mrs. Slimedog, voted number one record reviewer this year. Oh, no, not in the Noise, silly, but in my native Guatemala. Yo soy la major! Bury Your Dead is another one of those growly, icky metal bands with those scary guitars and thunderous drum beats. The only reason I can think of why I was assigned this is that I’m a big Andrea Bocelli fan. I read in the liner notes that they played the second stage at Ozzfest and I don’t see this band having anything remotely in common with Judy Garland or the Wizard of Oz. This continuous onslaught of oppressive music and horrific vocals I can only compare to something as distasteful as giving an enema to Slimedog. Something I wouldn’t wish on my best enemy! Obviously, this bands attempt to win under the middle aged, Guatemalan Andre Bocelli fans has failed disastrously. (Mrs. Slimedog)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Low Budget
A Chosen Phew
11-song CD
This is yet another brilliant compilation from the usual suspects over at Low Budget Records. For this go-round, the Roslindale musical hipsters have gone new age with a collection of sonic landscapes sure to make Eno grow a new head of hair. Highlights include the opening track by Bill Mason (from Bird Mancini), a solo ukulele piece by Glenn Williams, a surf track by Andy Hollinger, and a series of collaborations with the mighty Doctor X, Tim Casey. Mr. Curt closes this collection with the pensive, yet groovy “Munificence” and his protégé Clara Kebabian contributes the haunting “Clarafication.” As with most releases from the Low Budget roster, these folks sound like they have way too much time on their hands. Fortunately that is a very good thing. (Joel Simches)

VARY LUMAR
Waiting Room
12-song CD
This album sounds like anything else I could hear on the radio, but despite the band’s mainstream sound, they’re pretty good. Some of their slower tracks, like “Cosmopolitan,” seem kind of boring, but even the slightly boring songs are better than those of a lot of the other bands I’ve had the misfortune of reviewing. And on the other hand, their song “Terminal” is one of the better songs I’ve heard lately. This band reminds me a lot of Coldplay—not my style, but everyone else seems to love it. So if you like radio alt-rock, I suspect you’ll like this band, because in spite of their slightly clichéd style, their songs showcase a decent amount of talent. (Emsterly)

MUY CANSADO
Stars and Guitars
12-song CD
If Muy Cansado had stopped after track three, then I would have been raving about this disc. The jangly guitars and the interplay between the male lead vocals and the female back up ones remind me of a less crazed Pixies. The occasional singing in Spanish does nothing to diminish this comparison either. Not surprisingly, though, the further I get into the disc, the more I find myself longing for the real thing. Paying homage is one thing, but being derivative is another. By the time the mellower numbers hit about halfway through the album, I’m outright bored. Why do bands always seem to put the mellower numbers at that spot? It usually serves to do nothing but kill momentum. (Kevin Finn)

ANDY & ME
One Mile Challenge
7-song CD
Oy vey, do these guys love themselves. Big spiels on the intricacies of the recordings, why it’s a “split EP” just because it was made in two different places (songs actually numbered 1-4, then 1-3), and which awesome dude did which boffo thing on which bitchin’ track. If I’m to trust the material I was sent, some actual song titles are, “Little Calloway Once Said ‘With Friends Like You Who Needs Friends!?’,” “My Nose Hurts Because Last Night Some 14 Year Old Kid Hit Me In The Face With His Straight-Edge Karate Spinning Fists Of Death!,” “I Totally Owe Nate $1000 Because Of You!,” “Hush Puppy Whiskey-Doodle,” and a drawing of one dinosaur shooting another, who appears to be eating garbage or laundry. The songs are largely identical except for a stab at alt-country, and another which starts as a stab at alt-country, then reverts back to their other thing, which is not unlike a faster, sloppier, far less engaging take on two-hit wonders Lit, with a lotta musical “instant cred” clichés and over-emoting about nothing at all (trust me, there isn’t a single line even banal enough to quote as example, and Lord knows I tried to find one). All of which means that many of today’s youth will adore it, further proof of what deep trouble we’re really in. (Joe Coughlin)

STACY BUGG
Defined
8-song CD
I guess I was assigned this record because I’m a big fan of Andrea Bocelli and I believe the most entertaining part of this package was the promo notes. The eight songs here, “Range from pop/funk to funk rock with hints of gospel, hip hop, blues and soul throughout,” To me it sounds like Michael MacDonald with occasional metal guitar. If that sounds good to you, you may like it but for me it makes me want to set my hair on fire and run screaming down the street, “I am Michael MacDonald’s uterus!” But then, that’s just me. More from the notes, “While there are no extremely vulgar or shocking foul words, I do swear a couple of times. Besides that it’s clean sailing.” Well, I’m glad we got that fucking straight because some of the asshole Noise writers don’t give a shit about this bullshit. I, being a born again Christian proctologist appreciate the concern; the CD I don’t. (Slimedog)

500 PLASTIC DRAGONS
7-song CD
Most of you schlubs demand descriptions of music. Let’s see if these random lyrics (verbatim from insert) begin to convey anything for ya:
“Mother fucker I went with the beat on a sandwich meat but I’m from Mexico”
“I didn’t know her but she knew me from the stains on my armpit.”
“My dead friends were there the Cosby kids were there we smoked lots of weed with them This is a true story about something that never happened I was a republican”
“Fully hollow, listening to confusion is sex Pick up the guitar when I’m totally wrecked”
“Who will love you when you’re 73 When it’s dirty minds and busted spines An asshole with a shovel Throwing you Away”
“(I’m too drunk to be stupid) Throw myself in the garbage (your too stupid)”
If you think that’s crazy, you should see who they list as influences. I’ll give ’em Daniel Johnston, but only for the obvious amounts of medication going on here, which these guys sing about a lot. As well as about arguments, getting dumped, stalking, and getting revenge when they couldn’t change someone. And okay, while the music is tuneless, grooveless, monotone, acoustic-based, and unlistenable (which should make it totally benign), this one of the most disturbing things I’ve heard in ages.
Fellas, there’s a reason she left, okay? (Joe Coughlin)

GLADIOLA
There is No Road
10-song CD
This collection seems more like an aural sketchbook than a collection of completed songs. The instrumental passages are well produced and at times evoke such ’80s avatars as Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, but the vocals are curiously lackluster and the songs seem unfocussed and tentative. This seems to my admittedly jaded sensibilities to be an only modestly ambitious batch of songs that yields only an occasional small-scale triumph, like the appealing “Gone for Good.” (Francis DiMenno)

RED THEORY
9-song CD
So let’s see, their logo has a not-so-vaguely Church of Satan-esque font. Some song titles are “Faceless,” “Cancer Nation,” and “Dementia.” Vocals usually arrive with a prolonged shriek and some kinda exhortation of “Do it!” or “Go!” or unintelligible expletive. Their MySpace has an animation of someone getting his or her lips sewn shut, plus a photomontage of two heels-and-stockings-clad kinder-whores cavorting in some abandoned place strewn with graffiti, including (yup) “666.” Stuttering, Slayer-like riffs abound, in case you hadn’t guessed already. And that’s all fine and well. They’re as good at what they do as anyone. Where they lose me is in the bio (typos verbatim):
“While continuing to evolve with enthusiasm and a relentless energy, as does the fan base, the name Red Theory is growing stronger and broader with every show leaving a remarkable impact with each and every listener. While averaging six shows per month, self promoting and seeking sponsorship the band continues to pursue the hopes of becoming not only valued artists to the music industry, but also striving to achieve a long term successful status within the realms of song writing; all while destined to be a part of the ongoing influences within the worlds of rock ’n’ roll.”
Huh? All I’m saying is, if it’s truly groundbreaking or evolution you’re looking for, this is hardly the place. (Joe Coughlin)

CHAINSAWS & CHEERLEADERS
Feeding Tube Records
Zebu!
17-song CD
Greetings, Zortar here, space alien from another galaxy, inhabiting Slimedog’s worthless, flea-ridden, enema-ravaged body. I believe I was assigned this because I am a big fan of Andrea Bocelli’s. I also like Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles but fail to see how these three are related. They do say, though, beauty is in the eye of the beholder on your planet. Chainsaws & Cheerleaders, which go together smoothly, like cookies and cream, or chaplains and choirboys, perform music that is difficult to compute. Grungy guitar but with song structures that veer toward progressive rock or experimental at times. Throwaway vocals but who am I to metaphorically whack their weenies with a ruler? There are lots of songs here but most succeed. They make me think of the Minutemen, and if that’s a good reference, as it should, you should give these earthlings a listen. (Slimedog)

JEREMY LYONS & THE DELTABILLY BOYS
Eighths Music
Death of a Street Singer
14-song CD
Gotta confess, this was the dreariest-lookin’ thing I got all month, and thought it’d be a sure-fire Slam (admittedly not helped by the intro letter which presumptuously begins with, “Dear Music Lover…”). Between the packaging, the instrumentation (harmonica, banjo, upright bass, fiddle, etc.), the titles and the first listen, I decided better to wait. And glad I did. Just the opposite of so many records where it sounds great at first, and then I realize it actually blows. I like this kinda hungover-Sunday-morning stuff, but so much of it out there is awful. And while this is by no means a masterpiece, and there are some clunkers (“Jackson Sq. Massacree” [sic] is a too-long “Hot Rod Lincoln” sorta thing about a pot bust), what’s important is that these guys are obviously communicating with each other. It took a few listens to appreciate the degree to which they do, but it’s pretty hefty. Lyons has relocated from New Orleans to Cambridge and plays with new friends now, but looks like this was essentially his original band, who were bopping around up here and managed to knock this out. Hardly for everyone, and all the better for it, it’s the warmest, most authentic thing I got for this whole issue besides the Atlantics, and that was a reissue from 1979, so there ya go. (Joe Coughlin)

DESTRUCT-A-THON
Thrashachusetts Records
Aloha Jihad
5-song CD
This one is definitely not for the meek, as it is one intense effort, both musically, with the band’s bruising metal, and lyrically, with the title track, a simmering attack on George Bush’s war. While that track and “Consume With Incisor” are nothing short of ferocious, the poppy shout along chorus of “Heart Attack” serves as a welcome reprieve from all the angst. This peppy number would be perfect if anyone ever gave heavy metal aerobics a shot. The only misstep is a (mock?) threatening voice mail from Sam Black Church’s Jet that fails to add anything to the mix. (Kevin Finn)

EKRANOPLAN
Soundtracks
4-song CD
Ten years after the breakup of one of Boston’s highly influential and certainly most underrated Boston bands, Green Magnet School, founding member Chris Pearson is back with a bold new project. Utilizing a space-aged blend of guitars, programming, samples, found noises, keyboards and vocoder, Pearson takes his post punk noise rock into the upper reaches of the stratosphere with a collection of instrumental soundscapes. Fans of Spaceman 3, Rhys Chatham, Can, and Wire will instantly be drawn into these dripping (yet rocking) sonic landscapes. Guest appearances include Six Finger Satellite’s James Apt, Nisi Period’s Dave Yanolis, Come’s Arthur Johnson and GMS alum Steve Rzucidio. This debut is a must have. (Joel Simches)

CORTEZ
Buzzville Records
Thunder in a Forgotten Town
6-song CD
From the folks who brought you bands like Fast Actin’ Fuses and Sin City Chainsaw, produced by the man who brought you Coke Dealer and Quintaine Americana, and recorded at the studio that brought you Roadsaw and Cracktorch, comes a band that takes heavy sludge stoner metal to the next level of thunder. If you like your rock Black and Sabbathy, if you liked the Melvins before grunge, and if you loved Soundgarden before they recorded “Black Hole Sun,” then this new release will make your balls drop to an all time low. Ever notice that spilled bong water smells exactly like week old McDonald’s French fries? (Joel Simches)

EYE WITNESS
Eye Witness
5-song CD
With their opening fist pumping salvo “United We Stand,” this three piece from Worcester’s anthemic message echoes the sentiments of Bob Geldof, the Clash, Billy Bragg, and the Alarm for change and unity for a better tomorrow. Though the sound of the band suffers a bit from lack of production values, the raw DIY approach only underscores the politically charged message of the band, who coyly describe themselves as “occasionally color coordinated.” However their outfits match onstage, their music will make you rock out and even make you think. (Joel Simches)

ESTHEMA
Apart from the Rest
6-song CD
This recording is nothing less than a true celebration of a number of different styles of world beat, jazz, rock, ethnic European and Middle Eastern traditional music. The passion for the music cannot be understated, nor can the sense that these styles can breathe anew in this collection of songs. Though the five musicians themselves hail from different parts of the earth, the global chemistry between them is obvious, like five minds MIDI-linked without latency issues. It is refreshing to hear schooled musicians playing together and not simply showing off their chops. Though there are several opportunities for each individual to shine within the framework of these six pieces, this album is a true collaboration of musical sensibilities. This CD will be in my player for some time to come. (Joel Simches)

LOAM
Keel Records
Grief is Dead
6-song CD
Some people can go into a studio or into their bedroom and spend hours playing all the instruments and come away with something completely brilliant. Other guys flail away at trying to be brilliant, but could benefit greatly from someone else to bounce ideas off of, sifting through the crap and finding some genuine, good moments. This CD is a clear demonstration of the latter. Chris Rousseau is certainly adept at playing keyboards, guitar, drum machine and using a pitch corrector on his voice, but this CD is six parts of the same song: the same idea reintroduced and tossed off as six different songs. Sometimes there is something to be said for working with other people. Loam could certainly benefit from some fresh ideas and outside influence. This album doesn’t shine as brightly as the previous two releases. It sounds phoned in. (Joel Simches)

THE FEW
Morning Static
5-song CD
While the instrumental blend is interesting, The Few try to bring the funk with just guitar, keyboard and drums. The jams feel a little empty and hollow without the low rumble of a bass player holding it down and grooving with the drummer. Though the keyboard player is certainly doing a great job with the left hand, being panned opposite the guitar throughout this disc only makes that hole in the middle even bigger. The dual female/male lead vocal is like having vanilla and chocolate soft serve in the same funky cone. The funk sounds a little contrived, but the other light jazzy styles represented here do hint at the coolness they’re trying to achieve. (Joel Simches)

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BOY WITH THE AMPLIFIER HEAD (Sal Baglio and friends)

9 Wallis, Beverly, MA

10/21/17

A trek up to the North Shore at a new club showcasing ole friends. For 40 years, as leader of The Stompers, Sal Baglio has delighted local audiences with his majestic rockin’ tunes, spunk, and passion. Over recent years, he has also demonstrated another side to his prodigious energy – creating a sweep of low-key, pop-savant meditations about family, heritage, and other memorable characters. Brutally beautiful and sadly hilarious. He has labeled his new ensemble The Boy With the Amplifier Head, which features “the greatest living Englishman” Dave Mattacks (drums/ piano), Jeff Keithline (bass/ vocals), Todd Brunel (bass clarinet/ saxes), and Robert Rivera (cello).  All good – nah, make that GREAT! – and real real real. Live music created with acknowledged tradition and talent, serving us a big dollop of integrity!  Now that’s personal transcendence!

Sal opens solo with “Happiness is a Warm Gun” (one of John Lennon’s masterpieces) and a slow evocative version of The Stompers’ hit “American Fun”… “Well it’s so hard when you’re restless/ You live your life out on the run/ But all we really want is some American fun” that took my breath away.  He slowly brings out the group individually until they coalesce to perform an elegiac “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” The audience now truly gets the gist of the evening – a challenging acoustic delicacy with bursts of electric delight. During the next 90 minutes, he doles out some incredible songs – “Watercolors,” “Hobo Song,” “The Boy with the Amplifier Head,” “The Train to Liverpool” are stellar – often tossing in quotes of tunes by his pop heroes. Sir Sal, you are a songwriter, singer, and performer for the ages. A wonderful night for you, the band, and an inquisitive pop-starved audience. Bring it all back home!   (Harry C. Tuniese)

…

POSITIVE NEGATIVE MAN/

FOUR POINT RESTRAINTS

The Carousel, Salisbury Beach, MA

10/14/17

Salisbury Beach is one of my favorite places on the entire planet, and how could it not be?  In 1973 I watched the Sidewinders (purportedly WITH Billy Squier) open for Aerosmith at the wonderful Frolics Ballroom, which is now so much sand “under the boardwalk,” the brand new boardwalk along the beach 44 years later in 2017.  Salisbury has traded in the amusement park for nightclubbing, and that’s a good thing, though Uncle Eddie’s and Carousel could fall victim to the condo-mania happening at beachfronts, and – sadly – sooner than later.    But thanks to my Facebook LIVE in 2017 this writer got to catch another two acts on tape forty-four years after witnessing the Sidewinders – featuring vocalist Andy Paley, and Aerosmith… the band which… if Steve Tyler married Joe Perry he would be Steve Perry and we would be talking about Journey.

Positive Negative Man bounced back from their uneven show in Central Square at Club Bohemia August 31 with a terrific set on the large stage that crackled with energy, great lighting and solid sound.  It’s a wonderful atmosphere, pool tables in the back of the room, the ocean outside, and plenty of room for the audience.    PNM played selections from their college radio friendly Broken CD as well as newer material, the guitar interplay between Eric Gibbs and vocalist/guitarist Mike Feeney magical at some points, especially with the swirling lights that made the beach club feel more like the Fillmore East.  Drummer Dave Church has grown his hair a la Don Brewer in the early days of Grand Funk Railroad and it is a sight as the band chugs along back and forth between songs from bassist Peter Tomilloso and Feeney, both co-vocalists of the group.    The sound takes grunge up a notch with swirling science-fiction guitar lines from Mike Feeney – after all his guitar teacher was Roger Miller of Mission of Burma, and the sonic assault is to M.O.B. what many groups in the 70s were on that compilation Sons of the Dolls (as in New York Dolls.)   “Newport Beach” – the most recent CD Baby download single, was a departure with Church playing bongo or conga drums and the band mellowing it out for a few minutes, before blasting the audience back into oblivion.    Very excellent to see a band rebound so dramatically.

Four Point Restraints competed on the same energy level, despite the stark differences with the band genres, the bands were most compatible.  With their newest seven song release, Vicious Circle, the Restraints kept to their core mission – and maybe it was the fact that they followed a group into the blitzkrieg approach – PNM – that they upped their game from a previous show that I was able to take in about a year ago.  Vocalist Evan Gadowski controlled the large stage with Meagan Day’s bass, Mike Cashin’s drums and lead guitarist Will Barry providing the additional drive.  Again the club’s superb lighting system played into the atmospheric conditions, Gadowski’s harmonica going nicely along with the pink/red vibrations and Barry’s guitar scraping/rumblings straight into some country rock.   As stated, they followed a grunge/hard rock onslaught so their Flying Burrito Brothers approach needed the extra energy to keep the night’s theme going, but the ears did get somewhat of a break.   Meagan and Cashman generate a bottom as if John Entwistle and Charlie Watts decided to have a side band.  Very nice as guitarist Barry goes back to his intro musings along with Gadowski’s harmonica reprise. The audience liked it and the Facebook live, now up on Youtube, proves this writer’s memory intact on the event.

Gadowski’s songs have all sorts of intrigue so keeping an ear on the lyrics is mandatory.  Though the new album delves into the darkness, the live set has all sorts of nuances that entertain and shifts moods intelligently.  Ed Battles was the soundman and helps coordinate the shows. This was a good one.  (Joe Viglione)

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David Minehan

DAVID MINEHAN
PUNK NEVER GETS OLD
by AJ Wachtel

Having survived the punk revolution of the late ’70s and early ’80s, I can attest to the magic that surrounded the era. Seeing the Hoods at Cantone’s, the Rat and Chet’s Last Call gives me the credibility to pronounce this trio as one of the most influential audible architects of their time as well. Who amongst us doesn’t have a great memory involving this band? A generation later, Minehan reminds us all about the timelessness of attitude, creativity, and talent. His recollections are fascinating and just as important and captivating today.

Noise: The current lineup of the Neighborhoods is you on guitar and vocals, Lee Harrington on bass and vocals, and John Lynch on drums. Former members include Mike Quaglia, John Hartcorn, Carl Coletti, Tim Green, Dan Batal, and Jim Bowman. How has the dynamic of the band changed with the lineup changes.

David: First off there is the original line-up that is sacred DNA—Jimmy B, Careful Mike, and I had all the spirit, hunger and “habits” to make it up as we went along, and those will always be the best times as far as reckless rock ’n’ roll lust and blood-sport goes. After that it’s all about the changes in the music and people who seem to be crazy enough to enter the dragon that is the Neighborhoods. I’ve been spoiled by those killers who’ve shared all those tours, stages, vans, hotels, radio shows, TV shows, in stores, flights, fights, cities, states, countries, and subsequent gravy-trains of perks. I love them all and am indebted to their incredible dedication and talents. We always played for keeps at every show.

Noise: The Hoods won the WBCN Rumble 34 years ago, in 1978. Is there really a Rumble Winner’s Curse?

David: 34 years ago? No farqing way! That was 33 years ago, there’s a big difference. We won the year before WBCN started sponsoring the event. No big payday like the years following. Cursed? Not this guy. That was just the beginning of 15 years of living the dream of a working musician, singer, songwriter, performer. If anyone told me when I was 13 practicing guitar in my basement that I’d be traveling with Bowie, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick someday, I’d piss myself. Met and played with so many of my heroes I can die very happy. Of course there are nightmares along the way but any band is quite capable of cursing themselves regardless of their lottery ticket chances of really making it.

Noise: Is “Prettiest Girl” still the local single with the greatest sales?

David: I can’t believe it could still be after all this time. I have no idea who could verify this, but in that era it was huge. It also shows you what local commercial radio could do when they had their own freedom and power to throw some local music on the playlists. Never mind that today DJ’s don’t even get to choose what music to play. Deep respect for the legendary Carmelita and Angelle’s local shows. Thank Satan for WMBR, WERS, WZBC, WFNX et al! Corporate syndicated radio and music don’t mix—don’t get me going! I don’t know what’s worse, the top 40 hyped Hip Hop Fop or the remnants of Rock Radio Alternative Commercial Radio. Do we really need to keep hearing the Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots trinity of “rock” as the default setting ad nauseum? I guess radio is obsolete now, YouTube and Pandora is the new radio! All said, we still have the best radio and clubs in such a small concentration of our fair city.

Noise: You’ve been the ears at Woolly Mammoth Studios for a long time. What are some of the successes you’ve experienced and some of the failures where you didn’t achieve what you were trying to get? How about a wild story about a situation that occurred there?

David: Yup, I opened Woolly Mammoth Sound in January 1998, and it’s been a fantastic success for me and our clients. A couple of credos in the Woolly Mammoth Manifesto would be something along the lines of having such great rooms and gear that nothing “technical” should get in the way of a band setting up and killing it. Another big one is to take the collective experience of mine in the trenches all those years and help bands and songwriters not shoot themselves in the foot making a great record. There are so many snakes in the grass building a band and writing songs that many bands’ and songwriters’ vision can fall woefully short if not skillfully (diplomatically) attended to. So that’s where my producer’s hat comes on, and we get into the nitty gritty of the process. Usually a band is a much better “band” after working through a project at Woolly Mammoth. I’d also like to stress that unlike a lot of producers out there who seem to produce records in their “whatever it takes” mode of over-production and dishonest machinations, I really try to keep a reality check on what may be perceived as a band or songwriter’s human capabilities bringing it live to a show. Of course I’ll offer extra melodic ideas, especially counter melodies, but when I hear recordings that sound more like a producer than a band, I’m not as intrigued and the mystique is ruined. Other than that there is the usual insanity which tends to keeps us all amused. If I do see a troubling situation emerging in our sonic utopia I usually head it off at the pass. The “tell all” Woolly Mammoth exposé may come out in some blog sort of way someday, sort of like Mixerman, but without the mean-spiritedness because there are many many madcap capers to recount for sure! And when the time is right I will name names—ha!

Noise: What’s the story on Paul Westerberg and you playing the Monkees’ “Daydream Believer”? Why did you choose that song over, say, “Stepping Stone” or “Pleasant Valley Sunday”?

David: Suffice to say it was Paul’s tour and I was happy to play anything he wanted to play. Of course his taste in music is all-encompassing as well as impeccable. We are the same age anyway, and I probably bought that Monkees album the same week he did back in the day. The Hoods used to cover “She” back in the day as well. Godspeed Davy J.

Noise: Any regrets you have during your career?

David: Of course there will be the perfect 20/20 hindsight and woulda, coulda, shoulda’s to consider but it’s a waste of time to replay that stuff. If anything, I can almost entertain myself with some of my more glorious career implosions in full view of the industry. If I didn’t have teenage daughters who might read about such tawdry transgressions then maybe I’d divulge the dirt. Hmmm, maybe not…

Noise: What do you think your legacy on the local music scene is, and is it different from what you would like it to be?

David: I’d be an idiot to answer that… except to say that there are still great bands out there every week in clubland.

Noise: Could you write “Arrogance,” “Salt,” or “King of Rats” today?

David: Lee wrote the tough-love bare-knuckles Cad Rock epic “King of Rats,” but regarding the other tunes mentioned would be a yes, I could write them again as they are about real people who gave me such inspiration to do so.

Noise: How has the local music scene changed over the years?

David: It’s got to change or else—drag city. This is a good thing. The trouble today seems everyone goes to their particular musical church denominations and houses of worship that not much cross-pollination of bands and fans in clubs is happening. I also think we are due for another big shake-up. I’ve been lucky to see a few in the last three decades and that energy released in such explosions is very exciting. Sorry, steam punk doesn’t count and DJ’s will never be rock stars in my book. Gotta play, sing, write, and perform banging noises made from human hands. Otherwise it’s a headphone or disco trip. Not saying I don’t like some of the heavys out there, but there is a big difference. Live music rules. There’s more sex in it.

Noise: What is the greatest difficulty a band has today trying to get their music heard?

David: The sheer tsunami of mediocrity is like cholesterol choking the blood vessels of music right now. There are a lot of Garage Band hobbyists out there with slick websites, Facebook friends, and Twitter self-hype, but no real-world chops or stage experience. It’s a lot harder to comb through the chaff and find the real deals. Ironically these same tools can help bands with the right stuff get out into the world so much easier than 20 years ago. And yet it’s the same old song and dance after all this time in terms of money buying press, playlists, and prestige. Everyone seems to have to pay to play. From the Big Takeover to Rolling Stone—the quid pro quo money game is ON! But hey, you don’t start a band to make it in the first place, right?

www.myspace.com/neighborhoods

http://woollymammothsound.net

 

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Six Star General

SIX STAR GENERAL

by Eric Baylies

SixStar General has been one of the best New England bands, both live and in the studio, for over a decade. I had the chance to talk to bassist-singer Mark MacDougal aka Slick and guitarist Kyle Jackson about the band and the label Mark has run for many years, 75orless records. The band is rounded out by drummer Dan Ulmschneider.

Noise: Tell me how the band started. Had you known Kyle for awhile? Was this kind of your first band, or your first in a long time?

Mark: Kyle grew up around the corner from me in Warren, Rhode Island and our families were friends. He had moved back home after college and was playing with a drummer. Kyle had 20 songs of his own when he asked me to join on bass.  For the first year, I just showed up, played bass, and kept my mouth shut. Then once we knew it was working, I started contributing songs. I had played in some local bands before that, recorded some demo cassettes, played live on WRIU on a Saturday afternoon, and recorded on a Tascam 4 track at my house for a few years. The usual early ’90s loop of local music nothingness. One band I was in did open for Our Lady Peace in 1995 at The Met. It’s been all downhill since then.

Noise: Briefly touch on bands the guys are in outside Six Star General. I know you are all busy.

Mark: Kyle plays guitar with Jets Can’t Land and has a solo studio project called 15er that released a couple of albums.  Dan is playing shows with The Callouts, Jodie Treloar, Bob Kendall Band, and The Underwires. Dan also does studio work for most of Kraig Jordan’s music projects out of the Plan Of A Boy studio in Providence, including Jordan Everett Associates, The Bill Keough Band, and Karma Rocket.

Noise: That’s a lot of stuff! What came first, the label or the band, or website?

Mark: The 75orless music review site started in October 2001 and we managed to review almost 2,000 albums over 12 years. The album submissions we were receiving is what gave me the idea for the label. We were getting these great albums in from small town bands, who just like the great local bands around here, had no form of support at all to let people know they existed. So, starting in early 2006, we contacted the best ones and worked with them on providing them CDs and shows if they toured the area. Then, we took our favorite local bands and did the same thing.  The first year, the label had a total of 12 albums and then every year after that had close to 20. The review site stopped in 2013, but the label has continued on and we recently released our 230th album. Every band is different. Some need to find a studio for recording or mastering, some need help with manufacturing cds or vinyl, getting shows booked, setting up digital distribution, finding bandmates, borrowing gear, promo places to send their albums for airplay or review, etc.  I just try to help with what I can and still have never taken a penny of profit. Many bands can now do this all themselves, but it hasn’t always been that way.

Noise: 230 albums! that is insane for basically a one man operation who also works full time! Thank you from everyone. Let’s get back to the band for a moment. What were you aiming for musically when you started the band? Has that kind of evolved over the years or do you kind of have the same influences?

Mark: We originally just wanted to drink beer, play local shows, not be a cover band, and never go on tour. After a few years, we started throwing some covers in by people like Jonathan Richmond, Butthole Surfers, Cat Power, Sparklehorse, Grandaddy, Daniel Johnston, T Rex, and others. As far as modern influences, Kyle is the one who still keeps up with new music. I have kind of given up, there’s just not enough time any more to keep up, due to holding a day job that has gotten more intense over the past few years. I have had to admit to myself that when a new band cites the bands I was into 15 years ago as an influence, this new band is for the younger people who missed out on the real deal the first time.  It’s always a constant cycle and in 15 years, the kids now will feel the same way about the new bands that are coming out and citing 2016 bands as their influences – just like our parents did with Fabian.

Noise: Can you tell me about some of the best and worst shows you guys have done?

Mark: We had about 50 “worst” shows when our first drummer was too drunk to play our songs correctly. After five years, we got a new drummer and have never had a worst show since – unless someone’s gear craps out. I would rate our best shows as opening up for Two Cow Garage from Ohio. It’s an annual tradition that started ten years ago.  The locals who follow that band tend to drink way too much and perform some of the worst dancing I’ve ever seen.

Noise: I asked Kyle the same question.

Kyle: My all time favorite place to play was Jake’s in Providence, now its the Parlour and Dusk, both in Providence. We are not playing many shows at the present time. just a few per year.

Noise: Do you guys have any touring plans?

Mark: No, never. None of us have that flexibility and at the same time, we would probably want to kill each other after a few days – and we all get along very well. The key to our longevity is giving each other space and knowing we are never making a dime. We know we will always have day jobs.

Noise: Is the label slowing down or anything?

Mark: In a way, it is. Technology has made it so that bands can do much more for themselves than when I started over 11 years ago. I remember the old days of being stressed out trying to meet everyone’s deadlines, while hand screen printing each jacket for every release. There’s just no time for that now. No one needs to borrow gear anymore. There’s less physical products to make for bands, less money is needed overall.  Amazing albums can be recorded at home, no one has to go into debt to cover an outrageous studio bill anymore. Very few bands have the patience to wait for a vinyl release to be created and it has the highest expenses of any format, so the demand is low for vinyl for local bands. I am not going back to the days of cassettes. I lived that life already. It really wasn’t that much fun. Even when I have gone two to three months without a new release, I will find myself getting contacted by bands all at once and will suddenly have five albums added to the upcoming schedule. Even the slowest years have seen a minimum of ten albums released and I am betting that 2017 will end up meeting that same number. 2017 has had a quiet start so far, but now I have upcoming albums over the next few months from High Planes, Monument Thief, Suicide Bill & The Liquors, Stan Sobzac’s new album Stanland, Feng Shui Police’ final album, Bobby Forand’s I Blame the Kennedys book, and the long lost Swampbirds album on vinyl. I still get a lot of emails out of the blue from old friends that start with “Our new album is nearly done, are you interested?” If my first time working with someone was smooth, I will almost always want to work with them again. If it was a pain in the ass, I won’t bother. I have never used a contract and every album is a one off with no further ties. We each have an out that way. If a band is giving away their new album for free online, that is a situation I am going to avoid. I cannot compete with free. Any money I put into a band, I need to be able to get it back somehow, preferably from sales direct from my label website.

Noise: How long can you run it by yourself?

Mark: That is a really good question. I don’t have the flexibility I used to have in my schedule to go check out local bands I hear great things about. Ben from Load Records just announced he is shutting the label down. There is no way I will last as long as Ben did. I guess one day I will wake up and say fuck this.

Noise: Have you tried to get interns from the local colleges or even high school?

Mark: I have had interns in the past, but you know the old saying “If you want something done right…”  I really can’t assign someone else to ask my two most important questions of any band I may work with – Is the music weird? Are they nice people?

Noise: I know you guys made at least one video, any others in the works?

Mark: That’s Kyle’s department. Nothing planned right now. We eventually will record our tenth album, but have yet to practice any of the new songs. I have a pile of notes and simple demos recorded. I am in no rush and am enjoying just helping other people get their albums out for now.

Noise: Thank you gentlemen, and I use that term very tightly. But what do they know? How do we know they are being honest about the band? Are they really any good? To get an outside, fair perspective, I asked outsider music expert and WUMD 89.3 dj Sahugy aka Sara Shaughnessy , what’s up with these guys?

Shaugy: I’ve been watching Six Star General since they were a wee lass of a band. I first met Mark at the radio station when he came on the Local Anasthesia show to talk about the first compilation that 75orless was putting out. Since then I have booked them at several hole in the wall clubs, and they have all been fun. They are a fun loving group. Don’t let the music fool you!

Noise: I won’t! There you have it, ladies and germs, check out one of the most consistently good bands of a generation, and one of the most diverse labels around.

http://75orLessRecords.com

http://twitter.com/75orless

http://instagram.com/75orless

2016-17 albums now available…

Bill Keough – You’ll Disappear, Just Like They All Do

Keith A/B – Unbridled Optimism

Matt Fraza Band – Flies Through the Dark

Matt Everett – White Sugar

Crotchthrottle – WWCTNA

The Callouts – Check Your Friends

Jackson Jillson – Acoustic Glue Stick

Hooker Clops – Dumb 7 inch

Tall Teenagers – Self Titled

Jordan Everett Associates – Self Titled

upcoming release schedule 2017…

75OL-224 Stan – StanLand

75OL-256 Bobby Forand – I Blame The Kennedys Book

75OL-241 High Planes – Mayday

75OL-252 Monument Thief – Little Boxes

75OL-244 Suicide Bill & the Liquors – Butch

75OL-240 Feng Shui Police – Graduation Sensation

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Juliana Hatfield

JULIANA HATFIELD

by Kevin Finn

As a high school senior in 1993-1994, The Juliana Hatfield Three’s Become What You Are proved to be one of the handful of albums that had a profound impact on my musical tastes.  It not only represented one of my initial excursions into non-mainstream rock, but it also opened me up to both the richness of the Boston music scene and the idea that women could rock out just as well as men.  For a kid on the verge of entering college in the city, these were great gifts.

Therefore, I was obviously quite elated when the news broke last year that Hatfield was getting back together with bassist Dean Fisher and drummer Todd Phillips for a series of shows playing Become What You Are in its entirety.  I was even more excited to hear that they were working on a new record to be entitled Whatever, My Love.   Released in February, the album did not disappoint, managing the difficult trick of staying true to what fans would expect, while avoiding coming off as nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake.

Juliana was kind enough to take some time to talk with me about these exciting developments.

Noise:  Obviously, the big deal is that after twenty years apart, you’ve put out a new record with The Juliana Hatfield Three.  What drove you to get the band back together?

Juliana:  It was really just curiosity.  I’m always trying to figure out what I can do differently from the last time.  I make a lot of records very quietly.  I was getting a little bored of myself.  I had all the songs written, and we booked the studio time not having played together in over twenty years.  We prayed, crossed our fingers and hoped that it would work, and it did.  It worked really well.

Noise:  I was at the Sinclair show in February, and I thought all three of you seemed to be having a great time up there.  It seemed like a natural fit.  Were you guys able to pick up where you left off, or was there a bit of an adjustment period?

Juliana:  It was surprisingly easy to get back into the groove with them and surprisingly fun.  It was like riding a bike.  The chemistry was still there.

Noise:  I’ve followed your whole career.  I have all the smaller releases, and I’ve seen most of the local shows you’ve played.  So it was really cool to hear songs like “Little Pieces” and “Feelin’ Massachusetts” that I hadn’t heard live in quite some time.  As you were going through the material fromBecome What You Are was there anything that surprised you, or perhaps something that you liked more than you remembered?

Juliana: You mentioned “Little Pieces.”  There was something about the ending that we just couldn’t make work right, so after a few shows, we just chopped it off.  I couldn’t remember how I played the chord voicings.  I think that’s part of why it wasn’t sounding right.  That was the only song that we had to change.  All the other ones felt great, but “Little Pieces” is tricky.  Even back in the day, I don’t think we played it very often.

Noise:  It was nice to hear these songs and go down memory lane a little bit.

Juliana:  It was fun for me, too, to go back and play the songs I thought I’d never play again.

Noise:  From having seen you so many times over the years, I feel like your concerts tend to stay very much in the present.

Juliana:  Yeah, but doing the old record made me rethink that whole thing.  I think if I ever go on tour again with a different band, I might play “Feelin’ Massachusetts” or “President Garfield” or something.

Noise: You’re playing with Dean and Todd for the first time in a while. What do they bring to the table that perhaps wasn’t in other bands you’ve played in?

Juliana:  It’s their personalities, first of all.  They’re really funny, which isn’t to say other people I’ve played with aren’t funny.  But there’s a particular way we interact that’s fun and humorous.  I forgot how easy it is to be around them.  We get along really well.

Noise:  I was away for the Somerville show, but I was intrigued that you had Northampton’s Potty Mouth on the bill because I love that band.  How did you get connected with them?

Juliana:  We were getting ready to play the Bowery Ballroom in March, and my booking agent said to check them out because we were looking for a band to open for us there.  I thought they were cool, so we put them on the show.  Then after that I asked if they could get on the shows in April because it was such a good fit.  They were so good, and it was fun to hang out with them.

Noise:  When you were writing the songs for Whatever, My Love, was there a challenge to honor what people perceive to be The Juliana Hatfield Three sound while avoiding sounding like a rehash?

Juliana:  I just felt like whatever we played with that lineup would sound like that lineup.  Also, I chose a few songs that I had written back in the ’90s that I never put on an album.  I thought it would make sense to record the songs I wrote back then with the band from back then.  I think a good song is timeless, and it really shouldn’t matter how old it is.  If a song sounds dated, then it probably wasn’t a great song to begin with.

Noise:  A couple of the songs were on the Minor Alps record, Get There, you did with Matthew Caws from Nada Surf.  What made you bring those back?

Juliana:  With “I Don’t Know What to Do with My Hands,” I just wanted to try a different approach because I wasn’t totally satisfied with the Minor Alps version.  I felt something wasn’t quite right about it.  It’s great, but I felt like it needed another try in the studio.  I do that sometimes.  I’ll re-record a song because I feel like it can go in a slightly different direction.  I think it’s totally okay to do that.  There are a lot of classic songbook songs, and they’re just recorded over and over again by different people.  If there’s a good song, then it ought to be recorded a bunch of different times.

Noise:  A couple of my favorites on the new record are “Invisible” and “I’m Shy.”  I know there can be a danger in assuming a song’s narrator and writer is the same person, but is there a challenge in putting songs with such personal emotion out there?

Juliana:  No, that’s easy.  The hard part for me is to display emotion in real life.  It’s easy to put it in a song.  You’re safer expressing things in song because you’re not actually one-on-one.  You’re not truly vulnerable when you’re singing a song.  There’s that remove; there’s distance from yourself to the other person who’s receiving that information.

Noise:  Do you feel that way when you play in from of a crowd, too?

Juliana:  I feel totally protected.  By the time I’ve written and recorded a song, I’ve let go of the feeling, so when I’m playing it live, I’m really not thinking about what the song is saying.  It’s more like a sport.  Playing a show is physical.  It’s like math and sports together.  I’m trying to play and sing at the same time and remember the parts, using my body to play and sing.  I’m not too emotional when I’m playing.  I mean, I’m feeling something, but it’s more vague.  I’m not really focusing on the lyrical content at that point.

Noise:  It would probably take a lot out of you if you felt that strongly every time you played.

Juliana:  You see some people like Patti LaBelle cry when they’re singing.  They can get really emotional on stage, singing through tears.  I’m in awe of people who can be crying during a song and are still able to sing it.  I can’t do it.  Crying makes me unable to breathe right or something.  I don’t want to get too emotionally involved on stage because it will mess up my performance.

Noise:  The last several things you’ve released have been through Pledge Music.  What are some of the advantages you see of using a fan-supported model?

Juliana:  You’re promoting the album as you’re making it.  By the time the album’s done, you don’t have to worry so much about promoting it.  People have been made aware of it already.

Noise:  I know as a fan I like getting the updates as things are progressing, and some of the extras you include like the press kits and tour diaries are pretty neat.  Have you held on to a lot of those things?

Juliana:  Yeah, although my supply is running low because I’ve sold a lot of them on Pledge Music.  A year ago I had to move out of one apartment into another that’s smaller, and I realized I had way too much stuff.  It’s been good to get rid of a lot of stuff.  I don’t need piles and piles of contact sheets and press kits.  I’ll keep one of everything, but that’s it.

Noise:  I feel like in general over the last several years, you’ve been pretty active about making a connection to your listeners.  You’ve had blogs about song meanings, really small concerts at Q Division, and a good friend of mine won an acoustic guitar from you in a poetry concert.  Is it important to you to feel that your listeners are making that more personal connection with you?

Juliana:  I think it’s a way for me to keep people engaged.  People expect stuff like that these days.  They demand a more personal connection with the artist.  You can’t just do the fan club membership anymore.  It’s part of the more modern way.  It’s sort of giving people what they want.

Noise:  What do you have on tap for the next project?

Juliana:  I think we’re going to take the band to Europe in October, and then I’m just trying to figure out what I want to do.  I’ll probably start writing soon.

Noise:  Thanks, Juliana.  Can’t wait to her what you come up with next!

www.julianahatfield.com

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CDs April

If you’d like your latest recordings reviewed, send hard copies to T Max/ The Noise, 40R Highland Ave, #219 Salem, MA 01970.

…

Page Contents

CORIN ASHLEY

Broken Biscuits

12 tracks

Following a stroke that left both his left hand and vocal chords paralyzed, Corin Ashley made his return with Broken Biscuits. No stranger to the music scene, Ashley has toured with many well-known musicians such as Frank Turner and Dave Davies of The Kinks. The album opens with “Little Crumbles” which features typical rock elements of heavy guitars and distinct drumming.

“Broken Biscuits #3” takes a different approach with more of an indie rock style with some electronic components. The song is much more unique than some of the other tracks, stylistically and vocally. At only a minute and a half in length, the fast-paced tempo of the instruments paired with Ashley’s calming vocals is quite enjoyable.

Some of the tracks are slower, such as “Magpie Over Citadel.” Supported by only a guitar, Ashley’s vocals are the main focus. With some backing vocals, the song is much more relaxed than the previous tracks. As more instruments join in, the style grows to fit nicely with the other songs that have a heavier sound.

“Broken Biscuit #6” is more reminiscent of the opening track in its guitar style and loud vocals. The contrast in sounds and musical elements makes this album feel very fresh and intricate without feeling overdone. Every sound has a purpose and adds to the feeling that Ashley evokes.

Utilizing more of a slow drum beat and cymbals, “Junior Partner” has a strong jazz vibe where, again, the vocals are more prevalent. You would never know he had injured his vocal chords by listening to him sing, his voice sounds experienced and composed throughout.

Broken Biscuits is a strong album from Corin Ashley with an upbeat mood and a variety of sounds, sure to bring some light to anyone who listens to it. (Kathryn Leeber)

…

…

ALEX BREWER

Practical Matters  

12 tracks

Nowadays, there is always a serious impediment to making your reputation as a singer-songwriter. Namely, that you will be compared, usually unfavorably, to your many much more well-known predecessors. However, on more than one track, Alex Brewer, who is based on Cape Cod, is the exception that proves the rule. For example, “There Oughta Be a Way” is a witty, erudite patter song presented in a deadpan manner which favorably evokes (without sounding at all like) the young and playful Bob Dylan. “John Kelly” gives us a soupcon of the seriousness of John Prine, as well as something else which belongs inimitably to Brewer, due entirely to his ability to get inside the mind of a math prodigy who comes to a bad end. “Provincetown” is an irresistibly witty song all the way through: “Sodomy is not for me/ But Sodom sure is fun.” This is an album with a great deal to like. The guitar picking throughout is also damn fine. Highly recommended.  (Francis DiMenno)

…

JAKE McKELVIE

The Rhinestone Busboy EP

6 tracks

Imagine Woody Guthrie singing heartfelt relationship songs that are bit twisted – kinda funny – not ha ha funny – subtle clever twisted lyrics that don’t end up where you’d expect. The production is simple – kinda hidden with three guitars at times flowing together but never sounding complicated. That’s what Jake McKelvie cleverly put into this CD.  Even the cover art matches the overall sounds with a cartoon image rearview of a hatted man sitting on a couch by himself watching a TV show called The Rhinestone Busboy – open pizza box sharing the floor with his guitar leaning against the wall. The press sheet that came along with the CD calls it “cowboy music for the next generation – the one not getting out so much.”  It might be worth checking out Jake’s punk band The Countertops – they’re not on this disc, but if they are anywhere near as good as this they gotta be great. Probably the most refreshing CD I’ve heard in the last ten years.  (T Max)

…

BETA MOTEL

Temptation Error

5 tracks

Beta Motel is from Providence. they have the classic noisy Providence 1990’s sound, but you can dance, robot, dance! Someone folded up a map of time and mixed up the ’80s and the ’90s and got this incredible slab of pulsating dance frenzy. What do you like? Devo? Cars? Kraftwerk? Human League? No, you like Beta Motel now. You love them! I want you to open up your windows and scream at the top of your lungs, I’m happy as hell and I’m going to listen to Beta Motel! Or maybe you can just by the album and relax with it soothing out of your stereo. Yeah, do that. This was done at Radar Recordings and sounds like a million bucks, which makes sense because these guys always look like a million bucks, too.  (Eric Baylies)

…

KEITH ASACK

Keep the Edge Records

Shuffle

12 tracks

The frontman is under 30, but the music on the record (replete with horn section) might well have been recorded in 1975, when Bruce Springsteen’s overblown production Born to Run was burning its way up the charts. Unlike Springsteen, however, the vocals here are forever hitting the red needle towards the heartfelt; there is no subtlety in the lyrics; there is little novelty in most of the tunes, and the overall effect is a bit disconcerting, as though every trauma the singer has experienced is world-shaking: from the murder of John Lennon to the death of his three best friends to his inability to either live with or without his girlfriend. This grievous overdramatizing and lack of proportion makes this entire project somewhat less than pleasurable to listen to. Asack’s backing band, The Noisemakers, are creditable, and capable of a brisk boogie shuffle, as on their cover of the Neighborhoods’ “Arrogance.” A certain subset of rock fan may well find palatable all the weltschmerz seemingly extruding from every fibre of the singer’s being. Strangely enough, the penultimate song, the barn-burning “Last Night” promises better things to come and is the one number I can relate to with unalloyed pleasure – perhaps because it is a production extravaganza and something of a tour de force, taken at a frenetic pace, which doesn’t come across as either overdramatic or facile. And the bonus track, a letter-perfect tongue in cheek cover of ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky” isn’t any too shabby either. (Francis DiMenno)

…

THE JENNIFER TEFFT BAND

Cutting For Stone

8 tracks

Jennifer sings with feminine grit in her alt pop rock songs. Powerful, assertive vocals singing self-composed songs of protest and music with a message. She sings and plays guitar with her band John Parrillo (splendid lead and finger- picking guitar), Jeff St. Pierre (bass), Phil Antoniades (drums) and Carolyn Pae (backing vocals), who play with an ominous feel to their sound. This provides the perfect foil for Tefft’s superb singing and the messages behind the punchy alt/ pop/ rock music and vibe. This is her fifth CD and first release in ten years. Before that Jennifer started out playing for change in the subway tunnels and streets of Cambridge. My favorite cuts are the radio friendly opener “Roller Coaster,” “Cooler Than You,” the angry protest song “Silence,” about people who use silence as a weapon, and the sparse acoustic ballad “Air,” where I really dig when her exceptional voice reaches those high notes. The other ballads, “Let Me Be,” “Too Late,” and “Breathe,” that are powerful, sultry and assertive, also shine. All the Kickstarter supporters are listed and thanked on the back of the CD too; which is pretty cool. I really like this music a lot and so will you.  (A.J. Wachtel)

…

FAR CORNERS

EP X 3

4 tracks

Far Corners used to be a New Mexico based band. When guitarist and singer Justin moved to Rhode Island, he kept the name and got a new rhythm section. This is an amazing record. It reminds me of Future Of The Left, Wire, Pere Ubu and Crispy Ambulance. The album closer “Pressure Disease” is a like a time machine to take you both to the future and the past at the same time, maybe one channel for each, I’m not sure I didn’t learn about time travel in Mixology class, but I do know one thing: this is one of the best things I’ve heard out of little Rhodey in a long time. (Eric Baylies)

 …

MATT FRAZA

75orLess Records

Flies Through The Dark

7 tracks

With heavy jazz elements and vocal effects, Matt Fraza creates a nostalgic, classic rock sound. The use of the harmonica and melodic electric guitar support Fraza’s vocals. Admittedly, the vocals do not sound the strongest and the clear effects on his voice feel forced.

The lyrics tend to create a story and “I Don’t Want It” sounds like Fraza is just talking to the listener with some instruments supporting him. The instruments are very reflective of songs one would classify as classic rock, but there does not seem to be too much modernity in his songs.

At times, the EP feels a bit bland, at least vocally. “Deep” focuses mostly on Fraza’s voice, which fall a bit flat in front of the calm guitar work. The emotion in his voice is there, it just needs to be brought to the surface.

“Drugs” is a better track, evident of the potential for a more passionate song. This song sees a heavier sound with honest lyrics about Fraza’s friends supposedly dying due to drugs.

The drums are a crucial component of Fraza’s sound and are varied throughout. “Circle” has a stronger element of the cymbals and this adds some distinction between the other tracks.

With strong instrumentation courtesy of electric guitars and cymbal-heavy drums, Flies Through The Dark provides a solid classic rock sound. (Kathryn Leeber)

…

KEVIN WALL  

Demos From Crisis

3 tracks

Better known as a member of the Walker Brothers Band, Kevin Wall has shared three demos from a promising full-length project. “I’m Not Waiting” comes across as the kind of glum Americana pioneered by Green on Red and suchlike. “Anywhere But Here” partakes of the sort of heartfelt soul shouting reminiscent of singers such as Luther Ingrtam on “If Loving You Is Wrong I Don’t Want to be Right.” “More of You” provides us with a sample of the kind of upbeat Soul music which Sam and Dave were so adept at summoning up on tracks like “Soul Man.” I’m not suggesting that any of these songs are derivative, but I am simply seeking to locate and label them within familiar genres. The three songs offered up here are remarkably well done, and I look forward to the full album. (Francis DiMenno)

…

WHAT ABOUT NAOMI?

Messarounds

7 tracks

Don’t be fooled by the 7 track listing; this EP from What About Naomi? is filled with some lengthy songs, some entirely instrumental and others with vocals.

“The Benefit of One” is an easy-going electronic track with rhythmic drumming and funky sounds that support the various guitar sounds. Just about 15 minutes in length, this is one of the longest songs on the EP. It is a fairly repetitive track, but still enjoyable as background music.

“Heart in a Sheath” has a very similar sound, one that is heavily influenced by electronic components, almost in a EDM style. This track is more upbeat and with a high-tempo, contrasting their other more ambient tracks, as the band themselves describes them.

While the songs do have a similar sound overall, the differences are what make the EP so complex. Listeners can really hear each individual component and they really bring all of the tracks together. Some are more mellow than others, but that is what the band is going for.

One of the calmer tracks is “Nocturnal Driveby,” the longest song at 16 minutes. There is a slow build-up with relaxed sounds to support the fast-paced drumming.  The song progressively builds its pace by adding more sounds and it really works for this one.

The last track, “Somebody Else’s Fool” features vocals from Phil Fleming and is the only track with lyrics. Although the dry vocals match the futuristic sound of the back tracks, they do feel a bit out of place and unnecessary, especially since the other songs do not have vocals. (Kathryn Leeber)

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OFFWORLD

Grey Dawn

6 tracks

Offworld is a five-piece hard rock band from Boston with progressive touches thrown in. They remind me of the less commercial Queensryche material, but if they had a female singer. This is kind of futuristic metal, with a nod to the music of 30 years ago. The production on this album, by Jon Evans in Orleans, MA, is really out of this world. It was mixed in Brooklyn by Joel Hamilton of New Bedford and Barrington’s Glazed Baby. My trip in the way back machine is further completed by finding out that Kreg and David are from the late Cape Cod band Earshot, one of my favorites a couple of decades back. This time machine goes forward and back! Did I mention that it is also a concept album about aliens and clones? Of course it is! (Eric Baylies)

…

MAILMAN CARL

Mailman Carl

7 tracks

Right off the bat, Mailman Carl starts with a two-minute long guitar solo, otherwise known as the opening track “Panic Attack.” I never thought a song composed entirely of a guitar and some effects could be enjoyable, but Mailman Carl proves it most definitely is.

“Phrygia” slows things down a bit with a simpler guitar in another instrumental track. Even with a much different feel and sound, it is just as emotional and intricate as the first song. Instrumental songs can be hit or miss, but this band is incredible at experimenting with sounds that somehow bring the whole EP together.

Introducing some jazz elements, “Like Flies” features a variety of drums with a mellow guitar. Vocals are introduced and lead singer Paul Yu’s calming voice pairs well with the smooth instruments.

“Wicked Jade” is more of a typical rock song, albeit it does feel more acoustic than most rock normally does. The vocals and the instruments feel a bit forced, with an acoustic guitar backed by an electric guitar. There is a little too much going on, but the effort is still appreciated.

Mailman Carl’s style is laidback, taking inspiration from many genres and they do an excellent job of that. The instrumental tracks are some of the better songs, as the combinations of sounds blends quite nicely.

Although the vocals are not the strongest, the emotion behind Yu’s voice is evident. The supporting instruments shine through in all of the tracks, even simple ones like “5 Minute Seasons.” With a simple acoustic guitar, the song feels like it is telling a story, and convey such strong emotions with one instrument, which is so difficult to do. (Kathryn Leeber)

…

TINY DIAMOND

Tiny Diamond

7 tracks

Tiny Diamond is a trio of women from Providence who take turns singing and switching instruments like And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead used to do. Sometimes you put on a record for a few measures and your like, yup, I know what this is going to be and where there coming from, there will be no surprises from here on out. This is not one of those cases! Sometimes the music is about to take you off a cliff like Flaming Dragons of Middle Earth or Sunburned Hand of The Man. Suddenly, you are on a peaceful magic carpet ride floating softly next to the base of the waterfall, and you hear angels singing to you, or at least Tiny Diamond are, anyway. There are shades of the Dream Academy and Throwing Muses here too. Something for everyone, or at least all the late night college radio dj’s in your life. This is fantastic. (Eric Baylies)

…

LAURA VECCHIONE

Love Lead

13 tracks

 Laura has a great voice and is a very soulful singer. Sorta like a white Aretha Frankin and the horns in her band give the music a very Memphis sound. In fact, she sings two different kinds of Americana ballads, one is smooth and the other has more twang. Both are great.  Love Lead  is her third album and first in eight years. This singer/ songwriter is a Berklee grad and to back her up she uses an all-star band from Nashville. For smooth current country you would hear at the Grand Ol’ Opry, check out “Traffic Light,” “Bird Song,” “Brave,” “You’re The One” co-written by local legend Larry Luddecke, “Marksman,” Lone Wolf” and the closing cut “Midlife.” These tunes are full of pure passion that sometimes borders on spiritual; the power and preaching similar to the Queen of Soul.  For more twang listen to “Better Man,” “Judas Kiss,” and “Rockin’ A Baby.” Great stuff. Great voice. Emmy Lou Harris and Judy Collins also influence Vecchione as evident respectively on “Bird Song” and the opener “Keep Knockin’, ” both of which really showcase her stunning singing. The title song, “Love Lead” is a 6/8 gospel anthem about keeping the faith during trying times. Moving music by this big time balladeer. To hear what I am talking about go to her record release party at TCAN in Natick on May 13 where all the money will benefit the Family Promise MetroWest non- profit helping families move from homelessness to independence.  A voice you want to hear.  (A.J. Wachtel)

…

SORE EROS

Just Fuzz

5 tracks

Sore Eros is a psyche band from Northampton. They have been around in one form or another for over a decade and have created, refined, and perfected their own take on psychedelia. Some of the music is pretty like a waterfall on an august night, at other times the acid trip gets a little heavier. They remind me at times of Donovan or Syd Barret, or even XTC’s alter ego The Dukes Of Stratosphear. There’s something in the water around Amherst, and it ain’t water! To paraphrase canned Heat, I’ll some up my thoughts on this great band thus “I’m going where the water tastes like weed (or sounds like Sore Eros), jump in the water and stay stoned all the time.” (Eric Baylies)

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If you’d like your latest recordings reviewed, send hard copies to T Max/ The Noise, 40R Highland Ave,  #219, Salem, MA 01970.

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