When people think of Frank Black, their first thoughts inevitably drift toward his work fronting the legendary Pixies, a band whose impact on indie rock runs every bit as deep as that of The Velvet Underground, The Replacements, Sonic Youth, or whichever icon you care to choose. The band’s shifting dynamics and knack for combining off-kilter imagery with ear-candy hooks clearly paved the way not only for chart-topping ’90s stars like Nirvana, but also for a wave of exciting new groups such as Speedy Ortiz.
But what strikes me while listening to Black’s work with his post-Pixies band The Catholics is just how much more there is to his music than the soft-loud juxtapositions. The songs on the forthcoming box set, The Complete Recordings, appear to be influenced by pretty much the entire range of 20th century American pop music. There are plenty of indie and rock touches, but there are also tinges of country, blues, folk, and rockabilly. Hopefully, the re-release of this music will allow fans to discover an overlooked part of Black’s career.
Black was kind enough to answer some question over email about the box set, his artwork, and the evergreen appeal of The Pixies.
Noise: Hi Frank, thanks for taking the time to chat with me. I really appreciate it. It’s been a dozen years or so since the final Catholics record. What inspired you to go back and revisit that period of your work? Was there anything you learned or discovered going through the material? Are there songs that you liked more or perhaps less than you did at the time they were originally released?
Frank Black: The American record company that distributed The Catholics records went out of business some years ago, so those records went out of print in the United States. I then had the records remastered and organized into a box set to herald their re-release; I was also able to find some bonus material. I had a lot of fun making those records. They were recorded live to 2-track or in some instances in mono. I love some of the material and some of it I even find a little questionable, but it was the process that was special. All of the material is near and dear to me.
Noise: Do you have any plans to bring The Catholics out on the road?
Frank: I don’t know if we will play reunion shows or not, though I have discussed doing so with some of the band members.
Noise: Should we expect to see any new Catholics material going forward, or is the box set just a way to take a look back at an era in your career?
Frank: As special as the process was, I think if we record new material I would like to view the repertoire as a kind of demo, and a new recording would perhaps be recorded in multi-track fashion. But I don’t know if this is going to happen yet or not
Noise: Instead of using the original albums’ running order, you decided to put everything out in alphabetical order. Was this done to provide different contexts for the songs? Is it at all a reaction to the idea that most people don’t listen to albums in their entirety anymore? It certainly sets up some interesting juxtapositions, such as hearing different versions of the same songs consecutively.
Frank: By placing them in alphabetical order it automatically puts all the material in a new context. But you were right that people don’t listen to albums anymore, so this box set does acknowledge this fact.
Noise: You created the painting that was used for the box set’s artwork. Who are some of your favorite artists, and how do you feel your painting and music have influenced each other?
Frank: I am a big fan of the Stuckist painters, who really inspired me to get more serious about painting, or should I say less serious about painting. But I love many of the 20th century masters like Picasso and Miro. The more that I paint, the more that I realize it is just another way for me to express my creative impulses.
Noise: The box set is being released on Pledge Music. These patronage-style companies seem to be gaining in popularity. What factors led to your decision to do this, and what do you see as the benefits? Do you see this as something you would use again going forward?
Frank: I had thought of putting out the box myself, but in the end I don’t want to be a record company, and putting together a package of this size is very expensive. Pledge Music is convenient because rather than create a potential overrun of the publication, it attempts to focus the manufacturer on the actual interest in the market; I think this is the way that the artist has probably always wanted it to be.
Noise: You are including songs from Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day, which had never been released before. What were your reasons back in the day for not releasing it, and why do you feel that it’s the right time now?
Frank: Because we only recorded live to 2-track, sometimes we weren’t sure about the recording or the performance, so we held certain things back. But as this box set for me is really about the process, not only the material, I think it’s important to be somewhat more inclusive, so that people can get a sense of what we were trying to do.
Noise: From listening to the box set, it really hit a home what a wide range of influences there are over your music. Is your personal music library fairly eclectic? What are you some of the artists that are currently in heavy rotation on your stereo?
Frank: I would say my music listening wavers between eclectic and not at all eclectic. I currently listen to a lot of Erik Satie, Bill Evans, and Baxter Dury.
Noise: The Pixies are headlining Boston Calling here in the spring, which I think is very exciting. Are you at all surprised that after being back together this long that there is still such a high demand for the band? The novelty of a lot of reunions seems to wear off for audiences, but there’s been no sign of that with The Pixies.
Frank: I’m not sure why the band has so much longevity, but I would like to think that it’s because audiences think the material is good.
Noise: Anything else you’d like our readers to know about the box set, The Pixies or any of your other endeavors?
Frank: More and more, I like to take that old showbiz stance of letting the music speaks for itself.
Noise: Thanks, Frank!
The Frank Black & The Catholics box set The Complete Recordings will be released on May 4, and can be ordered online at pledgemusic.com under Frank Black Box Set. The Pixies are headlining the Boston Calling festival on May 24.
Send your CDs for review to:
T Max/ The Noise,
40R Highland Ave, #219
Salem, MA 01970
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Page Contents
DAYTIME DRUGS
Eastern Prawn Records
Waitin’ for the UFO
6 tracks
Where was this recorded? Inside of a gurgling culvert? With a taxicab mike? On the surface of the fucking moon? This makes “Green Fuz” sound like the Philadelphia Orchestra rocking Mahler’s Third Symphony. It makes the New York Dolls sound like Sgt. Pepper. And I love it. Just like I love Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and the Cramps and The Seeds, and most other purveyors of grotesque sonic muck. And it doesn’t get any more mucked up than the title track, a sing-songy manifesto that comes roaring out of the speakers like Sophie Tucker reaching for a T-bone at the Ponderosa Steak Buffet. “Itchy Girlfriend” is, essentially, “Can’t Explain” with a dissonant piano and a Fred Blassie attitude. “Do You Remember Rock and Roll” is, basically, “C’mon Everybody,” and it makes the Dictators sound like worldly and sophisticated flaneurs. These tunes are so deliberately sloppy and yet strangely coherent that it’s difficult to dislike them. “Know Your Eggroll,” by way of contrast, is just plain nuts: a sprawling aggregation with nonsensical guitar, stumbo percussion, and growling vocals, all operating at cross purposes. This will never be the soundtrack music for any movie except maybe the one I plan to make someday called “Death of an Old Con,” guest-starring my good friend Iceberg Slim. It’s kinda like The Feelies on Thorazine. “Workin’ on a Rock and Roll Crime” is a manifesto worthy of the weirdest garage band in all existence circa 1966. Bad caveman mojo. The kind that normal people would flee in droves. Play it at a funeral and watch ’em scatter! “My Baby Never Shaves At All,” their magnum opus, sounds like the ravings of a gibbering maniac haranguing teenagers in a drunk tank tripping on too much of the brown acid. Words fail me. This is mind-melting primitivism taken to its illogical extreme. Must be heard to be believed. (Francis DiMenno)
“Miles above the Ground” opens this six song set of originals from Western Massachusetts phenom Eric Lee who brings his smooth, compelling voice and introspection to this strong four and a half minute composition. Lee has more than a grasp of the vibrations he sends forth, playing violins, mandolin, electric violin and guitar with the music here focused, entertaining and highly commercial. “The Raven” shuffles along under J.J. O’Connell’s drums and the bass of Rhees Williams while “Rose and Storm” adds a balance. Critics can compare the storytelling of a Gordon Lightfoot to the dramas offered by Jim Croce, but to say that Eric Lee paints with his own style and magic is to understate what this artist has crafted. And take caution – there are many, many singer/songwriters out there named Eric Lee, so one has to seek out the music that I’m writing about here. Lee has performed on the road with the great Eric Andersen, Peter Rowan of The Rowan Brothers and Seatrain, John Gorka, Vance Gilbert, the Grand Slambovians and so many others. It’s easy to get mistaken for a backing musician, as Carole King and Neil Diamond at first were thought by the public to be songwriters dabbling with hit records. Time proved both King and Diamond to be major forces beyond their work for other artists and this Lee is himself making waves regionally outside of the background circuit he participated in for the last decade and more. With Jim Henry’s electric guitar and dobro fitting in perfectly with this quartet and some backing vocals from Brie Sullivan and Max Wareham, these half a dozen songs stand up to repeated spins with “Hands of Fortune” and “To Write You a Song” truly remarkable. At the risk of sounding overly complimentary, those who have followed this writer’s thousands of reviews over the past almost five decades know that I can be as rough on poorly made recordings as I can hand out the accolades on the ones with merit. There’s something very special here. You’ll know you’ve reached the right Eric Lee as this music stands in a class by itself. (Joe Viglione)
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DEADBEAT CLUB
Deadbeat Club ep
3 tracks
Deadbeat Club are a dreamy, dissonant rock quartet from Northampton. Even when the songs get very heavy there is an otherworldly sheen to the voices. Musically, it has a debt to harbinger of the future Sonic Youth. The vocals are at times more Mazzy Star or old Throwing Muses than Kim Gordon, and its a pretty great mix of styles. Songs slow down, build up and go from a whisper to a scream. I have no complaints about this record, but I wish there were 93 songs on it instead of only three. (Eric Baylies)
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HUMMINGBIRD SYNDICATE
Actuality Records
Pop Tricks
12 tracks
plus
Waterfall Away / I Want You To Stay
2 tracks non-album CD single
The members of Hummingbird Syndicate are a pure pop collective and their opening track, “Romance,” on Pop Tricks is as sweet a confection as you’ll find. Jon Macey’s production work for Elektra records as well as his two albums with Tom Dickie & the Desires on Mercury – along with his perfect ear – oversees a project that Archies vocalist and Barry Manilow producer Ron Dante would have totally immersed himself in during the ’60s. Creative partner Lynn Shipley helps bring the harmonies and melodies in sync with the lyrics, and they generate a full and entertaining sound.
“After Stephen Foster” switches hats from that exquisite pop to pure Americana with the harmonies of Shipley, Mary Jaye Simms and Jennifer Lewis Bennet adding some gospel to the acoustic number.
Seven of the dozen songs are under four minutes, which makes for extended play when it comes to a serious and happily light-hearted outfit whose CD Baby page declares proudly “ABBA meets The Ramones, Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris… Mamas & Papas sing The Velvets” and it’s so true, with the Abba leanings geared towards Don Kirshner pop. “You Don’t Know (Much About Me) wander into territory owned by The Band with Marianne Faithful on vocals, splendid guitars bring it all to life in a wonderful way. Macey is the central figure with Lenny Shea and Steve Gilligan (Stompers/Fox Pass rhythm section) adding their talents along with the string slinger of electric and acoustic guitars, mandolins, mandolas, 12-strings, and B-Benders – Tom Hostage (Macey’s Parade).To that point, “Haley” is pure Macey’s Parade, more so than Fox Pass and Hummingbird Syndicate, which is fine, because this amalgam of Shipley/ Macey/ Gilligan/ Hostage/ Shea/ Bennet/ Simms’ modern rock can shape-shift and blend in the communal spirit that their name indicates. A music mafia of colorful birds with iridescent feathers.
Along with the 12 songs on Pop Tricks there is also a CD single “Waterfall Away” b/w “I Want You To Stay” on Actuality Records. These two additional songs on Soundcloud (and a CD single) are as vibrant and exciting as the music on the full lengthy. As stated, the production is as state-of-the-art as the musicianship. With Chris Maclachlan of Human Sexual Response, L.A. guitarist Dan Coughlin, Andy Hollinger and Pop Gun’s Jim Melanson it is more like the Mamas & the Mamas, an ensemble that has delivered music distinctly different from anything on the New England music scene. A wonderful invention of multiple chefs drawing from the same palette in unison, never stepping on anyone else’s space. Remarkable.(Joe Viglione)
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SPECTRAMOTIV
Spectramotiv
7 tracks
Spectramotiv is a Boston based trio. There was a band many years ago, I can’t remember who, that used the term “horrifying circus music” in their bio. This would be an apt description of Spectramotiv, and I mean that in apositive way. Although the song “Rules” kind of reminds me of the Tones On Tail song “Christain Says”, this is a very original album full of happy surprises. They are self describes as a “lizard trio who emerged from a black hole.” Well, I don’t know about that, but they have a really cool sound with excellent songs, so give it a listen, lizard kings and queens. (Eric Baylies)
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KENNY SELCER
I Simplify
14 tracks
On Kenny Selcer’s long-awaited ambitious effort, I Simplify, New England’s veteran acoustic/ Americana minstrel has put together an album that fuses Rolling StonesExile on Main Street nuances with Grateful Dead guitar/ keyboard interplay. Those Stones’ influence is subtle, an undercurrent on the opening track, “I Know It’s Not Too Late,” Selcer’s philosophical observations rife with intentional simple word structure a la Bernie Taupin in Elton John’s classic “Daniel,” taking the “rain in Spain” cliché rhymes and using them to good effect. “It’s All Around You” was in release a few months before the album (an electronic, internet single, of sorts) and it is beautifully constructed with Steve Peabody’s drums giving the reggae flavored love song it’s march along beat. The production is exquisite, Selcer the former owner of a recording studio in Boston back in the ’80s and live sound engineer who has worked with too many name artists to list here, places instrumentation and voice perfectly. Each song is over four minutes, so the 14 tracks make for a lengthy listening experience, about 70 minutes or so.
“Evelyn” is a standout and has Selcer on mandolin and most instruments a la Emmit Rhodes and Paul McCartney, Rob Rudin helping out with some of the drum programming. For the Americana Pop that the song is, there’s a flavor of blues in the singing and lyric.
The title track at 5:39 is the longest, an epic with the rhythmic beats accented, a heavy reggae boost with Selcer choosing multiple light guitar licks and backing vocals to boost the vibe. Mixed by Matt Hayes at Wellspring Sound in 2016 with the studio owner, Eric Kilburn, handling the mastering, the love and care put into this project is clear, as exhibited in the Celtic instrumental “Kenny’s Tune,” a truly inventive mix of sounds that is compelling bringing to mind when voiceless pop songs would rule the airwaves, Paul Mauriat’s “Love is Blue,” the timeless “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” by Sounds Orchestral, the airy, catchy, splendid sounds before Edgar Winter’s “Frankenstein” developed the hard rock instrumental as a hit record. Final track “Stay Awhile” features Stompers/ Fox Pass bassist Steve Gilligan, with keyboards from Chris Billias and Mike Migliozzi on drums. The use of a band brings another flavor to a mostly self-performed album though players Roland Ochsenbein on piano, conga/percussionist Manolo Mairena and bassist Andy Solberg add their talents throughout, this is mostly a self-performed project with Kenny Selcer bringing to life some of his BMI administered catalog featuring music and words that span 15 years, from 2001 to 2016. (Joe Viglione)
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CELEBRITY HANDSHAKE
Eastern Prawn Records
Also Starring Celebrity Handshake As Celebrity Handshake!
3 tracks
“That’s Showbiz, Baby!” storms out of the gate with a barbaric yawp that makes Aerosmith sound like oolong-sipping lifted-pinky-finger boulevardiers. Full of grunting and snarling vocals and wrecking yard guitars and primitive drumming, it is one glorious incoherent mess. And “Television Lips” manages to top it–relentlessly thudding drums and vocals which sound like a moron drooling over a pornographic video, while somewhere off in the background a guitar scrawls an aimless riff. Pure Id music. “There Ain’t No Sharks In This Town” evokes the Cramps’ “Garbageman” on Robitussin, famed for its ability to reduce your IQ by 50 points. Real lizard-brain stuff happening here, with stubbornly metronomic drums, broken-spring guitars, and the relentless howling of vocalist A.M. Haines. A truly bad trip. Recommended for lovers of aggressive sludge. (Francis DiMenno)
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ABOVE GROUND BASEMENT
Gleauxing Records
Above Ground Basement
5 tracks
This is very dark, raw, head- banging, prog punk dance music and it is very interesting and unique; and done very well. Noah Lapierre plays drums and synth, Matt Schuman plays a five string bass and the synth, and Nolan Sullivan is on all guitars, vocals and programs the samples. The first three songs, “Yolk,” “Chocolate,” and “Green Fight” are eight and a half minutes, nine, and seven minutes long each and all the tunes embody contrast: Nolan speak singing and pitch- bending guitar solos, Noah’s subtle and impressive pounding and Matt’s gritty bass lines and all the experimental noise. The shortest cut on the CD, the ballad “Rooms,” was recorded live and is just under three minutes. All the instruments have a lot to say and the synths and samples tie all of these unusual ideas together. “Escape Artist,” with Ryan Garvey on additional synth, is especially dark and if any of these unique melodies is radio- friendly it would be this one. College radio and late at night or early in the morning. I dig all the changes in all the tunes and how and where they go as the compositions progress. Very cool. Very different. Very dark. And very good. (A.J. Wachtel)
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CHRIS MORENO
Into the Sun
8 tracks
Moreno is a plausible successor to the likes of John Cougar Mellancamp… with autotune. He plays middle of the road love songs, mostly. Perfectly competent and craftsmanlike; nothing that would frighten the horses. Ordinary-slob lyrics, lots of pretty hooks, and an overall inspirational feel. None of these things are bad, per se, but none of them are extraordinary. Lots of pretty guitar strumming. Lots of questing us-against-the-world lyric sentiments. Nice syncopation on “Reach For Me”. Pretty piano on “Finally Free”. Strummed laments of almost-lost love (“Try”) and regret (the excellent “Closer to You”). The songs occasionally strain for a type of grandeur, in minor doses, and often succeed in that admittedly limited aim. Moreno plays it straight and smooth. There’s nothing here that would ruffle the feathers of any contemporary pop playlist programmer. (Francis DiMenno)
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KATE EPPERS
The Wishing Well
7 tracks
Over the course of seven songs, Kate Eppers’ album The Wishing Well soars and dives as though she is riding a magic carpet high above a mythic city. Imagine Aladdin’s Princess Jasmine singing songs of love and longing, fear and frustration while swooping amongst the onion-shaped minarets of some imagined far-eastern city. When you have that vision firmly engaged add a soundtrack of mainly piano, bolstered by occasional new-agey guitar work and ambient electronic flourishes and you’ll have a complete picture of the world Kate Eppers inhabits. The Wishing Well is the soundtrack for a musical about a precocious young girl trying to exert a measure of control over a difficult and unforgiving world.(George Dow)
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SWAY CASEY
Walden
6 tracks
The enigmatic cover art to the maxi-EP Walden by Sway Casey reflects the inner mind and magically indistinct music the East Coast pop/ rap/ hip-hop artist unveils. Starting with “Contentment” Sway is gliding on sweet keyboards “waiting for the sun to come up, waiting for you to be mine,” in a happy-go-lucky medium that shifts into the second track, “Moonbeams” – featuring Mossh. Two minutes and 45 seconds seemingly channeling Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Transcendentalism, the guitar line merging with the keys a la The Doors’ Morrison Hotel tune, “The Spy.”
“Macchu Picchu” has a heavy beat holding down the thoughts that roll out as if speaking in tongues, advice and perspectives twirling in multiple motions. It drives the ideas like a master juggler keeping the audience’s eye intentionally off the ball. A creative platform, which stands alone just fine, but also acting as a bridge between the neo-spirituality of “Moonbeams” and the next tune, “Positivity.” That fourth selection, with a keyboard as elegant as the first track – and the place it paints – continues the theme and is equally content as Sway notes: “the world’s crazier than what I thought it is, so I always keep my attitude positive.” ”Selfishness” is another one word title on Walden (something David Byrne and the Talking Heads employed across an album) this with electronic vinyl record scratches, quickly spinning introspection featuring a strong melodic sermon, hypnotic instrumentation and strains of backing vocals that make for an eerie yet thought-provoking piece.
Akira’s production is solid throughout and the bonus track, “Summer Trippin’,” is a treat evoking Sly & the Family Stone’s attitude and gift of something fun for the sunny months. Mixed and mastered by executive producers James Mendillo (JTM) and Will Beale with artwork by Matypus, Walden has lots to offer, and something refreshingly different uncovered with each repeated spin. (Joe Viglione)
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MAIL THIEF
I
5 tracks
Boston’s Mail Thief is a guitar and drums duo. They get a lot of mileage… and chaos out of the two-piece format. There are some straight parts that sound like Mudhoney, but there are plenty of other crazy things going on here, as well. The song “The Pace” is like Hella with Kevin Grant of Gaskill singing over it, quite an excellent combination! Mail Thief is totally heavy enough to get a pit going, if that’s the kind of thing your’e into, but they also make for an enjoyable listen on a pleasant spring day in the mental institution. Of course, I’m listening to this in my car, so forget that noise and pick up this treasure. (Eric Baylies)
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THE CHICAGO VIN COALITION
American Dream
9 tracks
The music on this cool release is pop rock and retro rock influenced with screaming guitars and gruff vocals. Vin Earnshaw plays guitars, bass and sings and Leo Dumas is behind the kit. The tune titles sound autobiographical: “American Dream,” “Hey Little Girl,” “Walk Away,” “No Use Fighting,” “Blonde Infatuation,” “Yesterday’s Gone,” and my three favorites: “Silence Is Golden” with it’s good groove and catchy “oh- oh- oh” chorus, “Ride Past Midnight” with ace blues musician Chris Stovall Brown blowing harp on this tight bar room r&b shuffle, and “Lifeline” a real rocker sorta like T. Rex meets Tom Waits. All the songs are political and social commentaries and are written by Earnshaw. I dig it and you will too. (A.J.Wachtel)
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HOT DIRT
Areyouayoungman
5 tracks
Hot Dirt is an amazing band from Holyoke. It could take me weeks to explain the 34 minutes of music on this record, but I will do my best in a brief amount of time. Parts of the song ” Mediocrion” float along like Amy Winehouse bleeding the muse, until the song bursts and the floodgates of sound over power you. Other tracks have so much going on that you have to listen with a calculator and measuring tape to get the time signatures and everything straight. Think of the most complex rock band you know, make it five times more complicated and find the square root of feeling, and you will have Hot Dirt. It was stunning to see this band live and pull off these songs in a musical and never really show offy way. There are a lot of notes sometimes, but they all fit. This is a band that can literally play any style of music on earth, and showcase quite a few of them here. I can usually talk for days on end, but this record took my breath away, even after several listens. If your kid can’t afford music lessons, buy them this CD and lock them in a room for five years. Areyouayoungman is a masterpiece. (Eric Baylies)
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GLENN FRENCH
Solo Guitar
15 tracks
Glenn French’s 15-track CD of solo acoustic guitar covers of (mostly) Beatles songs is pleasant. Pleasant in the same way that the South American pan flute people that you see at the mall or county fair are pleasant. It’s not something you want to run out and buy, but when it’s playing in the background it’s a pleasing addition to the mood.
The one thing I can say is that the guitar picking is meticulous, the strumming is intricate and the timing is precise. After a while it sounds like a music box. If I close my eyes I can almost see the tines plinking along the knobbed cylinder as it spins. And maybe, just maybe this is why the album is simply pleasant. The preciseness and meticulousness strip the organicness from the songs. (George Dow)
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JIM PERRY
Meanwhile… I’m still thinkin’
10 tracks
I really like this cd for three reasons: First the music is top notch and sounds great. Second, this release is ‘dedicated to the memory in the Worcester area music community’ of artists who recently died; including Fran Dagostino, Laurie Kollios and Scott Ricciuto. And third, Babe Pino, Cheryl Arena, Lisa Marie, Myanna (Girls Night Out) and a ton of other gifted musicians guest on the tunes. Jim plays all guitars, bass, piano and vocals along with his very talented friends. He wrote all the songs and has a nice voice with a vocal style that is both credible and believable. Jim Perry is a blues artist with a lot of other things on his mind. Listen to: “Makin’ A Man Out Of Me” with it’s timely tempo change, the nice slide guitar in “My Baby’s Bad (And That’s Good),” the organ and horns in “She’s A Sweet Thang” with the gospel backing vocals making the melody sorta like Al Green meets Albert King, and again in the instrumental “And Then You Walked In.” “Katrina,” about Louisiana, and “Equality (Should Be Easy) have a tinge of ska in them too. Blues based music with a lot of nice variations and influences. This guy can really play! (A.J. Wachtel)
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SPACES FOR TWO
Gone for the Show
5 tracks
What have we here? For starters, some loping, mildly insectoid garage pop with a pretty middle eight (“I Don’t Know”). A garage-y manifesto with vaguely nouveau-psychedelic touches, sounding for all the world like a deep track on a Peanut Butter Conspiracy album (“Pay No Mind”). A spacy ballad-type number, vaguely jazzy (“Cloud”). A funky little bass line which devolves into a fuzzy sub-Love cum Youngbloods style of soft psyche, nice (“Miss Me”). An obligatory far-out drawn-out mind-manifesting bit of sub-Floydian fugue-rock touched with ersatz grandeur (“Gone for the Show”). Basically, this is music reminiscent of late-60’s pop with modern production touches. (Francis DiMenno)
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OROBORO
Lost Demos
3 tracks
Orboro is a Massachusetts-based instrumental trio. I don’t even know what city they are from, but they do provide cool descriptions of what each member does. Jordan is credited with “boom boom smash,” Nate plays (or lives in) an “angry bee nest” and Spencer is responsible for “beautiful melodies, wow.” Braggadocio aside, these are pretty apt descriptions of the sonic textures taking place here. These hauntingly sweet and heavy post punk instrumentals take you the other side of the wonderful rainbow, Lost Demos is a real musical thrillride. (Eric Baylies)
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LOCATING ROLLIE
Crazy Parade
11 tracks
A short synopsis about the music on this CD is important. Guitarist Mark Sutton and bassist Bob Gifford started working together in 1976 and were in The Rings, Bamboo Gang and The Wickermen. This music collaboration between these two old collaborators started when Mark recently reached out to Bob to possibly re- record some of their old songs. Bob countered with ‘let’s do some of the tunes we never finished.” On this cd they do both. New Wave ballads and rockers, this music is also real dance- able. Check out the quirky beats on “Critic Critic,” “Stop The Clock,” “Do Not Tear Down,” “Search The Clubs,” and the closing cut “Animal Boy (Machine Head Man).” Rocking heavier than The Cars and other classic New Wave bands, there is also a lot of clever humor behind the music.”I Got My Wish” is sexually suggestive and the whole concept behind this project, older music done in a new way today, is very clever too, and brings a fresh taste to a long ago favorite dessert, I really dig how out of nowhere you unexpectedly hear a synth or a guitar triplet that brings a smile to your face. The New Wave ballads “Blue On Blue,” “Crazy Parade,” and “Love’s Not Safe” are perfectly performed by these cats and the uptempo screamer “Never Gonna Hear It” is the hit. Additional vocals by Tasha Gniewek, this music is equally suited for old fans and new listeners alike. (A.J. Wachtel)
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LILLY BLACK
My Own Hero
5 tracks plus 2 radio edits
Opening track “Waiting for a Change” off of Lilly Black’s My Own Hero CD is a gliding, rocking, sliding-on-the-groove bright pop tune with the energy of the New York Dolls meeting the pop majesty of the Go Go’s. Liam Barry’s drums bolster the undercurrent opening the door to track 2, “Rag Doll.” These first two songs contain explicit lyrics and are repeated at the end of the CD in the form of “radio edits,” but I’ve yet to hear the naughty words so… “Rag Doll” is a delightful change of pace from the first opus, Lilly Senna’s appealing vocals over a dense Mike Barry production from Babyland Studio. Poignant yet harsh lyrics and Bobby Linscott’s consistent and imploring guitar work add to the mystery. “You’re Probably Right,” like the preceding songs, has a pure ’60s vibe brought up to date in 2017, impressive upon the first listening. The CD itself jam-packed with information, photos and an intriguing color scheme, yet it’s the music from this solid band that speaks the loudest. Five songs plus two radio edits makes for a short and sweet listening experience. When we critics and radio programmers get 15 song discs galore it’s like listening to double vinyl albums from the old days, quite a bit to absorb. Fact is, the longer the CD, the more time it takes to review and sometimes they get lost in the shuffle. “Leave Me Alone” is not the notable songs by Lou Reed and Helen Reddy (or is it Helen Reed and Lou Reddy, I can’t remember anymore…) a thumping beat with a solo vocal chant and Phoebe Clark’s keys augmenting this nicely. “Leave Me Alone” comes with exquisite guitar work by Linscott as does the final track, “My Own Hero,” which takes things down a quasi-Gothic notch with a careful, incessant snare drum bang and the aforementioned electrically activated simmering-almost-fuzz guitar under this hard ballad. Love it all. Five stars… and absolute knockout. (Joe Viglione)
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BUNNIES
Devoted To The Process Of Action
2 tracks
Bunnies are another amazing band from Northampton that almost defy categorization. Their album, Devoted To The Process Of Action, has two very long and intricate songs. The music is complex and shapeshifting like Idiot Flesh, Tool, Cellular Chaos, or Kayo Dot, but with vocals by The Residents. You might usually associate this kind of intricate music with something other than rock, but it can be both very heavy and catchy at times. Bunnies are one of the best live bands on earth and I suggest you see them live and buy this record. (Eric Baylies)
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BART BRYANT BAND
Desperate Man
5 tracks
This is a killer new release from Connecticut guitarist extraordinaire Bart Bryant who gets the best blues/ rock rhythm section in New England to back him up on his five songs. Scott Spray on bass and Bobby T (Torello) on drums were in Johnny Winter bands at different times. Rock royalty bringing their extraordinary expertise to power this terrific trio. The opening tunes, “Desperate Man,” “Prism,” and “Lines In The Sky” are a bit metal with their screaming and menacing guitars and ominous power chords. Warning to listeners: Fasten your seat belts, the g force is great. These are classic head- banging arena rock songs that set the mood for the last two killer cuts “Sticky Situation” with the cool guitar work mimicking the vocals and the heavy ballad “In A Song” with it’s powerful pounding, bellowing bass and gigantic guitar licks with beautiful tone. A bit like Robin Trower meets West, Bruce & Lang. Heavier than other trios like Cream and Grand Funk Railroad, less Tex Mex than ZZ Top, and more powerful than Mountain or Beck, Bogart & Appice, this is great music from one of the best bands around. Check it out. (A.J. Wachtel)
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RUSTY MULLET
Poop Destroyer Death Squadron
10 tracks
With what sounds like an old theramin (it is!) from Lothar & the Hand People, straight out of The Outer Limits, a minute and five seconds of “Shazam” opens this creative ten song effort from Rusty Mullet. The debut album from this quartet emerged May 5, 2017 and it gets right down to business, track 2 “Gurrl” has a trippy, jangly open that deconstructs into pure melodrama grunge. The vibe and attitude consistent and compelling. It descends even further into the amazing “Toaster Soda” with a mesmerizing guitar riff and flavors of ’60s group the Peanut Butter Conspiracy before it enters Black Sabbath territory. With material written by vocalist, rhythm guitarist Atiba J. McLaren (vocals/ rhythm/ lead guitar).
“Demented” crackles with electric fuzz and bubbling rhythms in a drone recitation a la The Velvet Underground’s “The Gift.” Only two tracks are in the 3-4 minute range, the opening prelude a minute .5 with the rest of the disc stretching out, going deeper into the secret sauce Rusty Mullet has concocted for their audience. “For Now” has a killer chorus with McLaren’s leads frosting the mix with edgy guitar that goes off the deep-end – insanely and nicely. Bassist John Frechette indeed engages the theramin (track 1) while Brian Turcotte keeps it all together on the drums. That track at 6:15 while its follow-up, “The Aftermath of a Rose,” clocks in at 6:07 with a heartfelt rock/ballad. “My Sweet Mistress Nicotine,” frenetic instrumental “LSD Cowboy” and the exquisite “Spiderman” keep pace with distinct 1960s flavors updated for this new generation. You can thank David Draper’s guitar solos on those previous two songs, along with the guitar blasts in “My Sweet Mistress Nicotine” and “Toaster Soda.” It’s garage rock, alternative punk-blues rock all mixed in an interesting and quite exciting way. “Trickery and Witchery” is an explosive ending to this thought provoking onslaught that has much to offer. (Joe Viglione)
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T Max/ The Noise,
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The following is a playful tug of war between a writer, me – who wants to explore big-ass motifs of musical history, influences, defining moments, time and endurance, philosophy and culture; and Bird Mancini – two gifted musicians and songwriters, notoriously private, devoted to each other as partners, writers and performers. The first thing I learned was how hesitant they were to bring forth the larger statements that intrigue me, but make them self-conscious. True modesty always circumnavigates around those who keep their muses close and their expressions anchored to the interior drives that produce art. Even though Ruby was slightly more effusive, they both embrace the mystery that not knowing how some things work was central to the magic of creating music.
Trying to coordinate this piece with the release of their next album [as yet untitled], I had the privilege of listening to a rough mix of their new tunes. The idea was to see how this new work shapes up as a push forward in their musical geography, but reflects on what they have achieved in prior projects.
The longevity of Bird Mancini is something to be admired and has fascinated me for years, especially when so many musicians give up when they do not make it to the height of their ambitions. For Billy and Ruby, the ambition now begins and ends with the music and not the notoriety and fame, both of which they deserve, both to which they are ambivalent.
In a recent tune, “I Want My own Brian Epstein,” they acknowledge how great it would be to have an advocate who not only loved them and their music, but would confront and work within the tawdry business of the music industry:“I want my own Brian Epstein/ Someone who will keep me in line/ Like the tracks on the B & M Line/ To take me to my home/ I want my own Brian ‘Epsteen’/ Someone to look after me…” Of course, Epstein was an anomaly, the Beatles were lucky, and management like that is rare. But devotion is not, and that is really what Bird Mancini is about, and their new CD is no exception.
The opening tune, “Congratulations” explodes like popcorn, using so many progressive motifs that one marvels at the sheer audacity of this Sal Baglio/ Billy Carl Mancini composition. Section after section drips with sweet, gorgeous melodies, counter melodies, and the call-and-answer sunshine-inflected chorus ensemble sung with slippery abandon by Ruby Bird. There is great reverence in this song for the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Byrds, the Bangles, and every pop group that ventured into the higher realms of melodic majesty.In another era, a more fair time, when great pop music was rewarded with favor and acclaim, when people looked to dance and sing to something different, but thirsted for new musical tonic, this would be the thirst-quenching hit of the year in any top forty culture that had the courage to embrace such purity. Yet, despite the jaunty grandeur of its music, the lyrics pursue the themes of disappointment and betrayal, anchoring the narrative in hard-earned adult experience. Pretty much standard fare for meaningful, adult pop.
While the music bounces with certainty and wit, Billy Carl spells out the misgivings of a relationship in tatters: “Your smile was like a miracle/ ’Cause I never saw a trace/ Until you walked away from me – Congratulations! The song’s bridge reveals ambiguity: I hope you get all the things that I wouldn’t give you/ I hope it’s what you wanted in the end…,” which is immediately put to rest by Ruby’s last words: “I hope I never see your face again.” Ahhh – the beautiful bitterness of experience. The best love is tested by clarity, and clearly Bird Mancini takes a bit of joy in pointing out the illusion.
What is not an illusion is the longevity and blue-collar determination of Bird Mancini to remain relevant in an often-irrelevant industry that favors formula over fierce creativity and a sure thing over risk-taking.
The duo began as a blues band (Sky Blue) and was fiercely loyal to its roots and icons – Ruby infusing her impressive range with the soul and the shout of the best female soloists, and Billy often playing with a ferocity and lyricism that recalled Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green and pre-Cream, Eric Clapton. As their writing began to incorporate more musical styles and reflect a particular understanding of Anglo-shaped pop, their albums were laboratories of divergent songs, loaded with melodies, raw performances, wit and a unique drift towards a hybrid blues pop invention. Their new album stretches within this conceit and explores their considerable fascination with melody and form.
“Don’t Blink” begins in quasi-blues-metal earnestness, but the jarring key changes, odd chords, and Ruby’s tortured vocal is consoled by Billy Carl’s shift between Beach Boys and Beatles choral invocations. Two or three listenings and any doubt about Bird Mancini’s complex musical ambitions fade. True to the title,don’t blink, because something new is about to shake you out of something old: “Don’t blink/ The world is turning ’round/ Don’t blink/ Relax and let it down.”
Song after song explores this dichotomy of R&B and pop shakistry – toying, partitioning, mining, twisting, and sabotaging each other’s peculiar musical motifs for the sake of invention and new expressions. Lyrically, both Ruby and Billy Carl explore a dewy-eyed regret and uncertainty about the world around them. For many, these are uncertain times, especially politically. Historians have always associated civil unrest with psychological uncertainty, and if this uncertainty does not spill into artistic expression, that culture ceases to exist as a culture of self-reflection. Some of the very song titles themselves – “Recluse,” “It’s an Illusion,” “Fault Line,” “Wake Me Up When It’s Over,” and, in particular, “It’s Already Done” – have a fatalistic view, some images pretty shocking: “Big pile of bones where a house once stood/ About a half mile into the wood/ And you know that everything he said was true/ And undeserved pardon is already waiting for you…” Yikes! Add to that, Ruby’s half snide, half helpless articulation, and one can be certain she is speaking for many of us.
It’s hard to nail this band down to anything predictable. I have the bad habit of dismissing songs that begin with overly familiar traditional structures, claiming that I can predict the rest of the song’s musical direction. Not these songs. Just when I hear something familiar, a shift in keys, an odd chord, sweeping harmonies layered and layered again – all in service of a narrative that is as familiar as the permanent ideas of what is great and what is not so great about living, makes the experience still fresh, and therefore, somehow, gives hope. Or not. There’s much ambiguity here which is thankfully tempered by the effort love makes to transcend its opposite.
In a post-interview email, Ruby wanted to clarify the dark undertones of some of the tunes on the new CD, even conjuring a possible title for the record:
RUBY: I think maybe Rusty Dreams is a good title for this collection of songs after all. Every song has an element of disappointment or confusion in it, in some cases in response to the utterly deranged world we live in now; and in some cases, in response to our own choices. […] I guess I didn’t really want to admit that, but… there is a glimmer of hope in nearly every song, if you really think about it.
“Wake Me Up When It’s Over” is a rather hopeless song about our crazy lives until you hear the last line: “I’ll be around here” which is repeated over and over in the end. If we have our way, we’ll both still be around here to get through it together. “Wishing Well” is a song of hope, as is “It’s Already Done.” “Don’t Blink” has it, too. But all this is just too intellectual for me. We’re visceral people and we play first and foremost by our gut and fly by the seat of our pants. It’s how we listen to music and it’s how we write it too.
THE INTERVIEW
Noise: Readers of The Noise are probably already familiar with much of your origins and background, but new readers would be well-served if you could give a brief history of your relationship to each other and how that morphed into a musical partnership, what early influences you explored individually, what influences you mutually shared, and how these developed into something that defines your own musical path.
Ruby: We met in Tuscon, AZ, in 1978 and were competing in a talent show, which Billy and his partner won and I placed last [laughs all around]. They won a trophy, 100 dollars, and a free meal, and I won a bottle of champagne… and a free meal, I think.But Billy saw my talent, and maybe the way I looked, and we became friends.
Billy: I was really into songwriting and she was, too, so that was the real draw for both of us. The first song we wrote together was insipid, it was like a schmaltzy, band lounge pop… but let’s move on.
Ruby: Yeah, at that time I was doing country on piano, Hank Williams, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, the Loudin Brothers…
Billy: My influences were the same thing then as they are now: The Beatles and just about anything coming out of England at the time; also, I was really into James Taylor.
Noise: I asked Billy if of the early guitar pioneers, like the Ventures, Duane Eddy, Link Wray, or Dick Dale had been influential in his playing. He took the Fifth, admitted he was more aware of them now, but honestly couldn’t account for their influences.
Ruby: We came to appreciate a lot of stuff long after it was in the public consciousness; we came late to the game. Our shared musical influences are Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Cream, Led Zeppelin and lots of ’60s artists, but it just wasn’t their songwriting; it was their musicianship and the performances.
With a pedigree firmly rooted in Beatles and ’60s art pop, and with Ruby’s own rejection of today’s country music as something not to be emulated, we moved on to how this duo wound up cultivating an interest in the blues, to the point where they called themselves Sky Blues.
Billy: The blues thing didn’t happen until we moved to Boston. I was working in blues clubs and we were always into second generation blues [Eric] Clapton, Cream, [Jimi] Hendrix. I worked at Harper’s Ferry, which was a blues club at the time, and I was hearing it every night, to the point where I hated it, but completely absorbed it and learned it by being there and running sound. [So it made sense] to play the blues ’cause that’s what was the hot gig in Boston. The purists resented it because we were always throwing in little twists here and there to try to make it our own. We took that cue from the Allman Brothers – who were a big influence on us. The writing, the playing, the singing…
Ruby: [They were] heavily blues and jazz influenced, rock, country – there’s a mix of all these things.
Billy: And they always provide a twist to what they are playing. They are not a pure blues band. I rarely play a pure blues song without twisting it into something else. I can’t stay in the place [of purity]; it’s too boring for me.
Ruby: And we made some good money in that band, we were playing all over, and we didn’t play stuff we didn’t want to play, sticking very close to the twists and turns of second-generation blues.
Billy: We went back and discovered Junior Wells, Sonny Boy Williamson, BB King. We were opened up to all kinds of things.
Noise: At what point did you realize that whatever incarnation of Bird Mancini was happening at the time, you were shaping a particularly unique way of expressing yourselves as musicians, performers, and songwriters. What early recordings of yours express this notion? What is unique about The Bird Mancini Sound that is divorced from Sky Blues sound?
Ruby: Well, we were sued for using the name Sky Blues, but we were ready to lose it anyway, so that wasn’t a big deal [Billy maintains that they had the name before their litigants. Another story, another time].
Billy: We were never writing blues songs, not in our teens, or even now. We wrote all kinds of songs. I was just writing all he time, and when we became Bird Mancini, we had no restrictions.
Noise: When Ruby adds that they decided that the music was more important than making money, Billy raises an eyebrow: “It was?” he protests, and cracks a smile that half-genuflects to Ruby’s comment: “Yeah. We decided that we are writing good songs and that’s what we wanted to do.”
I asked them to point out a particular tune, a song that defined something that came out exactly as they had planned and hoped. They both cited “Magic Flirtation,” even though Billy was at first tough to pin down on this question.
From their self-titled debut CD (Bird Mancini 2002), “Magic Flirtation” sets the tone for most of the record’s multi-genre inflected invocations to restlessness, love, the familiar, the other, and the doubts and assurances that make life interesting and strange. No big statements, in fact one song is all about looking for a song. For me this is the bridge album from Sky Blue to Bird Mancini, exploring Dixieland, St. Louis blues, hillbilly, rock, pop, and bluegrass forms, all tinged with those twists and turnarounds mentioned earlier. Backed by Sven Larson on bass, David Roy Kulik on drums, and a who’s who of Boston-area musicians, this is the catalyst for what was to come in terms of achieving a hard-to-pin-down style.
As a guitarist, Billy’s Sky Blue period reminds me mostly of Peter Green during his ferocious period with Fleetwood Mac’s Then Play On period, where Green would unleash a cascade of nasty, pure, and unnerving leads and fills that defined him as one of the great soloists. When I heard Billy do the same, with the same ear for tone (which he attributes to Duane Allman), I had to eventually ask of his familiarity with Green. He drew a blank.
I persisted, so when I asked Billy to expound on his guitar prowess beyond making his guitar often behave like two guitars when they perform live, he was taken back my presumptions that he actually thinks about influences and such, but offered his affection for guitarists like George Harrison, Carlos Santana, Dickie Betts, Dwayne Allman, and the late Terry Kath from the band Chicago.
Ruby, there’s a lot of theatre in your voice, a lot of playfulness. What in your background informs this? Who are your muses, and when did you depart from them to look for your own voice?
Ruby: My favorite singers are the Beatles, and the first woman that comes to mind is Aretha Franklin, especially her ability to grab your soul. She knocks me out, but I can’t approach every song like I could actually sing like her…
Billy: Ruby doesn’t do just one thing.
Ruby: I like to stretch. Bill wrote a song for this new album called “Recluse,” which required me to do a Robert Plant, whom I love, so I did my version of that.
Billy: And she has Robert Plant hair.
Ruby: And I do have a musical theatre background – briefly. Bye, Bye Birdie, A Funny Thing Happened to Me on the Way to the Forum, The Roar of the Grease Paint (the Smell of the Crowd), and I grew up listening to albums like Camelot, West Side Story.
Noise: At this point the conversation broke down when I suggested that they cover all of Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, a work that employs the same elements of a solid Bird Mancini masterwork: melody, jazz and pop syncopation, multi-genre tinkering, and hair-raising vocal theatrics. Billy dismissed this (such musical stoicism) and suggested Ruby join another legendary Boston journeyman, Mr. Curt, as something, for which he’d be game. Then we moved on to the narratives of their songs.
For many writers of the modern song, words are more of a means to an end, often used to deliver the music itself, or the melody, the arrangement, or a particular performance.
What lyrical narratives interest you? Cite a few examples of songs you wrote, individually or collaboratively, that struck you as themes you could continue to explore as collaborators and as individual writers.
Billy: For me, the lyrics come after I get the melodies first, and it’s kind of a chore. I’ll tweak it a little bit, but they [words] only function with the music. Rarely will I deliberately write poetry.
Ruby: There’s no way I’m a lyricist.
Billy: But sometimes our lyrics can get a little political.
Ruby: Even though it kills us – the stuff going on – but I don’t want to bring the troubles of the world to my music. I don’t want to be confrontational. More than anything, I want to create something that has beauty in it – in the melody, the chord progression, and so on.
Noise: We continued on this track and cited Dylan as an example of an engaged, deliberate, topical songwriter – at least early in his career—and one who opened the eyes of many to the horrors in the headlines of the day. Billy and Ruby wouldn’t take the bait and remained committed to pursuing some form of beauty in their compositions.
Billy: We might hint at something political, but we don’t want to get specific. We are always looking for something that is redeeming.
Noise: Why do you feel that there is a need to redeem yourself? I think there’s quite a bit of fatalism in the new album, maybe not political, but an overarching disappointment in things.
Ruby: I don’t feel that way. If you think every song is fatalistic, then you are really not reading the lines carefully.
Noise: Do you write for yourself or do you right for the listener, or both?
Billy: I don’t write for the listener. It has to make me happy…
Ruby: …or satisfied…
Billy: …or I don’t want to do it. It has to make me happy.
Noise: Ruby talked a little about how some of her ideas come from dreams, how songwriting is more a mysterious process – suggesting that there is more mystery than could be codified.
I mentioned John Lennon’s affinity for the blues and Billy concurred that so much of all the music today, especially theirs, springs from these forms. We talked about the tired state of pop music today and the fear of taking risks in the music industry, to which Billy summed up his approach by saying that he throws caution to the wind when composing (though he and Ruby grudgingly admitted that they would gladly love to write a successful hit song, to which I maintained that “Congratulations” is the hit they are looking for).
One of the driving forces behind their risk-taking in writing and the high quality of their productions is their understanding of the technical process of recording. Just as blues genres inform their music, a patient knowledge of recording and a familiarity with the tools of recording, reveal a clarity and an uncluttered appeal to their productions. As producer and engineer, Billy gives a generous ear to Ruby’s ideas; and what gathers on all of their CDs is an eclecticism that underscores a devotion to craft, history, as well as the musical and creative chops to push their music further with each release.
Even though “Congratulations” is not a deliberate attempt to write the next hit wonder, songs like “Don’t Blink,” and the even more startling. “Wishing Well,” are deliberate attempts to rupture predictable song forms.
“Don’t Blink,” was inspired by the songwriting attitude of James McCartney, who, in Billy’s opinion, has no desire or need to write a hit song and throws all caution to the wind. Yet, it was Ruby’s idea to harden the arrangement, toughen it up: “There’s a lot of stuff in this album that makes us laugh – in a good way,” Ruby adds, “because people will not see it coming, though it sounds perfectly natural to us.”
What comes natural to Bird Mancini is still a mystery to so many, especially if one is not a songwriter. I wanted to explore this further, especially with two writers that often find writing lyrics a chore and prefer, instead, writing the music and melodies to their inventions first. Ruby sometimes has fully formed tunes, she says; and the lyrics come easier because they marinate in her dreams, allowing her a certain latitude in using mystery to direct her narrative. Billy does not dismiss words out of hand, but uses syllabification to volley between the melody and the assonance and consonance of words, shaping the eventuality of lyrics.
Billy: They might be nonsense sounds, words, but when I play crude draft recordings of myself humming nonsense syllables to a new tune, I get a sense of the words I need to use.
Noise: The same principle applies to the actual music they concoct. So many songs in the mainstream are built around familiar I-IV-V structures and rarely deviate from this formula, making the song predictable and, to me, largely uninteresting. Many Bird Mancini songs begin with familiar forms and structures, but, as I said before, they twist and turn away from formula, seeking something fresh. I wondered what other elements do they “drive off main street” to make their songs unique.
Ruby: When we were writing the lyrics, I would often sing what Billy would write and sometimes he would sing my lyrics.
Billy: We also formulate counter melodies to some of each other’s tunes. In terms of formula, I don’t like to drive straight down the street. It’s boring to me.
Noise: If you have ever attended a Bird Mancini concert, when they do the music of other artists, they often improve upon some of the songs they cover. Their renditions of Beatles songs resonate with Beatles fans, as they are true to form, but take chances because their instrumentation is often sparse – two musicians often sounding like four or five. But it all works out because they never for a second forget that the Beatles were a vocal group. Bird Mancini is a vocal group. So even with their own tunes, concocted in all their complexity in their Second Story Studio, when they bring them to the stage, they make them work. On their Funny Day CD (2004), they had no band; they went into the studio and did the fully orchestrated work from start to finish as a duo, multi-tracking as a full band.
As we were wrapping up our visit, I pressed them once again to tell me some of the songs they were most proud of, the songs that honored their history and their muses. Ruby mentioned “Truth,” a soul-infused tune from Tuning In, Tuning Out (2010) with a fetching gospel chorus, is a song about indifference – social, personal, and political: The truth it has a funny way of catching up with you.Ruby’s homage to Aretha Franklin is deliberate and loving, revealing her own set of chops as something of a force of its own. But she downplays it in her typical way:
Ruby: I wanted it to sound like Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror,” with a full church choir, but we came up short.
Billy: There are a couple of Lennonesque tunes – “Green Walls” and “December.”People have approached me noting the obvious influence, but I don’t care. It’s John Lennon. I’m stealing from the best:
“I don’t wanna live here/ I don’t wanna stay/ Why did you bring me here / To the house on the hill?/ I wanna go back home/ Where the steps are wide/ My secret is waiting / And the ceilings are high./ I remember the smiling lies when they who knew just who we were/ A faded yellow dream of mine is all that I have now/ Lock me up inside the green walls/ Let me feel your never ending love…”
Noise: Billy takes the familiar form for the verses, but upends everything by changing keys in the bridge-to-chorus, employing dramatic, unpredictable chords, underscoring all this ambivalence about loss, and remembrance, but tying it all together with a plea for love. Very Lennon. Very Bird Mancini. And a huge (for me) rejoinder regarding Billy’s slipshod attitude towards the chore of writing lyrics as placeholders (Sorry, William. I don’t buy it).
We finished our visit by talking about new artists that interest them:
Ruby: Rodrigo y Gabriela – two amazing virtuoso guitar players; The Lemon Twigs – very Beatle-ish. And there’s older music that somehow stayed under the radar, like Jellyfish, The Grays, Jon Brion, Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson, XTC, Aimee Mann, Sean Lennon, and of course, the Wondermints [Brian Wilson’s Tour Band], none of whom are young anymore. If I hear any new music that I sort of like, I usually recognize immediately where it was stolen from, and go back and listen to the original artists who did it a lot better and with a lot more chutzpah. Not always, but usually.
Noise: Bird Mancini belongs to the present, as many of their contemporaries and cohorts do. The longevity of Billy and Ruby, Mr. Curt, T Max, their collaborators, and the entire Low Budget Records roster (shepherded by Tim Casey) work hard to pay tribute to their muses and gather allegiance to their original and new works – all these elements giving this longevity merit and making the idea of doing music for music’s sake the very essence of bringing art to the community and beyond.
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Ed Morneau is the author of The Tangles, and other works available on Amazon.com, and a freelance writer living in Salem, MA. He is also a member of Glass Onion – an acoustic Beatles cover band – and is a digital collage artist, whose works will be displayed in Salem and Boston in 2018. Contact: emorneau@gmail.com
I think playing this album in my office led to the moment when my new co-workers stopped viewing me as the quiet, mild-mannered accountant. Apparently, not a lot of hardcore gets played around here. They should thank me because this record is a blast. Sure, it’s angry, but it’s a fun, smiley kind of angry. The strength of this record lies in how the band marries the expected (shout-along choruses, songs about loyalty) with the unexpected (a little acoustic guitar, songs about the dangers of riding a bicycle in Boston). The band also displays a musicality that isn’t always found in hardcore bands. The band has a Bad Brains-like flexibility, and singer Troy Schoeller, while in possession of an appropriate growl, also manages to drop in some legit crooning here and there. This is one of the year’s must-haves. (Kevin Finn)
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DELTA GENERATORS Get on the Horse
13 tracks
Love blues, blues rock, and bluegrass music? Love to rock along to that kind of music? I do! You’ll find some of each on this CD, all done with impressive style. There’s not a bad track on it, though there are a few that blew me away. These New Englanders exude an air that smacks of hot and humid authentic-sounding Southern style, lending an appropriate Delta blues feel to their music. This comes through loud and clear on “Whole Lotta Whiskey,” which sets the tone for some hard partying. If that shoe needs to fit, step right up. My favorite, the title cut, “Get on the Horse,” is highly catchy and laden with some amazing guitar work. If you aren’t grooving and singing along, you just might be asleep. This band is tight! “Hot Tickets” is another winner that gets me moving. “Against the Cold” lightens things up with Charlie O’Neal’s brightly played banjo and Craig Rawding’s harp. The bluegrass aura moves even further South in “Home of the Rustling Chain.” Nicely worked, and “Diablo Rock” does just that—rocks like the devil! It all winds down nicely with some smoothly played true blues on “The More I Find Out (The Less I Want to Know).” This CD is an all around winner and destined to be on my summer playlist! (R.J. Ouellette)
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JENNA LINDBO Jasmine Parade
10 tracks
When I saw Jenna Lindbo play live this didn’t come to mind, but the lead-off track on Jasmine Parade, “Angels on the Subway,” sounds like it was written with Dolly Parton in mind to perform it. Jenna is much more folkie than the country pop mega-star, but since I’ve made this connection, I can’t let go of it. And maybe Jenna isn’t as folkie as I though—“Rainey Day Medicine” bops along like a low-key pop song tempting people to get up and coolly groove along to it. She plays Annabelle, her banjo, in “Harbor & My Boat” and has a host of musicians joining in to create a little string-fest. The whole song is simple with a multi-repeated chorus, but you’d never know it because of the joy expressed in the tune. I love the relaxed bounce of “Instrumental Role,” and it’s another tune Ms. Parton should consider—as Jenna’s tells a lovely tale of an old relationship that unexpectedly turns sad, but still manages to make a mark that lasts to this day. Jenna closes the disc with an easy-going positive chant-based tune in “Let There Be Love.”
The positive vibe in Jenna’s music is felt in all she composes. Her melodic songwriting skills enhance that vibe and the results make me smile and breathe easy. Might as well add listening to this CD to the lists of remedies in “Rainey Day Medicine.” Better than anything a doctor could prescribe. (T Max)
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THE EMPTY HEARTS
429 Records
13 tracks
This is a great first CD from a great new band. And even though its members all come from iconic new wave groups: this is a rock ’n’ roll album from start to finish; with lots of power chords and screaming guitars. And by rock ’n’ roll, I mean that I can hear influences of garage rock, arena rock, pop, metal, traditional rock, and even Americana; but no heavy-synth new wave. And that’s not hard to picture since the occasional keyboardist here is Ian McLagan, from Faces and The Stones. I love how he and Wally Palmar from The Romantics on vocals and harmonica open up “Jealousy”; but I am getting ahead of myself. Song by song: “90 Miles an Hour Down a Dead End Street” is a killer tune and I really like how the mid-song lead goes to Wally on harp and Elliot Easton from The Cars growling guitar doesn’t start to explode until the latter part of the tune and the outro. Very cool. “I Don’t Want Your Love (If You Don’t Want Me)” is a driving anthem by a tight band having a blast. I love how on many of the tracks everyone yells the backing vocals altogether and you can just picture them smiling with pride and pleasure as they sing.
“(I See) No Way Out” is a great song with great guitar and finger-wagging vocals. “Fill an Empty Heart” is a pop ballad with just incredible vocals. “Soul Deep” with Clem Burke from Blondie’s incredible drumming, “Loud and Clear,” and “Perfect World” are a terrific trifecta of a metal/garage mix that really showcase the power behind the power chords. Just listen to the passion in these cuts! “I Found You Again” is an Americana ballad that illustrates how this tight rock ’n’ roll band can switch gears and sound equally authentic moving in an entirely different direction. Pretty impressive. These are new wave veterans now in a rock ’n’ roll band playing country & western. I like it. “Just a Little Too Hard,” “Drop Me Off at Home,” and the closer “Meet Me “Round the Corner” are more guitar-driven rock ’n’ roll cuts that end this hot new release. Check out how low-man Andy Babiuk from The Chesterfield Kings is ever-present keeping it together and always playing just the right notes. The CD is produced by the band and Ramones tech vet Ed Stasium—the sound jumps out of the speakers: and it’s just as enjoyable listening to these ace artists separately as a whole. You can tell the members are having a lot of fun because in every song you hear moments when the music locks together so well and everything is right. This first release sets the bar high. Great songs. Great vocals. Great guitar. Great band. Great production. Great sound. The Empty Hearts are filled with talent and enjoyment. Play this music loud. (A.J. Wachtel)
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SUGAR BLOOD JINX Sugar Blood Jinx
13 tracks
This is a new band composed of former members of the inestimable Shods, joined by Eric Waxwood on National steel guitar. The proceedings get off to a rollicking start with “Breakneck Boogie,” a John Lee Hooker-flavored jump tune. This recording is full of fine tunes, though I found many of the arrangements to be somewhat questionable: John Hurt’s “Hop Joint,” with its inimitable guitar hook, is jazzed up to a somewhat immodest degree. On “4th Street Mess Around” they lay on the hokum pretty thick but the track seems strangely stiff and slightly off-balance, as though the pace is being somewhat forced. The cover of Blind Boy Fuller’s “Screamin’ and Cryin’ Blues” seems rather pale and the vocal performance strikes me as somewhat perfunctory; they have better success with their good-natured rendition of Fuller’s “Gimme Some Pie.” I also have reservations about Waxman’s interpretation of Robert Johnson’s “Stop Breaking Down”; very little of the original’s eldritch scariness is preserved; instead, we are given a rocking rendition that comes across as lacking in charm. But there are some real gems on this recording as well: Waxwood’s “Sugar Blood Shakedown” reminds me of Canned Heat in a playful mood; in its driving rhythmic impetus, Waxwood’s “Hardcore Boogie” is also reminiscent of John Lee Hooker. Their rendition of “Pony Blues” by Charlie Patton hits all the right notes, with a spirited vocal line and a bass line augmented by a percussive primitivism which in no way surpasses the original but, rather, complements it. Finally, their dynamic treatment of Fred McDowell’s “Kokomo Me Baby” is also a treat—it charges out of the starting gate and doesn’t let up until it induces a chill which tells the fascinated listener that this is, indeed, the real goods. (Francis DiMenno)
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BRADLEY JAY Drive “Some By Half”
1 track
This was sent to us as one track even though it’s one of the ongoing album, Drive, and I was so tempted to listen to the other tracks as a comparison but resisted it to stay true to the one Bradley Jay submitted (but I’ll listen later!). I’m on my fifth or sixth listen right now of “Some By Half” and each time I feel pulled in deeper to this dark, intriguing techno creation—both lyrically and musically. Along with sultry and addicting beats, Bradley’s repetitive, rhythmic chorus serves as an instrumental accompaniment—listen closely as it’s easy to get sucked in by that chorus and not realize there are some cool lyrics layered beneath. This was the benefit of listening several times and it feels right for this genre—the repetition, the ingraining of the sound, music, words, rhythms into your being. I appreciate and very much dig this. (Debbie Catalano)
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THE INSTINCT Fake It
10 tracks
The full-length rock album by this North Shore-based band shows a group with skill, experience, and a lot of potential. This was my first time hearing their music, and now, I’m counting these guys as a band to watch. They’ve got a great style that shifts and turns from song to song, showing a diversity of influences that fuse together with great synergy.
With a varied mix of light rock and punk-laced tracks combined with hard rock goodness, the 10 songs each have a different feel. “Made of Water” has a quick-tempo, slightly punk feel to it, while “Places” has intense power behind it, with a slow, pulsating beat that really gets into your bones. The three vocalists, Adam Jordan, Paul Bowie, and Peter Landry, have great chemistry together, and the result is a clean, clear production that rises with the music, but not drowning it out, or being buried when things get heavy.
Speaking of heavy, tracks like “Why Do You” really stick in my head, as it speaks on the subject of why some people lie to those closest to them, and what the repercussions are. We can all relate, and this shows some quality writing skills from the foursome.
Instrumentally, these guys really kick ass. Guitar and bass take center stage as they shred and riff time and again. Drummer Eric Bowie sets a rhythm that flows, and the others match well with him, demonstrating a collaborative ability that makes for some great music. (Max Bowen)
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RICK BERLIN W/ THE NICKEL & DIME BAND Teenage Heart Records When We Were Kids
13 tracks
This album, as its title suggests, is interested in taking a look at life’s rearview mirror. Unfortunately, it sounds very much like the work of an older man’s idea of what constitutes rock ’n’ roll. It sort of rocks and kind of displays hints of danger, but for the most part I’m left unconvinced. The songs are catchy, and there are certainly some excellent moments like the Milky Way reference and the theremin of “Devil Rat,” but this isn’t enough to outweigh the soft rock horns of “Something Breaks My Heart” or the somewhat creepy vibe of several of the numbers. Speaking of creepy, as stalker songs go, let’s just say “Stalker” is no “One Way or Another.” Guest appearances from Gordon Gano and Gary Cherone reflect the high esteem in which Berlin is held. Unfortunately, Cherone, the favorite singer of my youth, seems to have transformed into Sammy Hagar, and nothing that makes me think of Sammy Hagar is going to stay in heavy rotation. (Kevin Finn)
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LAST STAND/
NOONDAY UNDERGROUND
Taang! Records
“Scum Guns” b/w “Injun Joe”
2 tracks on 7” vinyl
Last Stand went on to legendary status in the Boston punk scene but it all started here with Taang! Records’ release of the “Scum Guns”/“Injun Joe” split single. Noonday Underground and Last Stand are effectively the same band. The departure of original bassist, Leslie Green prompted the band to change its name from Noonday Underground to Last Stand.
Both tracks are straight out of the British punk scene—melding the styles of Stiff Little Fingers, The Damned and early Wire. Every time I hear “Injun Joe” I instinctively want to slip “Alternative Ulster” onto the record player immediately after. Like the rest of Last Stand’s output, this debut release lives somewhere between punk rock, pub rock, and an early version of what would soon be categorizes as alternative rock.
This two-song treat is a great way to whet the appetite for an amazing Boston band. (George Dow)
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HOT FIRE Fly Electric Records Lost in Rock & Roll
8 tracks
Hot Fire’s debut is a testament to all things rock ’n’ roll. It astutely and unflinchingly displays every ’70s hard rock and ’80s hair metal cliché, banal lyrics included (The title track and album’s namesake “Lost in Rock & Roll” opens with “I’m not tryin’ to take you home tonight/ I got something better in my sight.”). Even the CD insert proudly displays an obligatory “band in front of a brick wall with one member menacingly fingering a fire alarm” photo. Hot Fire goes beyond paying homage to their early Kiss, Roth-era Van Halen, and Aerosmith influences by blatantly and poorly ripping them off. So, if you are a budding songwriter and want to know what to avoid, check out this release, otherwise, find something more productive to do with 35 minutes of your life. (Marc Friedman)
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ANSWERMAN The Way You Want
6 tracks
“Superknife”: The punk voice of God; stop-start dynamics; ultra-cool vocals not too high in the mix; irresistibly tuff riffage. Followed up by the obligatory poppy number (“Fall”): like Frank Black meets Black Sabbath—Black Slaggeth? Blag Shaggeth?—with a soupcon of the DBs or OMD or Smashing Pumpkins (or maybe even My Bloody Valentine, as they helpfully point out in the press release—thanks, guys!). You also get an obligatory ballad that briefly turns into an epic flaming bonfire of monumentality and then goes back into poky Keane-eyed mopery—don’t get me wrong, though, “Bad Arm” is one of the most distinctive and likable tunes on this disc. “Pie Eater Starfish” is kinda blah and “Girl” sounds like it wants to mix The Kinks with The Buzzcocks—not a bad idea in theory but in practice it falls somewhat short of appealing. Then there’s the show-closer: the sensitive maunderings of “Wonderland,” at first so airy that the song threatens to float away—help! help!—but then it becomes this warped ’60s psychedelic thang with all sorts of acidy effects which is actually pretty wonderful and well worth the wait. I just wish that the drumming sounded less like “Be My Baby” and more like troglodytes pounding rocks in the Mammoth Caverns until they’re interrupted by a lumbering shaman dressed in a bear skin and half-crazed from drinking hallucinogenic reindeer piss. But that’s just me. Let’s be fair. Overall, I’d say that three fine songs out of six is not too shabby. (Francis DiMenno)
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STRANGLEHOLD
Taang! Records
“Same All Over”
2 tracks on 7” vinyl
b/w “She’s Not Leaving”
Five years before The Mighty Mighty Bosstones introduced ska-core to the entire country, Stranglehold, one of Boston’s most overlooked, early-’80s hardcore bands created the template. Released in 1984, amongst other classic early Taang! Records seven-inches from Gang Green, Last Rights, and Last Stand that same year, Stranglehold’s single stands alone in that it was nearly forgotten to time—until Taang! recently released its First 10 Singles box set.
Compared with the minute-and-a-half blasts of frenzy released that same year by many of their Taang! peers, “Same All Over Again” is an extravagant jam, coming in at nearly five minutes. The rock-steady ska rhythm and slashing guitar give way to dub-beat drums over the course of the song. The vocals sound like a less whiskey-and-cigarettes version of Dickey Barrett (interestingly, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones frontman drew the cover art for this single). In the ’90s Sublime would go on to take “Same All Over Again”’s formula of dubbed out, stoner ska-core on to the masses with songs like “Smoke Two Joints” and “Santaria.”
The b-side, “She’s Not Leaving,” slides markedly toward the British Isles style of punk. Stiff Little Fingers and The Buzzcocks are the touchstones for this track. Fast and snotty rules the day in this song with its sloppy guitars and vocals reminiscent of ’80s D.C. punk, Pete Murray, of Marginal Man. (George Dow)
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BOB KENDALL Bob Kendall
11 tracks
It’s a Saturday afternoon; I’m trying to get a head start for once with my Noise reviews, so I slide Bob Kendall’s CD into my computer and I am so unexpectedly taken in by his songs that I have to keep remembering that I’m supposed to be taking notes and writing about it, but instead, I’m just plain happily sinking into each track and thoroughly enjoying the music that’s flowing from my speakers. I want to endlessly rave about this in a more original way than I usually do and while doing complete justice to such a great body of work, but all I can say is this should be on the airwaves (if it isn’t already) so that more people can derive the enjoyment. So what does Bob play exactly, you ask? Okay… he’s a singer/songwriter, who in these 11 tracks beautifully manifests lyrics… meaningful lyrics… into songs that perfectly bring to life his words. Need a genre? Americana, roots, blues, modern/alt rock/pop…. I love how his songs make me feel—they bring out emotions—both the dark and the encouraging songs. Just listen, feel, enjoy. By the way, this recording was produced by the wonderfully talented Paul Kolderie and kudos to the also-talented backing musicians. My picks (though I love them all): “Stay,” “New Day,” “Rage,” “Dazed.” (Debbie Catalano)
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ANNA VOGELZANG Canary in a Coal Mine
12 tracks
This great vocalist was born in Lexington and has become very popular in the Midwest and on the Left Coast. These self-written cuts are contemporary folk/pop ballads and more up-tempo melodies with banjos and strings included. What I mean by contemporary is that this music may stylistically be folk, but this is much more than just a warbler and a guitar and a message. Her beautiful voice is passionate and powerful, and this is more than just singing sweetly. Her delivery is quite personal in her inflections and very sentimental in her emphasis, and this comes across well in the big audial picture. Songs I really like are: “Heart Beat Faster” and the two real radio-friendly cuts “One and Only” and “So Long.” I also like “Whiskey Drawn,” an Americana song well-suited for a lonely night in Nashville. Drummer Brian Viglione from The Dresden Dolls and The Violent Femmes is in her band too. Nice stuff. (A.J. Wachtel)
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DAN MASTERSON Learn to Live
5 tracks
In a town well-known for punk rock, sarcasm, and a less-than-sunny disposition, Masterson’s concoction of sincere and heartfelt soft rock could be a tough sell, which is too bad because this collection of piano-based nuggets is actually quite refreshing. Masterson has a clear, pristine voice and an intelligent melodic sensibility, which helps him pull off the trick of being mellow without being dull and tasteful without being antiseptic. The best number is “Twice,” which has a classic country influence that reminds me a bit of John Denver. I wish Masterson would lay off the falsetto at times, but there is a lot to recommend here. (Kevin Finn)
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SILVER SCREAMS Creep Joint Scratch EP
5 tracks
Linda Ronstadt once referred to The Ramones as “hemorrhoid music” so one can hardly imagine what she would have to say about this (though to be fair, she did once assault Elvis Costello for referring to Ray Charles as a “blind old [vulgar racist slur]” so she’s not all bad.) Though she was big friends with David Geffen. Geffen would not have this on his turntable at any time, any more than he would listen to The Pipkins. Show tunes were more his thing. (Stay with me—I am going somewhere with this.) Anyway, just as the worst novelty tunes and even show tunes all seem alike in their vacuous inanity, so punk rock of this sort is beginning to sound like a grab-bag of tropes, and these guys are a case in point, because this political sort of shouty outrage was pretty much shaped by the MC5 and sharpened by The New York Dolls and carried forth by all sorts of local-area punksters. “The Evidence” is not so bad as a headlong declamatory. The rest is standard-grade tuneage by some nice old punks who would probably also punch Elvis Costello. (Told you.) (Francis DiMenno)
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TOM GUERRA Casa del Soul Records All of the Above
11 tracks
This is ex-Mambo Sons sizzling guitarist Guerra’s first solo CD and I really dig it for a number of reasons. First, he has a great band. Early ’70s Mott the Hoople English pianist Morgan Fisher and keyboardist Matt Zeiner, a veteran of performing with Matt “Guitar” Murphy and Dickie Betts & Great Southern, join drummer Mike Kosacek and Tom on all guitars, bass, percussion, and vocals, in a really tight group.
Second, his musical modus operandi on this release is to first set the groove in the melody and then take off with his great guitar; and make no mistake—this is a groove-oriented band and his guitar work isn’t flashy per se but it is always menacing and ever impressive. And third, every cut is just three minutes long; and that’s one hundred and eighty seconds of a barrage of guitars making a great audial statement. All the songs are written by Hartford’s Guerra, and the CD was recorded in Glastonbury, CT. Tunes I really enjoy are “Cup of Tea” with its great hook, nice groove, and wistful and lecturing vocals. It also has cool Beatles song titles serving as the chorus. “Indian” with its great groove and heavy opening a la screaming guitars, and the opener “Get Offa My Groove”; with its teasing appeal: this cat can play! He also shows his Americana influences on “Dirty Son,” Here’s Tomorrow,” and the closing ballad “Love Comes to All of Us.” Good stuff from a great guitarist. (A.J. Wachtel)
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ESTHEMA Long Goodbye
8 tracks
This is not a recording I would normally seek out and that’s why it’s an extra treat for me that Esthema’s Long Goodbye was assigned to me… With their exquisite fusion of Balkan, Near/Middle Eastern with jazz, prog, classical, I feel like their music takes me into faraway, exotic lands. Along with the gorgeous instrumental cultural/world music meldings, each of Esthema’s song evokes emotions through their stunning and intricate arrangements. Though the CD info includes a description of what these eight tracks mean, I wouldn’t have to read it to ascertain what the story is for each—that’s how expressive it is, that’s how you do it—wordlessly conveying the meaning of a song or just bringing out those feelings in the listener. I am in awe of these musicians and their talent and am enraptured by how they’ve composed their songs. The instruments featured in this sextet’s music include the cello, violin, bass, guitar, drums, and percussion, oud, and bouzouki. Standouts: “Three Sides to Every Story, Part II”—love how it seamlessly evolves the genres; beautiful integration of styles; “Fire and Shadow”—cool and alluring; “Reflections From the Past”—wonderful strings and another emotionally evolving song; and the elegant “Long Goodbye.” (Debbie Catalano)
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PADDY SAUL Hay Hay When the Sun Shines 2 tracks
A skillful selection from a truly talented musician, Saul’s new single flows from the opening note, ramping up with intensity and a heartfelt desire to speak to the listener. His voice is impassioned and smooth, reaching out and drawing you right in. The song seems to tell a story from Saul’s life, emphasized by lines like “I love the people in this town.” The chorus is an invitation to a good time, to enjoy life and all it has to offer.
Included with the single is a recording of a live performance of “This Is the Way (Same Old Box),” and hearing this, I’m adding Saul to my bucket list of artists to see. Eight minutes of an extremely high-energy, rollicking rock tune, and I can only imagine how much fun Saul has with his band. The crowd really gets into the performance, and as things close out, I’m pretty sure I hear someone asking for another song. Cheers to that. (Max Bowen)
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JOHNNY A.
Aglaophone Records Driven
11 tracks
Johnny A.’s fourth solo release, Driven, is very good and very listenable. There are 11 instrumental tracks on this new CD and each song has a different personality. Sometimes his guitar playing growls and sometimes his strings sound sweet; but it’s always creative and invariably awe-inspiring. This incredible axeman has played in bands with Bobby Whitlock (Derek & The Dominos), Mingo Lewis (Santana), Doug Clifford (Creedence), and Peter Wolf (The J. Geils Band), and he also won the 2010 Boston Music Award for Blues Player of the Year; but this is the first project where he mixes, produces, records, and plays all the instruments in his home studio.
Without question, cut after cut, one can hear his rock, blues, jazz, and funk influences and all of these powerful, groove-oriented songs showcase his diversity as a player and songwriter. His specific style of expressing many different emotions though various notes and tones, that come from his own Gibson Signature Edition guitar, is very unique and impressive. His superior authenticity comes from how he initially plays a riff or chords that set up for when he introduces his note playing later on. And always the beautiful guitar tones. In many of the songs he starts with a great riff or chord progression, then comes the pounding percussion that sets the mood; and then Johnny and his guitar start to talk, and it’s always a pleasure to listen. The opener, “Ghost,” is such a song: full of audial bravado that screams “I am here; listen to me!” Tunes I really dig are: the psychedelic “Out of Nowhere,” where Johnny also uses an EBow, and the introspective “A Mask You Wear,” which illustrates another of the cool characteristics of this CD; the second part of this original composition just goes up a notch when the melody and the passion really start to gel together. While the opening measures of all the songs are spectacular, as the tune progresses the music gets tighter and more exciting; and this is the way he makes his statements. In other words, the song is like the fire and the passion is in the different ways he ignites the blaze. Also cool is the only cover done, a killer version of The Bee Gee’s “To Love Somebody” which is SO good that after hearing it you think the original is merely a Minor League version of Johnny’s own more colorful rendition. I also dig “Backbone Slip” with its nod to Stax/Volt, and the funkiness of the closer “Gone… (Like a Sunset).”
Throughout this CD, Johnny paints a clear and sparkling audial landscape, and his devotion to melody is evident from beginning to end: sometimes he sounds bluesy like B.B. and sometimes he sounds jazzy like Wes Montgomery or Kenny Burrell; but his clean and creative playing always sets him apart from every other six-stringer around. Play this music loud. (A.J. Wachtel)
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We can all agree that having a soulful voice adds a little magic to any song you hear. Incorporate passion and truth into a creative composition and a good hook becomes enchanting and the performer becomes a wizard. Note after note, song after song, Zion Rodman is such an artist. His beautiful voice and high- caliber catalog are charming, inspirational and majestic. Read on and let him cast a spell on you.
Noise: On the circuit you appear as both a solo acoustic artist and with a full band. What’s the difference in your performances?
Zion Rodman: All my songs started on the acoustic guitar, so that’s them in their most natural form. But I like playing with a band because it’s an opportunity to open up more and have freedom with playing. I always have the full band playing in my head so it’s nice to hear those sounds realized. Right now I’m in a power trio with Ray Cohen on drums and Gray Gafarov on bass.
Noise: You write your own material. Does some of your music get written with the specifically different formats in mind or do you render some of the same songs in both groups depending on where you’re playing and what mood you’re in?
Rodman: Yes, I hear it as it would be played with a band in my head but I always figure out the way I’d play it on acoustic guitar first. Then I consider full band arrangements.
Noise: You are releasing your debut album You’re Invited this month. What can we expect to hear on this?
Rodman: This album is not solo acoustic. It’s with full instrumentation – acoustic/ electric guitar, bass, drums, a little organ, and banjo on one song. I performed everything except for drums and banjo. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by my buddy Alex Katz. Expect to hear my songs as they’re meant to be heard with proper instrumentation, full arrangements, and three part harmonies. The two songs I’d recommend to new listeners are “Need I Say More” and “Everybody That You Know.”
Noise: The party for your new music is on June 3 at The Burren, in Somerville, to showcase their Backroom Series. On the bill with you is Julia Mark whose soft, easy vocals are reminiscent of Suzanne Vega. Why did you choose her to share this special night with you?
Rodman: Because I think JM is one of the best local musicians around. Her songs are thoughtful and well arranged. Her lyrics are insightful and she has something to say, it really shines through in all of her songs. We’re planning for Julia to join me on stage for some songs too.
Noise: Is describing you as having a passionate and expressive voice, memorable lyrics and thoughtful compositions fair and accurate?
Rodman: I hope so!
Noise: Is describing your sound as soulful folk/ rock music true or false? Tell us where and how much each genre fits into your music persona. Am I missing anything?
Rodman: Soulful folk/rock and indie rock is what people describe my music as, I’ve adopted that and I like it. I’d say it’s true. I’d say indie, singer/songwriter, acoustic genres also fit my music persona.
Noise: You are a singer/ songwriter who plays the guitar, bass, piano and drums. How did this occur and which was your first instrument?
Rodman: Drums was my first instrument when I was 13. About a week later I bought a really cheap acoustic guitar at TJ Maxx. Playing the bass and keyboard was to get a better understanding of how those instruments play in a band, and how to come up with ideas that are separate from the guitar for my arrangements. Plus they’re fun.
Noise: Do you have a favorite way to write your songs or express their meanings with specific instruments?
Rodman: I guess with me, most of the time, songs start on the acoustic with just the music by picking around, something nice usually comes out of that. Then when I’m in the mood to write lyrics is when it all seems to happen at once. I do have some songs I’ve written on piano, but those are for my second album.
Noise: You grew up on Cape Cod and came to Boston a few years ago. Please briefly trace your history and who your music influences were then and who they are now.
Rodman: When I was in middle school, I was into artists like Green Day, Incubus, and Third Eye Blind. That was what influenced me when I first started playing. I still love all those bands, but now I’m more influenced by really personal songwriters like Taylor Goldsmith from Dawes or Father John Misty. They’ve made me really want to be a better lyricist.
Noise: For the past year you have been co- hosting a closed mic series in your apartment that features local talent from the Boston area. What’s the story behind this and please tell me some of the great artists you’ve had on your show.
Rodman: My roommate had the idea one day but didn’t act on it, so last summer I posted the idea in the EBASS (Emerging Boston Area Singer/Songwriters) group and about 80 people said they were interested within the hour, so I knew we had to do it. I have a lot of singer/songwriter friends, the roommate has a lot of jazz friends, and my girlfriend organized the shows and made sure the featured artists knew what was going on and made sure they got paid.
These shows are so much fun. The first hour is an open mic, then we have three 30 minute sets with featured artists, and after that we have a long jam session until everyone goes home. Here is a full list of featured acts in alphabetical order, they’ve all been great:Alec Hutson Trio, Andrew Di Marzo, Black Samurai and the Conscious Collective, Dan Cristo, Dan Martinelli, Dan Masterson, Florie Namir, Frank Bell George Woods, Jakals, Joanna Schubert, Julie Mark, Ken Budka,Louis Apollon,LuRose, Max Bailey, Prateek Poddar, Raley Delk, Sidestep Complex, Small City Mayor, That One Eyed Kid, Troll 2, Zion Rodman.
Noise: Congratulations on winning the T Max White Rose Mic-O-Thon (singer/ songwriter competition). Care to share what this was all about and what went on at the event?
Rodman: A bunch of musician from all around the area came to Lynn to enter this songwriting contest for the fame and glory and $500. I got first place in the preliminary, semi-final, and final round!
Noise: What’s in the future for Zion Rodman?
Rodman: Well, in the immediate future, this summer I’m quitting my job and will focus on music, playing shows all around New England to promote the new album, and will start recording the second one. Keep up with me on zionrodmanmusic.com to see what happens after that!
THE NEIGHBORHOODS The Last Rat: Live at the Rat ’92 (2-CD collection)
31 tracks
The Neighborhoods may not have been the best or brightest Boston band back in the halcyon ’80s, but like many of their all-but-forgotten contemporaries—the Outlets, Dogmatics, Lyres, or anything with John Felice in it back then—they were always a sure bet for a good time, a solid rock ’n’ roll band that wrote good songs, delivered with enthusiasm. This two-CD set, recorded live at the fabled Rat in October 1992, captures the raw energy of that era’s lineup, featuring frontman David Minehan, bassist Lee Harrington, and drummer Carl Coletti, on what was supposed to be the Neighborhoods’ final gig. (The band reunited in 2004 and plays sporadically to this day.) The setlist spans the entirety of the ’Hoods career, from their classic power-pop single “Prettiest Girl” (which introduced the then-teenaged trio to the Boston scene back in 1980) through their Who- and Cheap Trick-inspired golden years, and into the heavier, more bombastic songs they recorded for their ill-fated major-label swan song Hoodwinked in 1991. The set ends with three amazing Beantown covers—by La Peste, the Nervous Eaters, and Mission of Burma (!)—that pretty much cement the Neighborhoods’ legacy as a band that helped not just shape, but define, a generation of Boston rock. (Jim Testa)
PADDY SAUL The Way the Blood Flows 12 tracks
This is another great slice of finely crafted songwriter pop from Boston, by way of Ireland. Paddy Saul has assembled a great cross-section of Boston music royalty to flesh out these tunes, including Jimmy Ryan, Peter Parcek, and Damon Leibert, and even a special cameo from Hothouse Flowers’ very own Liam O Maonlai. There’s even a horn section and a string section! The songs are so tightly arranged. Some are fist-pumping anthems, while others are introspective meditations on love and life. Fans of Michael Scott, Karl Wallinger, Francis Dunnery, Leonard Cohen, and Bruce Cockburn will find this album a delightful bit of alright, expertly engineered by Rafi Sofer and mixed by the very tall Ducky Carlisle. Songwriters of this pedigree are few and far between. Paddy Saul is the standard by which other local songwriters should be judged. This is how it’s done, kids. (Joel Simches)
DAVID GREENBERGER WITH PAUL CEBAR TOMORROW SOUND Pel Pel Recordings They Like Me Around Here 19 tracks
Quote: “You’ve got to do one dumb thing every day so you can laugh at yourself.” Indeed. This CD of monologues-with-music is something of a follow-up to the acclaimed 2009 Greenberger-Cebar project Cherry Picking Apple Blossom Time. As usual, Greenberger’s monologues are drawn from conversations with the elderly; this time, they are mostly natives of Wisconsin. Cebar’s musical accompaniment is often jazzy in a whimsical way, which complements the monologues, as on “Hair.” Even though the exotica and cool jazz that accompanies the monologues is anachronistic in terms of the memories of people born between 1910 and 1940, the fusion of old and new nonetheless seems strikingly apt. One example—“The Chosen One”—the tale of a zookeeper and a sex-starved ape—is accompanied by a funk-jazz riff that accentuates the oddness of the story and provides a setting for it in the familiarly exotic. This melding of the odd and the exotic, the unique and generic, is the hallmark of the artistic mix being offered up here. “Archaic” mentalities clash with a “defunct” modernism and form a synthesis. Jazz styles from the 1950s to the 1970s seem appropriate to these monologues—they lend the enterprise a hipster vibe, to offset the old-fashioned and somewhat rural-flavored stories told by the speakers. Even a tale as mundane as excavating a sewer (“Thank You Reuben”) is rendered spectacular by a strangely driven funk-percussion underpinning; even a monologue as lackadaisical as “Me and My Dad” is given a whimsical dynamism by a soulful call and response provided by Greenberger and vocalist Mac Perkins. Perhaps the most notable track here is the magnificently eerie end-piece “Nine Sheboygan Dreamers,” with its unsettling avant-garde musique-concrete accompaniment. It’s easily as majestic as any documentary score narrated by Ken Burns. Greenberger, as editor of Duplex Planet, has been mining this rich vein for well over 30 years, and here he shows that he is still adept at finding unexpected poetry in everyday things. Philosophers maintain that simple things are often impossibly complex; furthermore, truth, we have been told, also includes the observer. To be sure, the strangely skewed and seemingly naïve wisdom of Greenberger’s respondents grows strange and wild upon closer examination. It is possible that listening to these tracks will make us more, rather than less, inclined to listen to what our own aging relatives have to say. (Francis DiMenno)
VARIOUS ARTISTS Evolvement Radio Earth Tone Artists Live in Studio: Vol. 1 21 tracks
Here, Evolvement Radio presents the cream of their musical crop of radio performances. An impressive array of studio-quality acoustic tunes from an impressive array of artists, mostly hailing from New England. The tunes are so good that it’s hard to believe they’re all live takes. Though the comp keeps things stripped down and almost entirely acoustic, it still runs the gamut stylistically from roots rock, to ragtime, reggae, and world music.
Adam Ezra’s lightning-quick finger-style acoustic romp “Katie” stands out immediately with its bouncing tempo, boiled-down vocals, and sharp gusts of harmonica. Air Traffic Controller does so as well with “The One,” their folksy lovelorn ballad spun with yearning fiddles, dulcet banjo pluckings, and the lead singer’s Jeff Mangum-like nasally vocals. But it’s Nemes’ simply titled tune “Blues” that really seizes my attention: A drop-D guitar blues spiked with guttural vocals and replete with downright demonic fiddle interludes that sound like the damn thing is speaking in tongues with its discordant flourishes of oil-slick, string-scraping, hair-raising cacophony.
Local heavyweights like Ryan Montbleu and Will Dailey also make appearances with their acoustic guitars and captivating voices. Melissa Ferrick, too, beguiles with her warbling voice and cutting guitar, while Jesse Dee chicken-picks his way through his raspy ragtime blues number, “Slow Down.” Really, a great collection of NE’s finest doing what they do best. Yet overall, the stylistic variety of this compilation is fleeting and I find the tunes too often fall back on solo performances of gruff-voiced male crooners strumming folk songs on their acoustic guitars over and over again. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a potent musical approach with a rich history and each individual performance well-played in its own right. But it’s good only in moderation. (Will Barry)
TOKYO TRAMPS Rollin’ Rockland Blues Hour
12 tracks
This local band’s members all hail from Japan, but they sound like they were born in Chicago. Guitarist Satoru Nakagawa writes all the songs that go from uptempo R&B to slower traditional blues, and in all the cuts these cats knock me out with their power and talent. Bassist Yukiko Fujii and Satoru share the vocals and this changes the focus of the band on all the cuts. Listen to Satoru sing the opener “Good Morning, Marietta,” “The Ghost of Old Love,” and the Freddie King-influenced romp “I’m a Country Boy.” And check out Yukiko’s cool vocals on “”Papa’s My Number One Fan,” “No Time Woman’s Blues” (with some great slide guitar), and “Empty Pockets.” Junpei Fujita plays great tenor sax all over the place too. This band is red hot and the CD, produced by Drew Townson, just screams at you through the speakers. Turn this up loud. (A.J. Wachtel)
POWDERHOUSE FOC Records Through the Air 6 tracks
I don’t ever foresee a time when I don’t appreciate a solidly constructed set of power pop tunes, which means I like this record very much. For the most part, it’s more pop than power, but being children of the ’90s (or so I assume), Powderhouse isn’t afraid to throw some fuzzed-out guitar into the mix. Teresa Mastrorilli’s voice has a pleasant lilt, which makes me think of the band as a slightly countrified version of Boy Wonder. The songs are mostly mid-tempo, but they all have life. While the melodies are all instantly hummable, at no point do they feel derivative or overly familiar. The six songs serve as a nice appetizer. I’m ready for the main course. (Kevin Finn)
MOE POPE & THE RAINS Let the Right Ones In
19 tracks
When they reminisce about good hip hop this album will be amongst the ranks. Out of the gate there is a sense of euphoric nostalgic transcendence. As soon as the beats drop, it is apparent that this LP blends many different types of styles and influences from rock , ADM, and ’90s trip hop.
Moe and his cast of characters are droppin’ more knowledge than glitter on the Bean with very conscious and reflective lyrics. His mixed cast include several Boston musical luminaries, such as Dua Boakye from BAD Rabbits, Reks, and Julia Easterlin. The first track “Gotham” that features Easterlin is beautious out the gate. “Annie Mulz” is a supersonic gritty party anthem. Track 10 “Pressure” is grimy and raw. Just about every joint on this album seduces you on the low like a not-so-silent assassin with all its heavenly and heavy beats. This album truly has mass appeal, which I feel will be appreciated by hip-hop heads. (Lara Jardullo)
ADAM JENSEN Head on a String 5 tracks
Though painfully brief, once heard, the symphonic swoon of Jensen’s latest release is hard to forget. I doubt even heavy-duty brainwashing could purge his punch-drunk pop hooks from my memory. While this intricately layered chamber-pop might scream Top 40s (and it does),it is smart and serious enough to keep me from utterly hating myself for enjoying it so much. Sure, some of the songs sound like something you’d expect to hear playing against the lily-white background of a commercial for the latest iGadget, but that’s not a bad thing. Not necessarily. Jensen’s lyrics, while heart-on-sleeve, aren’t that schmaltzy doggerel you’ve come to expect from such radio-friendly pop music. Instead, they include a welcome dose of reality and, sometimes, brutal honesty. (Will Barry)
WHISKEE Last Summer Ever 8 tracks
As the old adage goes, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” something similar could be said for records: “Don’t judge a disc by its opener” and thankfully so because, in the case of Last Summer Ever, there is a seamless flow into the Jack White-flavored “Stateside” that serves to provide listeners with the coveted “ah-ha!” moment. It is through unbridled energy and enthusiasm that Whiskee’s prowess becomes evident, while dizzying guitar riffs and mile-a-minute vocals come together to result in a track that could fit comfortably within White’s album Blunderbuss. As the record progresses, its headfirst dive into the rock, funk, country, and soul genres proves to be an assault on the ears, albeit a welcome one. Even the nine-minute melancholic meditation on an unfaithful lover, “Wild Animal Passion/Spoonbenders” is eerily comforting, perhaps due to the accessible nature of its subject matter. The track, despite its misleading title, is the album’s standout—its melody and vocal styling reminiscent of Love Is Hell-era Ryan Adams, particularly his song “Hotel Chelsea Nights.” It is difficult to imagine the heavy-hitters of Whiskee wearing Adams’ influence on their sleeve, but the welcoming similarities between the two songs speak for themselves. On the whole, Last Summer Ever’s strength lies in its ability to rock, rock, rock, but to do so both melodically and inventively, something that far, far removes Whiskee from the amateur category. (Julia R. DeStefano)
RAAG BILLY BOP
Vivacious Music Stranger Here Myself
11 songs
Phil Kaplan, famed for his work with Men & Volts as well as, more recently, with the Hindi/wordbeat band Bangalore, fronts this innovative band. The CD was produced, mixed, and mastered in New Delhi, and features an eclectic mix of guitars, bass and assorted percussive instruments by locally based sidemen. Mention must also be made of Kaplan’s unique fretless eight-string gui’tarode, a hybrid of electric guitar and classical Indian sarode. Much of this recording is an audacious fusion of Indian and western popular forms. The CD leaps out of the starting gate with the irresistible and electrifying “Mirouch’elli” (also performed by another Kaplan side project, Little Bang). This is succeeded by the equally dynamic and downright hypnotic “Do No Harm.” The long-form “Hang Glider,” with stellar vocals by Sonam Gaychen Wangdi, is an interesting slowed-down and extenuated raga, matched in intensity by the slow burn that serves as the finale of “The Unknown.” Two notable songs revisit Men & Volts material: the funky “Café Society” and the (not altogether successful) Hindified version of “Healing Hands.” Surprisingly, the CD ends with as American-sounding a track as the most devout nationalist could wish for: “Cause It’s Good” with string bass by Sahil Warsi and rhythmic effects by Nikhil Mawkin. The best of the tracks featured here make for a sensationally novel release. (Francis DiMenno)
THE VERSA CONTRAST Proclamations of an Insomniac: Volume 1 3 tracks It was a dark and stormy night… That’s how this EP would start if it were a book, with its turgid bouts of overdriven guitars and drum-rolling bombast, with its dramatic shifts to quieter stretches of waterboarded guitar lines and echo-heavy vocals. Dark and stormy indeed. The vocalist has clearly taken a couple pages from the Thom Yorke playbook with his soaring melodic arcs, strains of cat-like meowing falsetto, and the oft-muddled lyrics. One too many pages, if you ask me. A talented group of musicians, methinks. One that is still searching for a sound to call their own. They’re well on their way, that’s for sure and I, for one, am eagerly anticipating Volume 2. (Will Barry)
CORO ALLEGRO Navona Records In Paradisum
15 tracks (2 songs)
“Requiem” and “The Voice of the Tenth Muse,” both composed by Patricia Van Ness, are the two choral works admirably rendered by the 60-plus members of Coro Allegro in their second commercial release. Taken as a whole, “Requiem” is a work of stature and dignity, soothing and subtle, and yet dynamic and affirming within the traditions of the traditional classical mass. The final track, “In Paradisum,” is notably transcendent. My impression is of a well-oiled machine offering a petition to gain the glancing notice of the Supreme Being. No one can say whether the object is attained, but it is hardly for want of trying. The libretto of “The Voice of the Tenth Muse” is an adaptation of the Greek poetess Sappho—appropriate for an LGBT Chorus—and is an uplifting work featuring ruminative and sedate cadences swelling into crescendos to the pagan gods; none can say whether they, either, have deigned to notice, but, if so, then surely these long-neglected deities are also well-pleased. “Now She Stands Among Lydian Women,” in particular, is majestic. (Francis DiMenno)
BLUE JAMES BAND Give Me the Love or Give Me the Fight 10 tracks
It is through Give Me the Love or Give Me the Fight, the third offering from Blue James Band, that the carefree, combined energy of California’s Beachwood Sparks, Smile, and even Robert Randolph & the Family Band is immediately apparent. Positive vibes ooze from the record and bright, cheerful moments are in abundance throughout. There is noticeable diversity and depth to each composition, something that only serves to add to the band’s credibility. Take, for instance, the record’s opener, “Not Ready For You.” What begins as a straight-up rock tune takes a sudden turn into the reggae realm just as soon as the vocals kick in, and yet the combination of the two genres mesh together perfectly. The end result is a song with a rather friendly tone, even with the chorus of: “I’m not ready for you.” However, even the Phish-esque groove of “Who Are You,” the feel-good “Setting Sun,” and the quiet to loud transitions throughout the closer, “Eyes in the Dark,” still leave this reviewer feeling as if she has heard something similar before. That is not to say that Give Me the Love or Give Me the Fight is not enjoyable on the whole or indicative of creativity, because it is. It has just been done before and therefore, does not sound particularly new. (Julia R. DeStefano)
BETHEL STEELE
Trespass Music Of Love and Whiskey
10 songs
This is Steele’s second full-length release, following 2009’s very promising self-produced debut Come Home. Delicate and evanescent, the opening song, “Base,” leaves such a light footprint it seems about ready to float away from us. However, the outstanding “Beautiful Boy” reveals a surprising and gratifying low-key country lilt from this introspective and talented performer. “Whiskey” is perhaps the best of the more up-tempo numbers, enlivened by the skilled guitar work of Rich Feridun. Steele’s sidemen, particularly Greg Greenway on keyboards, Jeff St. Pierre on bass, and co-producer Jagoda on percussion, play to her not inconsiderable strengths, providing subtle, never intrusive accompaniment. Steele is not about fanfaronades but, rather, her sedate and lovely voice is quietly and quite effectively both evocative and emotive, full of rue and tenderness both, ineluctably charming, and heard to greatest effect on the outstanding track, album-closer “Blue Skies.” I have long championed the work of Ms. Steele; here, I believe, she has surpassed even her already stellar previous efforts. (Francis DiMenno)
BY THE STONE By the Stone EP
4 tracks
Maybe the most interesting thing about being a music fan, listener, and reviewer is how labels of music change. R&B from 1960 is not R&B from 1995, and so on. This music is labeled progressive. It’s not the same sound I know as that term. To me, this is metal. The name of the band denotes the Pink Floyd lyric from the Animals album. This really doesn’t have anything to do with a Floyd sound. Perhaps a newer, late 20th century metal version of long composition and execution. Oh yeah, progressive metal. The tones are dark, heavy, moody, and invite the listener onto a stratum of reality that may not feel comfortable for everyone. This is BIG music. Takes many engines to turn it around in the harbor of the mind. (Mike Loce)
INTERNATIONAL STRING TRIO Movie Night
12 tracks
This trio could not come from more diverse corners of the planet or from a more diverse range of influence, but when you put together Japanese bassist Ippei Ichimaru, English violinist Ben Powell, and Russian guitarist Slava Tolstoy (who you may have seen in a dark corner in the back of Daddy’s Junky Music teaching kids how to play “Sweet Home Alabama”), and lock them in a room at your local Blockbuster (yeah, I know Blockbuster is gone, but work with me here), eventually they will make an album of some of your favorite movie magic moments. The choice of movies is pretty much what you would find on the “best sellers” endcap at a video store (See? I told you I was going somewhere with the analogy), if they still existed. These musical musings are far from pedestrian. They are playful and charming renditions of some classics from some of the greatest films of the last several decades. They lose points by covering a Dropkick Murphys tune. You know which one. That one that gets played all the time. Skip that one and you’ll have a good time. (Joel Simches)
MARINA EVANS Dogtown
4 tracks The Tuscan Sessions
3 tracks
The Dogtown EP features Ms. Evans’ lively and evocative vocal stylings, well-suited to a variety of genres—ingratiating pop (the well-nigh irresistible “Walk With Me”), lackadaisical balladry (“Not Gonna Wait”) and flat-out rock ’n’ roll (“Dogtown,” the EP’s raucous, anthemic best-of show.) On the Tuscan Sessions EP, Americana comes to the forefront, and Ms. Evans proves similarly adept with folksy balladry (particularly on the swellingly lovely “Blue Yonder”) and bluesy torch songs (“A Little Man”). (Francis DiMenno)
VERTICAL TWIN 75orless Records Electrosonicmotherphonic 10 tracks
Providence band Vertical Twin return on this stellar effort. Recorded by guitarist and singer Joe Traynor, this CD has a major label feel. Vertical Twin have the urgency of Dinosaur Jr. with the pro feel of Urge Overkill or the Jam, with a couple of heavy Robin Trower breakdowns thrown in for great measure. I knew Vertical Twin were great live, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard the vocals clearly before. So that’s what the hell he’s talking about! It took a long time to hear their studio release but the wait was well worth it. This band has something for everyone from ’70s hard rock to the best of the grunge era. Extra points for the black and white album cover by Ryan Tesser that doubles as a coloring book. The CD even comes with a box of crayons. Nice package, big guy! Um, can I take that back? The box of crayons, that is. (Eric Baylies)
GRACE MORRISON Grace Morrision and the RSO
8 tracks
This is a pleasant, mournful, joyous, and defiant acoustic effort performed by five classically trained musicians. The RSO stands for “really small orchestra.” With songs in the bluegrass and folk vein, the lyrics tell stories of the British Isles, and legends that make up that rich tradition. It’s music to dwell upon, reflect with and maybe shave your overgrown medieval bush to. The sounds and production are spot-on, the instrumentation consists of acoustic guitar, piano, accordion, banjo, mandolin, percussion, and harmony vocals, which are really quite good. Imagine the Starland Vocal Band in one of their better moments… I’d have wished there was more harmonizing in fact. Varied time signatures bring out the musically trained depth this fellowship has. All this being said, it’s a great local listen by a talented ensemble who may grab listeners of Mumford & Sons. (Mike Loce)
THE BROOKLYNS Swords and Lies
10 tracks
A Boston band called the Brooklyns (named, we’re told, after the lager, not the borough) clearly has an identity problem, compounded significantly by an unexpected Southern country bent that’s all cozy back porches and lazy Sunday socials, without a hint of Eastern urban grit. Guitarist Maureen Kavanaugh sings with a breezy gentility that goes down as easy as sweetened iced tea on a summer afternoon, backed by twangy guitars, steady drumming, and velvety harmonies. When the band’s in full country-pop mode, like the dreamy “If Anyone Told Me” or “Stay Alive,” you can almost feel the undertow of vintage Fleetwood Mac. Guitarist Tom Leger counterbalances those AOR tendencies with his gritty lead vocals, which range from the honky-tonkin’ “Hand Me Downs” to the wah-wah fueled country-rocker “War.” Like Brooklyn’s Laura Stevenson & the Cans, the Brooklyns appropriate traditional down-home Americana tropes without condescension or irony, city kids playing country music that might be just the ticket for a shit-kicking Saturday night. (Jim Testa)
THE PEASANT DRAMATIC Lifted From the Smoke 11 tracks
On this debut release, the opening track, “You’re It,” seems to belong to a particular genre—call it naïve-core, though it’s less like the ridiculously overblown John Cougar Mellencamp and more like the sentimentally winsome Dexys Midnight Runners—albeit with vocals so compressed they sound like they are being sung through a taxicab microphone, and with a horn section seemingly on vacation from Mr. Van Morrison’s St. Dominick’s Preview. (However, to be perfectly fair, this sort of starry-eyed pop dates back even further, to the late ’60s Los Angeles sound of Emmitt Rhodes & the Merry-Go-Round, the Turtles, and even the inestimable Harry Nilsson.) On the second track, “Hand of the One,” we get some dizzyingly cascading fuzzy guitar and snazzy keyboard stylings a la Queen—all of this spells nicey-nice jazz-poppy fusion fizz, but, ultimately, its seemingly inexhaustible store of earnestness is annoying, though admittedly displaying a refreshing lack of calculated slickness. However, after the first three songs, singer-songwriter Taylor Bickford succumbs to a fatal lack of taste—thrashing around with fuzzy-minded, haphazard, self-indulgent melodramatics in the place of solid songwriting and a will to communicate with his audience. “For Joanna and the Kids” is a sappy-but-sincere love letter, but, unfortunately, it also violates a certain implicit contract between the artist and the listener—it’s too baldly personal, and therefore it comes across as merely complacent. “Leaping…” is a piano and sax piece which is emotionally all over the map—mawkish, incoherent, almost impulsively disconnected from anything save atmospherics and clichéd strong feeling—all the worst traits of an artist like Billy Joel. The Dylanesque blues knock-off “Maybe New York” sinks the project further, though it is redeemed in part by a great and truly off-beat full-band coda. “Dear” seems too much like hoary, gasping Springsteen schlock, or even a close kin to an off-putting song like the faux-Byrds farrago “Chestnut Mare.” “Wyoming” is pointlessly bleak and self-important and why, in God’s name, are the vocals double-tracked? Too many of these songs remind me of how fatal it can be for an artist to forfeit aesthetic distance and launch headlong into heedless self-abandon. However, although the album may be a bit of a muddle, on at least two occasions it’s transcendent and even capable of delivering that good old art shiver, as on the phrasing of the line “the rain hits everything” on the third track, “Juniper,” and, in particular, on the phrasing of the line “hang me in the cradle of your radiating love” on the final song, “Everyone Is (Radiating),” which is genuinely heartfelt and touching because it seems to come from a real place, rather than constituting a mere construct of ill-considered musical tropes and second-hand clichés. (Francis DiMenno)
THE WEEDS
Catskull Records Roots/Routes EP
6 tracks
Serviceable emo-pop-punk made interesting by sometimes-backing, sometimes-lead female vocals by Justine DeFeo. This simple, novel twist makes what might otherwise be a boring re-hash of a punk rock micro-genre something worthy of multiple listens.
Dissonant instrumental intros to most tracks add another interesting twist, layering in a pleasant ’90s, indie rock feel—a la early Buffalo Tom or Dinosaur Jr.
With each track DeFeo’s vocals move to closer to the foreground while the songs drift further from the standard Blink 182, pop-punk formula. By the time the final track rolls around, the Weeds have transformed themselves into an endearing, edgy indie rock band. (George Dow)
SUNNY DAY RAINBOWS 10 tracks
Sunny Day Rainbows is the project of the guitarist Adam from Boston’s heavy blues band Whitey. This looks like a children’s album. With catchy choruses like “I ate all the apples” and “squirrels in the bathtub,” I suppose it is meant for kids. If you didn’t look at the liner notes, you may mistake this for a band weened on the Elephant 6 collective or the more upbeat Pink Floyd and Meat Puppets songs. “Riding on a Train” recalls a happier, shinier REM song. Recorded at New Alliance, this CD is ready to be a hit at kid’s parties or keggers. (Eric Baylies)
JAY WILLIE BLUES BAND
Zoho Roots Records New York Minute
15 tracks
Man oh man: this Connecticut band just kills me. Blazing Johnny Winter-influenced guitar on all the tracks with great harp by Jason Ricci, great female guest vocals by Marlou Zanduliet, and ripping drums by ex-Winter band veteran Bobby T (Torello). And this CD rocks. My favorite cuts are: Jay Willie’s “Chain Smokin’” with his crippling-crisp slide guitar and Torello’s ”Watch Pocket”; two songs that showcase the group’s best characteristics. Their top notch musicianship and song-writing abilities are the first things about this CD that grab you. The second thing that I love are the many creative notes this guitarist plays song after song. Killer music by a killer New England band. I want to see them live and onstage and may have to go to the “Constitution State” for their next gig. Oh well. Until then, I have this incredible CD to listen to over and over. Rockin’ blues the way it should be played. Cool stuff. (A.J. Wachtel)
GUILTY AS SIN Future History 9 tracks
An incongruous meshing of Cookie-Monster-vocal death metal, hardcore thrash, and prog-rock-worthy instrumentals. Notable not for the variety of influences but for smashing them against one another without so much as a hint of crossover within any one song.
Song length doubles as genre labels: Less than two minutes equals hardcore thrash, two to four minutes are Cookie-Monster death metal, and less than seven minute tunes translate to instrumental prog-metal suites comparable to Rush’s wonkiest moments (in the best of ways).
While I’ve never been a fan of Cookie-Monster death metal, the other two faces that Guilt As Sin wear are a pleasure to experience. The short and intense thrash-metal moments are a total treat, while the extended prog-metal jams expose tremendous musical talent. (George Dow)
PLUMERAI Darushka-4 Records Mondegreen 10 tracks
“13” opens this release with good ole prog rock straight out of Genesis, mixed with eerie synthesizer and insistent ostinatos, all topped with Eliza Brown’s soulful vocals. On “Trip” the formula is varied, if not by much, by an upbeat pop melody and a truly lovely and beautifully sung vocal rendering. Some standout tracks vary the mix further: the minimalistic torch ballad “Troubled Soul”; the liquescent “Come and Go,” with its spectacular if somewhat overblown crescendo serving as a mock grand finale; the wispy but pleasantly ecstatic “Marco Polo,” and the lilting, languorous “Mortality.” My only caveat—perhaps a minor one—is that I find this sort of low-key quasi-Gothic brand of atmospheric histrionics to be often lovely but also somewhat aesthetically suspect, depending for its emotional effect upon what a cynic might be tempted to conclude are (not wholly justified) melodramatics. (Francis DiMenno)
RIGEL Sightseeing at Midnight 9 tracks
Right from the start, it becomes pretty clear that Rigel’s reach exceeds its grasp. The first track is a pseudo-classical number that comes off as pompous, rather than deep. It’s a trend that continues throughout, culminating with a quivering trumpet toward the end that elicits a lot of laughter but not much real feeling from the listener. It would be easier to overlook the heavy-handedness if the music was any good, but it comes across as a combination of 90 percent rehashed Depeche Mode and 10 percent neutered Nine Inch Nails. And it sounds really, really dated, particularly the synths and the drum machines. It’s okay to pay homage to an era, but you need to bring something new. On the plus side, “A Color I’ll Never Be” gives us one of the goofiest song title since Milhouse’s dad on The Simpsons gave us “Can I Borrow a Feeling?” (Kevin Finn)
KEITH KRAMER Navona Records Casual Dualism 10 tracks
Keith Kramer’s latest release of orchestral work attempts to explore and celebrate the “dichotomy and relationships between all things,” according to his own extensive liner notes. This album is divided into three pieces, the first an all-out orchestral journey playing with various somber moods from the string section, punctuated by stabs from the percussion section. The second piece is a little more playful and features some sonic exploration between the reeds, brass, and strings. The third is a piece for solo soprano saxophone. Stylistically, this album covers ground well traveled by 20th century composers such as Ligeti, Stravinsky, and Sibelius without the emotional intensity. That is not to say that there is little gravitas in the pieces performed here, though it would have been nice to explore some greater dynamic range. This seems more stream of consciousness without structure and with little imagination. I feel safe listening to this when I should feel challenged. Perhaps the dualism expressed here is a little too casual, too familiar. (Joel Simches)
ZAKLANIE Zaklanie
4 tracks
I will always feel utterly unqualified to review drone artists. The bio for this collaboration between Boston’s Cryostasium and Russian artist Victoria Isa Mengele describes them as “experimental ritual black ambient metal.” Okay. I’ll buy that. Well, maybe not the metal part, though I suppose there are guitars in here somewhere. Maybe. It’s hard to tell. It’s all so hard to digest. Even harder to describe.
Three of the four tracks clock in at over 15 minutes, each running a similar course. Ambient drones flitter in, building to a cacophonous roar of synth and guitar feedback. All the while various tortured grunts and groans reverberate and loop in and out of the mix. Some of the tracks lose their head of steam and peter out quietly, while others end abruptly in the midst of the roar, as though someone came along and knocked the plug out of the wall. (George Dow)
ERIC FRENCH & MR. HYDE Old City Blues 8 tracks
Some astute wiseass once coined the term “dad blues,” and boy, does it ever apply here. This is the type of music that gets played in nondescript suburban townie bars, usually by guys who wear their guitars too high and constantly make constipated faces while their solos meander on well past the point of being interesting. Occasionally, drunk and out-of-shape middle-aged couples will dance to it while taking a break from stuffing their faces with buffalo wings. Clearly, this music wasn’t made for me. Perhaps I should leave it at that, but I have to address the cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’.” I seem to remember Bob Dylan once saying upon hearing Jimi Hendrix’s take on “All Along the Watchtower” that the song now belonged to Jimi. Let’s just say that I don’t think we’ll ever hear Petty saying his song now belongs to Eric French. (Kevin Finn)
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Erin Harpe has an inimitably sweet voice which also happens to be admirably suited to the type of updated country and city blues purveyed here. Of the originals, “The Delta Swing” is an easygoing Delta blues, “Love Whip Blues,” is taken at a more lively pace made appealing by some expert harp playing by co-writer Richard Rosenblatt. “Good Luck Baby” varies the pace with a funky soul ballad. “Virtual Booty Blues” is a swinging and highly dancable toe-tapper. Of the cover versions, Willie Brown’s “Future Blues” is taken at a mighty rock and roll pace while still retaining its Delta Blues roots. It’s brilliantly done, for it is hard to take a forebodingly gloomy and doom-laden original and make it sound fresh without trivializing it. The cover of “M&O Blues” (attributed to the notorious Lucille Bogan) is suitably swampy and bizarre. William Moore’s “One Way Man” is a straightforwardly excitable romp through a standard blues; the cover of Luke Jordan’s ragtime guitar classic “Pick Poor Robin Clean” is taken at a slower but by no means reverential pace. The cover of John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery” is as sweet as can be, rendered so by sophisticated guitar picking and the passion of Harpe’s vocal interpretation. This is solid all the way through, but the standouts include the Prine cover, the opening track “The Delta Swing,” and “Future Blues.” (Francis DiMenno)
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GRAVEL PIT
Serpent Umbrella
10 tracks
Gravel Pit were big(ish) in the ’90s, I’m aware of that, but I’ve never heard them before this morning. I don’t know if you remember the ’90s, but you didn’t just hear everything in the world back then. Gravel Pit weren’t in my universe, man. My world was puke and bleary eyes and grunge records. It’s Mudhoney’s fault that I don’t really know who Gravel Pit is. Anyway, this is their first record in 13 years and I have no way of knowing how it compares to their old stuff, but right now, in 2014, they sound like one of these nu-soft rock bands that are floating around, like The Silver Seas or The Boy Least Likely To. It’s all pretty gentle, lightly psychedelic, crunchy on top but with a smooth, chewy center. “Anyone, Anything, Everything” is pretty much the defining track here, a piano-driven indie-pop tune that name-checks Duran Duran and feels like Freddie Mercury navigating a teenage crush. If they remade that 500 Days of Summer movie as a cartoon rendered in vintage Charlie Brown style, you fuckin’ bet this would be on the soundtrack. “The Wreck of the Triple One” throws a few fiery twangs into the mix and closer “Don’t Do What You’re Dying to Do” ends things with a synth-y, dance-y, Killers-esque glamorous indie-rock vibe, but for the most part, hold steady while the Gravel Pit pours a whole lotta ear sugar into your skull. I still prefer puking and Superfuzz Bigmuff, but to each their own. (Sleazegrinder)
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TXOKA TXOKA
Joe Has a Big Fat Head
3 tracks
I don’t know how to pronounce the name of this band. I don’t what significance it holds, if any. What I do know is these three very long tracks pull the listener in like the muses lure shipwrecked sailors to their doom. Minimal vocals over extended songs make this more of a noise project than a jam band, more in the vein of Flaming Dragons of Middle Earth or Sunburned Hand of the Man. I couldn’t find out much about this Providence band, but I can’t stop listening to Joe Has a Big Fat Head. Let the mystery be your history. This is another great addition to the Providence noise canon. (Eric Baylies)
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JENNY DEE & THE DEELINQUINTS
Electric Candyland
10 tracks
The idea here is that local legend Jen D’Angora (Downbeat 5, Dents) and a crack team of garage rock pros (members of Rudds, Gentlemen, Gravel Pit, etc.) harken back to the early ’60s and regale us with the timeless pop perfection of beehive-abusing girl-groups, with a few side detours to boot-stomping ’70s glam and snarly early ’80s power-pop. If that sounds like Blondie to you, then congratulations, you’ve cracked the Deelinquents code. Basically if we invented Parallel Lines instead of New York, it’d be this album. My fave is the prom-baiting slow-burner “Nobody But a Fool,” but just about any track here feels the like the A-side of a bitchin’ summer single. I mean, there’s no need to sit here and dwell on it, it’s a fun, frothy record that kindly requests you change out of those fucking sweatpants and put on your goddamn dancing shoes. The end. The cover of “Fox on the Run” feels a little too on the nose for its own good, but otherwise, you’d have to be some kind of gross neckbeard or something not to be charmed by this.(Sleazegrinder)
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LINES WEST
Stop, Look, and Listen
11 tracks
Lines West’s press talks about their similarity to Wilco and the Drive-by Truckers. I’m sorry. I don’t hear it. Sure, these New Haven, CT-based guys like Americana and they are fond of slipping a banjo into lots of their tunes but there’s very little of the aforementioned bands influence that I can hear. Given that pedigree maybe a comparison to The Avett Brothers or Mumford & Sons would be more appropriate. Even then, the production on this collection of songs is way too polished to really invoke either of those bands. What I hear instead is a semi-acoustic version of Coldplay fronted by Paul McCartney. That’s a fairly strong endorsement, right? Well, why not. This is a great collection of songs. If you like Wings at the Speed of Sound-era McCartney; if you like the less “we’re-the-next-U2,” stripped down moments with Coldplay; if you like radio-friendly, adult-contemporary-indie rock; you will gush over Stop, Look, and Listen.
Though I don’t have a personal inclination towards this flavor of rock, I know enough to be certain that the music of Lines West has legs. These inspired tracks tap into some primal need that most 35 – 45-year olds have to be re-inspired as they move into whatever that next phase of adulthood has to offer them. With the right support these young men will be headlining New England independent radio festivals in no time flat.
(George Dow)
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CHRISTINE OHLMAN & REBEL MONTEZ
The Deep End
15 tracks
Christine Ohlman is the beehive queen. Not THEE beehive queen, I’m pretty sure that’s still Ronnie Spector, but at the very least she’s the beehive queen in these parts. Back in the early ’90s, she was part of the Saturday Night Live band, which is probably a much better gig than whatever you and I were doing in 1991. Since then she’s played Madison Square Garden with Bob Dylan’s band, sang for the Joplin-less Big Brother & the Holding Company, and just generally sauntered around in her big hair, singing rock n’ roll songs with raspy, curled-lip bravado. You get what all the fuss is about when listening to The Deep End. There’s shades of blues, rockabilly, Americana, doo-wop, and garage rock all over these songs but really, they’re just authentic, true-blue, booze n’ bruises rock ’n’ roll. Everything sounds big on this album. “Cry Baby Cry” reaches levels of Phil Spector-esque intensity, a pocket symphony of teenage melodrama, opener “There Ain’t No Cure” leans heavy on arena-rock cowbell ten seconds in and never quits, the drawling, heartbreaking “Like Honey” sounds like it came straight from an early ’70s Ronstadt album, “Everybody’s Got A Heartache” is slow burning, funky blues complete with honking horns and a swooshing organ. Ohlman & Montez (her band, incidentally, not a cool dude named Rebel) brought a few heavy hitters with ’em for this outing, too. There’s a handful of high-profile collaborators sprinkling the disc, including Marshall Crenshaw, Ian Hunter, and Levon Helm. It’s always nice to have friends in semi-high places, and hopefully it nudges a few fence-sitters Ohlman’s way, but really, she’s a big enough presence all on her own. Great stuff. This might be the greatest album Tina Turner never made. (Sleazegrinder)
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COUGAR BAIT
Through the Other Side
8 tracks
Cougar Bait has returned with a new electronic sound and a different lineup. I’m a little new to this genre, but I’ve become a big fan of performers like Daft Punk and DedMau5, and given some time, I can see Cougar Bait opening for them. They’ve got an amorphous sound that doesn’t stick to one arrangement with a few small changes in each song—the music shifts from fast-paced club styles in “Booty on the Dance Floor” to the more chilled out “Break Through.” The synthesizer tones blend well with the guitar (Sean Sullivan) and bass (Jamie McCarthy), which offer some impressive solos throughout the album, and CT Lucious kills it on the drums. Geli, a Worcester-based artist, supplies the vocals for a few of the songs, and the result is a great blend of tunes and voice work. She’s really impressed me with her efforts on this album, and I’ll be sure to give her music a listen. I feel like there is some room for improvement on this one, but in all, it’s a solid opener from this revamped band. (Max Bowen)
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DEAD CATS, DEAD RATS
Raw
7 tracks
While the first first three tracks of Dead Cats, Dead Rats’ Raw may sound like Ryan Sollee of The Builders & the Butchers fronting a Nirvana-esque punk rock band, you’ll find a lot more when you peek behind the curtain and look deeper into this Boston-based band. Four tracks in, on “Knockout,” you suddenly find yourself listening to what sounds like Glen Danzig crooning over a Carl Perkins, chug-a-lug, rock-a-billy beat. Next up, “Big Trouble” finds DCDR in full-on post-punk mode, out-Interpol-ing Interpol with angular guitar stabs and dead-pan vocals which bring to mind that band’s über-hit “The Heinrich Maneuver.” “Warm Up” leads DCDR back into heavy grunge mode—buoyed by series of a deep chugging riffs that serve to re-center the tune each time the chaotic verses threaten to send the song off the rails. The closing track, “Half and Half” is influenced by the countrified punk of Social Distortion. The song starts quietly—revealing the band’s skill at paring things back from full-on rock mode—before turning up the volume and finishing up back on a hard and heavy note. (George Dow)
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JOEY FREEDOM
We Gotta All Chill Out
10 tracks
This is hard rocking metal arena rock; and it’s pretty good. Joey Freedom sings lead, plays acoustic guitar, piano, and harmonica and Clinton “Clintone” Lurvey plays the lead guitar, bass, drums, and sings background vocals. For just two people’s input there is a lot going on in their music. All the songs are written by Joey and their sound is a bit like Aerosmith meets Bob Dylan meets Tom Petty; Check out “Guitar Man” and you’ll see what I mean. Other rocking tunes I really enjoy are “I’m Going Insane” with its manic pop metal pace, the title track “We Gotta All Chill Out” that deals with political injustices, and the metal rocker “Happy” and the metal ballad “Grace,” both with really nice guitar parts. The main formula on this CD is: a cool guitar part sets the mood in the intro, then Joey’s raspy vocals come in followed by three minutes of good guitar focused metal rock ’n’ roll. Then the music ends. Good stuff.(A.J. Wachtel)
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JUNIOR VARSITY ARSON
75 or Less Records Junior Varsity Arson
5 tracks
Junior Varsity Arson is the musical project of four long-time New England rock stalwarts, Guy Benoit (Thee Hydrogen Terrors), Kraig Jordan (The Masons), Dave Narcizo (Throwing Muses), and Don Sanders (Medicine Ball, The Masons). What do you get when you throw these four guys in a room together? Not exactly what you would expect. Instead of heavy art punk, you’ll find something more akin to Devo or They Might Be Giants, as spoken/ sung by an odd combination of the guy from Cake and William S. Burroughs. If you have any taste at all you will agree that this is an oddly appealing recipe. The five songs that comprise JVA’s self-titled, debut EP roll by like some strange beat poet’s LSD-induced hallucination. “Her Parents Love Me” starts off quirkily with, “Her parents love me/ I’m such a big improvement/ over the white supremacist. Her parents hated him/ He ruined every holiday,” and continues on with a strange, American gothic love story. “Brown Jacket and Purple Keds” is a song about…actually, I have no idea what this song is about. There are references to shopping at Target, a museum, a Volvo, and shit-stains on the floor. I have to admit that I lost the story line pretty quickly. And so it goes for another three tracks of stream-of-consciousness lyrics spoken and sung over kitschy keyboards, guitars, and drums. Junior Varsity Arson’s debut sounds spontaneous—like a gang of accomplished musicians getting together on a Saturday night, simply enjoying playing together, all wondering what will come out on the other side. Thankfully, what came out the other side is utterly entertaining. (George Dow)
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DANIEL OUELLETTE & THE SHOBIJIN
Meanie Jeanie Records
ZIZAL! (The Land Is Moving! Look Over There!)
10 tracks
Superficially, Ouellette’s vocal stylings remind me of David Bowie at his most theatrical, accompanied by a mutant strain of Eno-influenced Talking Heads world-funk instrumentals. Yet you see right off that the band is more than the sum of its putative influences. Mostly, they are great fun. Absolutely delightful. And this collection is a set which rewards careful listens because of the varied instrumentals and the unexpected twists and turns of the melody and rhythms. Even trying to describe the songs is like attempting to spear a glob of mercury with a fork. Suffice it to say that Ouellette’s rich baritone is ruggedly complemented by the bold sonic choices of the variegated accompaniment, which range from irresistible synth beats and drones to vocal and other naturally found samples. More than an oddity for the sake of mere novelty, the instrumentals serve the purpose of a ground to the vocal signal. One can see some of this music as a soundtrack to the future, notably the funky “La Nuit…,” the downright humorous “Everything is Ruined,” and the best of show, the heavenly “Pluck You Is Fantastic.” (Francis DiMenno)
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MARK WHITAKER
Nowhere to Land
12 tracks
There is something hypnotic in Whitaker’s inimitable banjo runs, and Eva Walsh’s sweet fiddle playing complements it nicely. “A Day With You” is a lively love song; “The River” is a magnificent and reverential lament; “Better Words” is alternately winsome and touching; and “When the Weather Breaks” is shiver-inducing in its simple loveliness. This is a collection chock-full of inimitably sweet banjo and fiddle balladry which could have been recorded and released in 1960, which points more to a classic folk sensibility than to any lack in the material, which is fine. (Francis DiMenno)
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THE BOSTON SWINDLERS
You Can’t Trust Your Allies
5 tracks
On a beautiful afternoon, I went to a neighborhood block party and was treated to a wide diversity of local acts: Lucy Martinez (folk), The O.H.M. Jazz Trio (jazz standards), Fun Era Fifty (acoustic pop), and a knock-out rock band, The Boston Swindlers. After the Swinders’ set, I expressed my admiration and they slipped me their debut EP. Wicked pissa—classic Boston rock to the tee, right down to their accent! Though I really don’t listen to this style of music anymore, I’m glad all over to hear reflections of The Real Kids, DMZ, Outlets, Nervous Eaters, Birdbrain, etc. and here it is in the new millennium. I’m also hearing New York Dolls, Stiff Little Fingers, or AC/DC. These guys have amalgamated it all. Tunes like “Comrade” or “Hey Rozzie” soar with killer guitar work from Bruno Giordano and Colin Dwyer. The rhythm team of Scott Sugarman (drums) and Anthony Giordano plow right along too. Call it anachronistic, revisionist, or just plugging into the current scene to shake some action! My only personal desire for them is to add a bit more surprise, a dose of sophistication, and a hint of pop! Then they could really break out of the pack. This is a band to watch for! (Harry C. Tuniese)
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FISHING THE SKY
For You
4 tracks
A Salem-based collective-coven led by post-rock visionary/ mellow wizard Rob Hughes and an ever-expanding, ever-evolving jive cotillion of musical cohorts, Fishing the Sky is a hazy, dreamy thing, the sound of your pilot speaking a moment before your plane crashes into the ocean, lost forever. Largely instrumental, slightly creepy, and never overpowering, the four expansive tracks on For You ride the edge of ambient, like sonic wallpaper that occasionally slithers off the wall and licks the back of your neck. Best of the bunch is the climactic “The Good Ole Days Before You’ve Left Them,” a mournful submarine dirge anchored by a violin that sounds like it’s nine miles away from the rest of the band. This is mood music, obviously. It’d be lousy sandwiched between Guns N’ Roses and T Rex on an iPod shuffle mix, but if you want to drive around all night crying about shit, for example, then it’s perfect for that. Or like a really sad breakfast? Burying a small household pet in the backyard? You’ll figure it out. (Sleazegrinder)
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MARK NOMAD
A Real Fine Day
10 tracks
How can I review a seasoned blues singer/ songwriter of the caliber of Mark Nomad—this man knows not only the genre, but he knows every which way within and through his guitar while playing blues (he’s especially noted for his masterful slide guitar playing). Mark Nomad is new to me, so I can share that my experience with his release A Real Fine Day was real fine indeed. With the foundation of blues, we’ve got a whole lot more going on above. There’s the undeniable ’70s funk in “Squeeze Me In”—a song that also highlights Mark’s soulful voice (the essence of this track reminded me of Blood, Sweat & Tears). The slower feel of “My Mind Gets To Wanderin” showcases his talent for having his guitar act as another voice in the songwriting. “No Place To Go” is a purely superb real-deal blues. And my absolute favorite of all is the last track, “A Real Fine Day”—instantly loved this from the first couple of notes… swampy and psychedelic at the same time—I could listen to it over and over again! There were a couple of tracks that felt a bit too long or repetitive, but I understand that’s the blues. Otherwise, this recording was a winner. Goes without saying this man is a talent.(Debbie Catalano)
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MATT FRAZA
Let Trouble Go
9 tracks
As I’m driving down Storrow Drive one fall morning, I slide Matt Fraza’s new album into my player. The opening track is mellow folk melody that puts me in mind of a quiet house concert with a cup of coffee in hand, resting on a couch and surrounded by friends. It’s familiar, relaxing, like a stroll down the quiet roads I grew up on. Much of the lyrics lack a regular format, and have a more stream of consciousness feel to them, reinforcing the casual feeling I get when listening to songs like “Forever.” At first I was a little put off by this, but on the second third runs through the album, I think I get it—Matt, Kraig Jordan (bass, lead guitar), and Tom Chace (drums, keyboards, vocals, bass) have some stories they want to share, and it’s about the telling of the tale, not making sure it fits into a certain mold. (Max Bowen)
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GARY SHANE
Gary Shane
6 tracks
Goddamn Gary Shane, man. Holy smokes. What a survivor. You know this dude, he’s been around since ’79 or so in various permutations: The Detour, Johnny’s Coaltrain, Silvertones, Free Radicals, etc. For whatever reason, he’s never been as high profile as other legacy-rockers in town, like your Willie Alexanders or Johnny Angels. Dunno why. Was it because he lived on the North Shore? I’m pretty dismissive of anybody who takes the highway to get home, so maybe. Or maybe he just lacked a flashy gimmick. Anyway, he’s always delivered the goods, and he’s still at it. This nondescript, unassuming-looking collection of songs is somewhat of a mystery to me. I’m not sure if he’s got a new band or these jams have been kicking around for awhile or if they’re hot off the presses, but I will tell you this much: they’re stellar. Well, at least half of ‘em are. The template is familiar, especially for this town: gritty, street-level divebar rock ’n’ roll steeped in the blues, soaked in Motown, and raised in a garage. “Key to the Highway” and “Destiny” both have a warm Modern Lovers vibe—frothy, personable, easy to like, and fun to sing along to. And then comes “Higher Ground”. Gary Shane’s decades-long battle with MS is no secret, so it’s not a surprise that he’d tackle the debilitating illness in his music. I could be wrong, I wasn’t there when he wrote it, but “Higher Ground” appears to be the moment when he throat-punches his own mortality, and it’s kind of a mini-masterpiece, a swirling nine-minute kaleidoscope of testimonial and confession, of beauty and sadness, of defeat and redemption, a sun-drenched swirl of organ, psychedelic guitar, and gently wafting flutes that thoroughly tramples all of Shane’s worries, pains and tragedies underfoot, even snatching a bit of George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” along the way to chase the darkness back into whatever hole it came from. “Higher Ground” does what rock ’n’ roll is supposed to do: it elevates. Strangely, the rest of the record takes a more pedestrian turn. There’s a cover of “One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer” that just sounds like the original, an eye-rolling tongue-in-cheek dude anthem (“FN Bitch”) and an anti-climactic twenty-minute noodle. What are you gonna do? Shane almost nailed it. Halfway to greatness. You know, like living on the North Shore. (Sleazegrinder)
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SARA COLB
Carried Away
5 tracks
These five compositions are a bit folky and a bit Americana—and they are all ballads played at different tempos. The opening cut, “Carried Away” introduces Sara’s great voice—sometimes lecturing, sometimes playful, and always passionate and very likable. “Roll Away” is a nice acoustic ballad with slight tinges of blues and pop mixed in. I really like both the lap steel playing of Ryan Duchene in the uptempo “Subway Song” and the nice finger picking guitar work done by Darren Ray in the closing cut “Fly.” The rhythm section of BJ Ray on drums and Jeremy Dryden on bass is rock solid too. The most radio friendly song here is “Don’t Wanna Wait” with a really nice country rock melody that I think is the most memorable of them all.You don’t hear too many bands in Boston making cutting edge country & western these days. Check this out!(A.J. Wachtel)
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LENNY SOLOMON
Under My Hat
15 tracks
Under that hat is a voice of sincerity, a genuine folk and country singer and musician, a socially conscious man, a poet… a singer/ songwriter who exemplifies a storyteller through his music. Every word that Lenny Solomon sings in his latest Under My Hat is expressed with such sincerity—whether it is commentary on issues such as in “The Fracking Song” and “Soldier Coming Home” or the pure poetic loveliness of the hopeful yet wistfully delivered “The Awakening,” and the song about an actual poet in “Ode To Robert Frost” in which he humbly states, “wish I could write a poem as good as Robert Frost.” Though clearly impassioned in his lyrics, Lenny’s vocal style is not one that punctuates or booms through (that wouldn’t suit his folk music anyway). But what I notice and admire is thesoul and heart, both in depth and in lightheartedness, shining simply throughout his lyrics, punctuated by the music. Whether it is the harmonica or admirable guitar-picking in some tracks, subtle and lovely backing vocals on others, and even a pleasant surprise a little more than midway through with the Trop-rock tune “Jane & Hal,” Lenny Solomon’s release is a pleasurable listen. Other favorites of mine: “Del’s Song” and “Cat In The Hat” (cool bluesy guitar in this one!).(Debbie Catalano)
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THE BORG
Dove Records
The Borg
8 tracks
Albums like this are hard to review because the music feels more like a score for a sci-fi flick or a video game than it does something you would sing along to in your car. The songs are almost begging for some kind of visual context, although the fact that there does seem to be a somewhat cohesive alien overlord apocalypse story running throughout does help. The music sounds like it was played on appropriately cheap instrumentation, and the vocals often have a creepy sing-song, chant-like feel to them. As I listened to the album more and more, I found myself wondering if it was at least partially supposed to be a joke, particularly on the goofy “No Animals,” which depicts a world with, yup, no animals. The one real highlight on the album is “Choose What’s Right,” which is practically sinister in its catchiness and sounds like what The Magnetic Fields would come up with if they were writing the soundtrack to one of the movies they make fun of on Mystery Science Theater 3000. (Kevin Finn)
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SICK PILLS
75 or Less Records
Sickening
12 tracks
Classic-era punk, particularly of the UK variety, presented us with a lively alternative to bloated arena rock, and the best of its purveyors, particularly the Buzzcocks and The Jam, also offered up some pretty snappy tunes to go with the attitude. This propensity carried forth into the so-called college rock of the ’80s (aka indie rock), and we find plenty of that attitude and tunefulness here, particularly on the opening track, “Wormfood.” But the same opening gambit tropes which seemed so refreshing and new a generation ago have now become cliches: telepathic guitar lines; anti-love songs; stop and start dynamics; brawly Pistols-like chaos; sludgy intros; machine-gun staccato; cinematic whangdoodle; abrasive textures; pounding clamor; grudging grindoramas; feedback-laden echoplex tunings, and so forth. No bad, all in all—just lacking in anything genuinely novel.(Francis DiMenno)
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PIXELS
Terminal
9 tracks
Guitarist and vocalist Andy Davis of the Universes and Boo Radleys has teamed up with drummer Melba Cantwell and friends to create a poppy garage masterpiece. It’s hard to pin the Pixels down. Sometimes they sound like Galaxie 500, sometimes they sound like they should be on a Nuggets compilation. With Melba’s sparse kit and minimalist style, she is reasonably compared to Maureen Tucker when you see this band live, but this is no Pizza Underground. This album takes the Pixels to a whole new level musically and I can’t wait to see them again. (Eric Baylies)
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HUNTERS OF TRIANGLE
Dove Records
Hunters of Triangle
8 tracks
Here’s something I truly appreciate—uniqueness. The eight songs in this self-titled release by Hunters of Triangle meander and weave in what I would describe as ’60s-influenced catchy Brit pop and quirky psychedelic. I can’t find any info whatsoever on these guys and I get the feeling that it’s deliberate—so, unique and mysterious, hmmm? Either way, that seems to fit with this musical mélange. Though the recording is thin-sounding, the songs have enough hooks and musical arrangements to showcase each song’s substance. In fact with its often airy aforementioned Brit pop feel, the recording sound works. The tracks include the melodious “My Old Girlfriend” into the super cool and too-short “Red Silohette” (misspelled on purpose?). But when “Everybody Loves Me” arrives, the warped, trippy side emerges. Bass-heavy, it feels a bit dark and creepy, sort of like those colorful ’60s cartoons that through the swirly animation demonstrate a drug trip. Trust me, if you heard it you’d know what I mean. We come back into the sunshine with my favorite, “Shilo Can Sing” and with the other tracks featuring tidbits that remind me of The Beatles and The Kinks, I’d say Hunters of Triangle, whoever they are, has just the right touch of throwback vibes and eccentric distinction. (Debbie Catalano)
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SPEEDFOSSIL
Expensive Hobby
Light of Day
10 tracks
“Lovely Lee” has the virtue of brevity—a simple idea simply stated, albeit with a curly keyboard middle eight. These are mostly standard-issue pop songs, notable for the retro stylings of “Hangin’ Around,” which might have been the great lost Seeds single. “Summer” strikes me as sub-Elvis Costello; best of show is the standard-issue but highly catchy “Paper Cut,” followed by the equally infectious psyche-rocker “Ok.”(Francis DiMenno)
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DEADLANDS
75 or Less Records Faceless Angels
10 tracks
Deadlands play dangerously close to a line that would put them into the schmaltzy bar-band blues category. What saves them from that awful fate is a skill for invoking the ghost of early ZZ Top in order to bring some character to their tracks. As often as the generic “Before You Were Born” and the “Mustang Sally”-baiting “Discotex” make me want to scream, tracks like “Bottom Feeders,” “Libby Prison Blues,” and “Fink” prove that there’s much more at hand with Deadlands than Thursday-night-dive-bar status. There are glimpses of real blues-rock genius on Faceless Angels. If you queue up those stellar moments and skip past the cheese you are certain to find something to enjoy on this record. (George Dow)
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JANE FALLON
Tangled in a Tree
13 tracks
Fallon makes the type of music that requires you to leave your cynicism at home. For many a Bostonian, this would probably be a deal breaker, but it’s their loss. The music here is pretty, intelligent and expressive, mostly folk but with some country flair as well. Fallon’s songs have as much PMA as the Bad Brains and enough ruminations on friendship to fit in perfectly on a 7 Seconds record. Maybe the punks and the folkies aren’t all that different! The band is solid throughout, led by the subtly great playing of guitarist Kenny Selcer. The only real misstep is “Talk to Me,” which rails against the kids and their texting and tweeting and Facebooking. It’s done in a jokey manner, but still comes way too close to “Hey kids, get off my lawn!” territory. (Kevin Finn)
• • •
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Thanks for listening to my CD – I appreciate your kind attention. I hope that you might listen to “Talk to Me” one more time, however; you will see that it isn’t about face booking and texting – it isn’t generational. It is about interpersonal communication: “I say I would like to talk to you so that we won’t misunderstand each other …” Looking each other in the eyes – something we all need to do more often. Peace.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to my new CD and it pleases me that you have enjoyed it. Appreciation and honor is much felt.
-Daniel Ouellette
Yeah, well played…you got most of the JVA (Junior Varsity Arson) stuff exactly right.
“Land of Dreams” (the song) starts with a borrowed riff from The Animals’ “We Gotta Get Out of This Place”—and the connection fits along with the theme of the subject being a willing prisoner in her dreams. She may be willing but maybe knows it’s not someplace you can survive. Julie Dougherty harmonizes beautifully with herself, and her backing crew of Jack O’Soro (drums), Jim Scoppa (electric guitar), and Woody Woodward (bass) lay down the easy-rock, blues, and country grooves with pro precision. “You Have No Choice” is a wonderful ode to all the artists that are consistently driven by their muse. Guest Dave Brown adds his dobro skills to the country feel of “Back at My Front Door” and the song leaves me wondering if the one who is missedwas frequenting the back door instead. The depth of Julie’s well-crafted songs becomes apparent—after you think you’re just listening to some pleasing tunes: “China Blue” is a serious women’s rights ballad disguised as a lovely melodic song decorated with a soft-touch guitar solo. “That’s Just Wrong” is a plea to correct our political conditions and the blight we’re leaving for future generations to deal with. Julie dives seriously into the blues on “I’m Getting Out” before she bids goodbye with guests Taylor and Jake Armerding (on mandolin and fiddle respectively) adding harmonies on the chorus of “Heaven’s Gate.” The complicated task of singing about friends that have left this plane is all taken in stride by Julie and company. My God, this woman is talented.(T Max)
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PETE WEISS & THE ROCK BAND
Sool Recordings
Sex Contest
10 tracks
Old-time fans of Boston rock might like to know Stephen Fredette contributes and sings on an absolutely classic track, a bit of twisted Americana (my favorite kind), the memorable “Everything,” with which the album essentially ends. “Go” is the like imaginary punk-rockabilly followup to “Don’t Look Back” by The Remains; “They Don’t Know” is a strangely lovely Pebbles-ready amalgam of frivolous LA ’60s rock with an incongruous sock-o-delic guitar break. The chaotically sluggish and grandiosely muddled version of Charlie Chesterman’s “Graveyard of Love” is followed up by the sprightly “Coward’s Lament,” with delightfully countrified vocals by songwriter Emily Jackson. A couple of gratuitously silly tracks are followed up by the grand and strenuously goofy country stomper “Orion’s All Right.” What a collection!(Francis DiMenno)
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PUTNAM SMITH
Kitchen, Love…
12 tracks
Ya gotcher fiddle, ya gotcher banjo, ya gotcher lines like “You got beans. I got corn. Let’s go make some succotash ’til the morn.” This is a dandy homespun album, but don’t let the word “homespun” fool you. Putnam has assembled a dozen original songs played and sung by himself and some impeccably wonderful musician friends from Maine.
He has a quiet, mellow voice that reminds me of John Sebastian. “Looking Up” ventures into a piano/trumpet jazzy place. I love the line “(I’ll) let my beard grow around my smile” from the song, “Emily Dickinson.” My favorite cut on the CD is “Cast Iron Pan,” which just happens to have a hilarious music video on his website. In short, he playfully sings to his woman: “Nothin’ turns you on like my cast iron pan,” and “I keep my skillet good and greasy, I keep my stove hot as hell, if you just keep on lovin’ me like you do so well.” This is a likable and fun CD, and will definitely entice listeners to come see Putnam Smith in concert. His love of the the land and big heart really comes through, and the tunes are full of food and love imagery, which is for real. On his website is the message: “My garlic is now planted and I’m off on my first long tour of the season!” I can’t wait to see him live. (Kimmy Sophia Brown)
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TWINK
Miniatures Vol. 1
9 tracks
What began as a way to pass the time on the train has become the eighth album from Twink, the toy piano band of Mike Langlie. Made entirely using the Yellofier iPhone app and sounds from Twink’s own toy box, this album is a trippy, electronica theme park soundtrack. I’m very impressed with what this app can do, and the results speak for themselves. “Spinning Fish” takes me back to my days playing Mega Man until my eyes stopped working, with a crazy musical mix that sounds like it was grown right in the Nintendo garden. “Cake Weather” has some kickass percussion, from drum beats to what sounds like wind chimes. Just about every sound you can think of can be found courtesy of this musical mad scientist. It all comes together well, though, and what may seem like a mish-mash at first reveals itself to have plenty of form and function. “Whackamole” makes me think of an audio experiment in progress, as Twink tries one effect after another to see how it comes together. The answer? Very, very well.(Max Bowen)
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BOSTON
Frontiers Records
Love, Life & Hope
11 tracks
There is something for everyone on this great CD that mixes the classic and much loved Boston sound with the current evolution of Tom Scholz’s audial imagination. There are the trademark guitars, beautiful harmonies, and perfectly engineered sound (the same amps, instruments, and analog equipment from the early days is used ). But there are many differences too: Scholz plays almost all of the instrumental tracks himself, and the lead vocals are done by stellar singers Brad Delp, Tommy DeCarlo, Kimberly Dahme, and David Victor. After more than thirty years of teaching other people his songs, Tom sings lead for the first time in his band on “Love Got Away.”
The growling guitars of the openingcut, “Heaven On Earth,” set the mood along with David Victor’s great vocals. It sounds so powerful coming out of the speakers that it’salmost like the band is playing live and in your living room. Brad sings lead and backing vocals on three cuts, two of which are re-mixes of tracks from the band’s last studio albumCorporate America; released eleven years ago. “Didn’t Mean to Fall in Love,” “Sail Away,” and “Someone” are killer and it’s cool hearing his great vocals once again.
The sole instrumental, “Last Day of School,” is a prog rock anthem. The title track “Love, Life & Hope” sung by Tommy DeCarlo is tight, and “If You Were In Love,” sung by Kimberly Dahme, perfectly changes gears—a Boston song sung by a female vocalist! The layered guitars and vocals on “Someday” and “The Way You Look Tonight” are as good as it gets.
“I intentionally stayed close to the early Boston sound on some of the songs: on others I let my imagination run wild” Tom says and that about wraps it up. This is a powerful CD with great songs, vocals, and sound; Play this CD LOUD.(A.J. Wachtel)
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BUTTERSCOTT
In a World…
36 tracks
“Pizza La Pasta” is the first sign: Butterscott is back—after 15 years. Is this a good thing? Maybe, if you like comedic cartoony songs by ensembles like the Turtles and the Lovin’ Spoonful, recirculated through the likes of cultural detritus such as Wacky Packages and the Catanooga Cats. 36 tracks of self-indulgently jokey tomfoolery might constitute an embarrassment of riches for even the most ardent aficionado of musical confectionary, yet you can’t help but watch in stupefied admiration as they throw every cheap and meretriciously screwball idea into the eclectic electric mixer and hit PUREE: the best of what emerges is infectious–though purists may denounce these ditties as musical abominations, they should also probably still be smiling as they say it. All manners and modes bump shoulders: Viz: malignantly suspect psychedelicized 12-bar blues (“Foodie Blooz); a depraved cartoon theme song (“Hey Shirley Pufnstuf”); a Beach Boys send-up (“Pourne Iquana”); a goofy, epic-length Bo Diddley rip-off (“Beaphtrayne”); a thuggish Elvis parody (“Mah Baybeh”); an over-the-top saccharine doo-wop theme (“Kandee Panduh”); a depraved self-affirmation (I’m So Me”): an even more depraved ’70s rock anthem (“Holy Rawk & Righteous Roll”): a demented hippie-era drug song (“Mr. Sofft”); a Cars travesty (“Gyrll”); a Billy Joel spoof (“Sister Styrofoam”); and an interminable drum and bass workout (“Shaik Da Ruum”). A little of this sort of thing goes a long way; all the same, I must say that it IS very good indeed to have them back. (Francis DiMenno)
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KINGSLEY FLOOD
Battles
12 tracks
As a reviewer of a certain age, everything seems at least evocative of something already heard. Kingsley Flood are no different, beginning with alpha male Naseem Khuri’s voice: Bob Dylan, rocked up for a new generation. Now, they call it Americana. The rasp and world-weariness of his instrument lend credence to a batch of damned fine songs that inquire and inspire. Haunting orchestration (“Don’t Change My Mind”) contrasts with the spare acoustic-flavored work of “Sigh a While.” The charging, uptempo “Down” and “Strongman” show a romping side of the band at full cry. My standout tracks were “Hard Times for the Quiet Kind” (it ain’t easy being a nice person) and “Sun Gonna Let Me Shine,” the latter a thoughtful look at the pains of being a social outcast.
Wrangly-jangly, moody and foot-stomping musical styles collide joyously inBattles. There’s absolutely nothing not to like here.(Tim O’Brien)
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VARIOUS ARTISTS
Boston Does Boston Vols. 1 & 2
26 tracks
Let’s just start things off by pointing out how awesome this idea is. Gather 26 bands, have them record a song by one of the other bands on the compilation and then donate the proceeds to the Animal Rescue League of Boston? What’s not to like? Well, obviously, given the wide range of styles presented here, nobody will find everything pleasing. For instance, Township’s arena rock approach makes a Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents’ song sound like Foreigner. That’s never going to work for me, and Gene Dante & the Future Starlets’ take on Miss Fairchild’s “Trainwreck” is shockingly lifeless.
But this is all for a good cause, so let’s focus on the positives instead. There’s no way you can listen to this and not find one band that you desperately want to hear more of. For me, that band is Parks, whose male-female take on Corin Ashley’s “Badfinger Bridge” honors Ashley’s keen melodic sense, while also putting their own stamp on it. In other cases, you learn that a band you like can find ways to breathe life into material you normally wouldn’t be interested, or maybe her Township cover just proves to me that I would gladly listen to Jenny Dee sing anything. I hear she does a mean phone book.
In other instances, a well-executed cover can make you rethink an act you had previously written off. Having once seen Walter Sicker & the Army of Broken Toys, I had come away with the impression that they weren’t for me. Their awesome take on Black Thai’s “The Ladder” maintains the song’s heaviness but sounds like how Tom Waits would play heavy metal. Maybe these guys and gals are for me after all.
Sometimes, the songs just sound good even if I can’t fit them into the too-neat categories I mentioned above. These other highlights include The Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library’s fittingly theatrical version of Dante’s “A Madness to his Method,” Sidewalk Driver performing “Straitjacket” by The Luxury in their typical gonzo fashion and The Luxury’s trippy take on Ted Billings’ “Infinity Minor.”
Bring on volumes 3 & 4!(Kevin Finn)
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THE APPRECIATION POST
Slip Away
6 tracks
Fast-paced, catchy, and brimming with rambunctiousness,Slip Away, The Appreciation Post’s latest release roars through the realms of power-pop redolence and pop-punk rowdiness, familiar territory for this band and one they travel with great ease. The fuzz-boxed choruses, high-singing guitar leads, hum of feedback, and chant-a-long refrains definitely harken back to Weezer’s formative years, as their bio promises. This makes me nostalgic for the halcyon days of the ’90s where the crystal cola flowed freely and the wildTomagatchisroamed the land. However, the synthesizer filigree that whorls its way through the driving chainsaw guitars, melodic basslines, and sleek vocal harmonies helps to give their sound a more modern flare. I think it’s their lyrics, though, with their healthy dose of cynicism and self-deprecating humor that really do it for me. It’s got me looking forward to what else this band has in-store for the future. Hopefully, I will have finally gotten the anthemic hooks ofSlip Awayout of my head in time for their next release.(Will Barry)
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SOOL & INVERSE ROOM
Sool Recordings
Present a Problem
5 tracks
The final track, “Go On,” is an oddly gratifying and strangely lovely New-Agey goof, but Pete Weiss and company are obviously very much steeped in ’60s pop schlock, and here it shows. For instance, on the merry, sunshiney whistle-driven LA-hippie opener “The Door Blows Open,” or on the ominous “Predatory Lending” that sounds for all the world like a joke that Ray Davies thought better of. “Tobaccy” is a country music good with hickified blues and rap lyrics; a throwaway, yet appealing all the same. “Good Friend Tomato” is the outstanding track—yet another one of those fey late-’60s psychedelic readymades ala The Small Faces, and yet a really good tune in its own right—definitely the pick o’ the litter.(Francis DiMenno)
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MARINA EVANS
Unbound
10 tracks
Recipe for a superior CD: start with a charming songstress, blend hints of Amy Winehouse and Sara McLachlan-esque vocal stylings, add just a smidge of KT Tunstall, mix in a pile of well-crafted songs, and season with outstanding production.
WithUnbound, Marina Evans has a highly-listenable compilation, moving easily from the sultry urgency of “Not Blind” to the sweetly assured “Stand on Two Feet,” to the rocking “Lady America” with absolute ease. “California” owns the sweet wistfulness characteristic of John Hiatt at his best, and her cover of Fastball’s “The Way” gives the tune a lovingly lighter treatment. “Unbound,” the album closer and title track simply soars.
As good as the vocal performances and the songs themselves are, this collection benefits further from great overall sonic strength (with Marina Evans credited as producer) provided by a host of talented musicians and buoyed by first-rate recording and mixing. With a camera-friendly look and a reputed winning stage presence, Marina Evans seems destined for a sure shot at the big time.(Tim O’Brien)
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BUTTERKNIFE
Attractions
7 tracks
“We open on our hero,” vocalist and guitarist Phil Wisdom sings in the first line of “Goodnight Goodbye,”—“frozen in his tracks/ sweating through his jacket.” It is a fitting opener toAttractions, Butterknife’s third effort with a thematic focus on the anti-hero set to the backdrop of anthemic, hard and fast ’90s garage rock ’n’ roll.Wisdom continues on, further painting the picture of a simple individual who is merely trying to navigate the world: “I’ve never been more terrified/ It doesn’t matter now/ I’m ready to feel alive.”It is contemplative yet rollicking all the same, evidence of the band’s strength in maintaining instrumental cohesion.One wonders if Weezer is a primary influence, with several tracks slipping into that familiar realm.On “Muscle Memory”and the unsurpassed “Winter Coat,” Wisdom’s emotive vocals evoke Rivers Cuomo amid the quintessential landscape of a love story gone wrong: “…I’m chasing some romantic fix in my idiot head/ …then you shut me away/ a winter coat you shed the very day spring arrived again.” A considerably slower conclusion toAttractions, “Winter Coat” is undoubtedly the best track—even down to its eerie, instrumental fade-out—while serving as a testament to Butterknife’s versatility and subsequent longevity.(Julia R. DeStefano)
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THE DEVIL AND BILLY SHAKE ROCK OPERA
written by George D. Simpson and Brian Maes
31 tracks
Rock operas are back on the charts—at least the charts that the musicians follow to get through a song together. This opera is packaged up nicely with a booklet containing all the lyrics running around photos of the colorful characters in a show that shoves rock star Billy Shake into the den of Dr. Spark (Satan). The big boss of the icy inferno isn’t interested in Billy’s soul. He wants Billy to partner with him in a rock show that will quake the gates of hell and all its fallen angels.Billy plays along for a while and is tempted when he looks back on his past—he tries to figure out what is left for him today. Will Billy be lured into the blue flames of hell for eternity? Will Mr. Shake get it on with the devil’s receptionist, Princess Shrill, and turn it into amanage et quatrewith the Demonettes, or will he choose God, his country, and his friends? I won’t give away the ending, but I will tell you that it does leave you feeling uplifted.
I gave several listens to 31 tracks of tunes in the vein of Pink Floyd while following along to the lyrics of a devilish plot. Maybe my desire for a variety of memorable melodies wasn’t met, but the musicianship and production is above par. The Demonettes alone could probably sell out a ton of shows, and the finalé really did live up to all it should be emotionally. I lookforward toTheDevil And Billy Shakebeing performed live on Broadway, Mass. Ave. or maybe Boston’s Theatre District. Bravo to George D. Simpson and Brian Maes for successfully creating a new rock opera for the world to hear.(T Max)
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MASS
Escape Music Records
Sea of Black
12 tracks
This is as heavy metal as it gets-anguished, preaching, and in-charge masculine vocals. Razor sharp and screaming guitars and a rhythm section that has every intention of crippling you, this music screams of BIG hair. No pansy with a crew cut is gonna be involved with this endeavor. Louis St. August is a pitch perfect professional with one of the best set of lungs on the planet. Gene D’Iria on electric and acoustic guitars is as hard core as they come. I would imagine he chews tenpenny nails during sound check. Michael Palumbo on bass and Joey Vee Vadala on drums keep it all together with their hard pounding and low notes. If clamorous cadences and power chords are what set you on fire, then MASS is the band for you. “Justify” is a real head-banger. The title song, “Sea of Black,” is an extreme ear-bleeder, and even the ballads “More Than A Friend,” “Till We Meet Again,” and the instrumental “Captain Jack” are ominous. This is rowdy music for people of all ages and all temperaments.(A.J. Wachtel)
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CALVINBALL
Luca
7 tracks
There’s no denying the prog-rock prowess of Calvinball’s debut release—not with its seamless meter changes and temperamental rhythmic shifts bobbing and weaving through each tune, nor with its dreamy chord sequences that go far beyond the confines of the “three chords and the truth” paradigm. Of course, there’s also the orchestral array of zany guitar sounds, as well, that’s also part of the prog-rock pantheon—from the sharp sting of harmonics to the buzz of feedback, from whammy-heavy chord-punches to the megalomaniacal lead guitar virtuosity. Yet, with the plucky basslines and lush guitar foliage that shades most of the album in pangs of wistful concord, I’m reminded more of Jeff Buckley’sGracethan Yes or King Crimson. I think what really stands out about this album is that always, amidst the drop-D deluge of guitar sludge and dizzying meter-mashing pitter-patter, there are moments of striking ascetic serenity that are all the sweeter for their brevity. Like the fragile piano piece that briefly plods along on its lonely way as mellotron strings pine in the background before erupting back into the distortion-heavy musical mayhem. All in all, these are outstanding compositions made all the more impressive for being the sole cogitations of a lone mad man who performed practically all the instruments himself, and probably ’cause he couldn’t find anyone who could keep up.(Will Barry)
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HOPE & THE HUSBANDS
Separation Anxiety
11 tracks
Hope & the Husbands’Separation Anxietyoffers three or four different versions of themselves on this release—each one circling around the punk/hardcore theme. From the Bikini Kill-esque warbling of “California Bruises,” to the New York hardcore stylings of “Smokin’ to the Bone,” and on to the cow-poke punk of “Perco Rat,” the band has no trouble bouncing between one punky genre after another.
Hope & the Husbands is at its best when they come out in the guise of Kathleen Hanna fronting Jerry’s Kids. They may not be breaking new ground with the style, but there is always room in this world for another garage punk band fronted by a strong female singer. How else to inspire the next generation of teenaged girls to shave their heads, pick up an instrument, and rip it up from the stage?
You can check outSeparation Anxietyon the band’s Bandcamp site. Like what you hear? You’re just in time to check them out at O’Brien’s Pub in Alston on 3/1/14.(George Dow)
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TALL HEIGHTS
Man of Stone
10 tracks
My heart is torn open by the beauty of the young male energy which surges from these compositions and performances. It’s hard to believe that this group is comprised of only two voices, and a guitar and a cello. There is the temptation to compare them to Simon and Garfunkel and there is some of that, but Tall Heights have the stamp of their own passion-imbedded sound. The blending of their voices is intuitive and rich, and the addition of cello with guitar gives the music a bass-throated under current, and they’re voices are so good, too. Not every performer that comes along actually sings well, and both of these guys have a wonderful range. The melodies are lovely, and rise up from the depths like geysers. Tim Harrington and Paul Wright were born gifted but have worked to create this unique body of work. Songs such as “Flash Boom” have a really odd, discordant musical bridge that discloses a knowledge of classical music. The song “Field of Snow” reminds me of something Andrew Bird might write. I’m looking forward to listening to this many times—every time I listen, I hear something new. (Kimmy Sophia Brown)
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MARK CUTLER
Dreamland
10 tracks
Singer/songwriter Mark Cutler is in Rhode Island’s Men of Great Courage and in this side project, he is more coffeehouse then nightclub. This side of Cutler is more folk and more introspective, but the passion still prevails in every song. “Circle to a Square,” a slow Americana ballad, “I’ll Play for You,” “Soul Flame,” and the title tune, “Dreamland” with a nice harp, are all very personal confessions of a very talented artist to his audience; and his gentle voice is well suited for this intimacy. There is even some banjo on this Americana flavored CD. Mark Cutler delivers some nice acoustic ballads. This is a good listen.(A.J. Wachtel)
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DAN BAKER
75 Or Less Records
Pistol In My Pocket
10 tracks
Got misery? Dan Baker does, in spades. His latest CD speaks of lost love, mournfulness, and general-type unhappiness. I mean, when an album contains tracks titled “She’s Not Gonna Call” and “Threw Me Down a Well” you’re kind of clued in early this is not going to be a compilation of cheerful, danceable ditties, and this isn’t.
Recorded live in the vast, echoing space of an empty Masonic temple, Baker and band have at it, down, dirty… and good. The arrangements are lean and spare, with sometimes-skeletal acoustic guitar carrying the load alone. For others, his band adds the right shades of angst. Dan’s voice yowls and growls in a manner that echoes early Neil Young, but like Neil’s, it’s a voice that delivers pain perfectly.(Tim O’Brien)
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DICEY RILEY
Battles Zone Productions
Rows of Pints and Walking Dead
12 tracks
I will admit to encountering this album with a bit of trepidation as I am currently a little burned out on all things Irish and Boston pride, both of which are in abundance on this collection of Celtic-tinged rock. There are definitely some moments that justify my feelings, particularly the drivel of “Stand Up for Boston,” which gives shout outs to pretty much every townie stereotype. Sports, booze, tough guys, blue collars… it pretty much checks all the boxes. But for every moment when the record wears me down, there’s one when it wins me over. There is an undeniable charm to story-telling frontman John McLaughlin; he ultimately brought me over to his side with a reference to Shane MacGowan that, despite being an obvious touch point, ended up being quite clever. Fiddle player Katherine First is the group’s strongest weapon, giving the band an authenticity that others treading similar ground seem to lack. A less cynical man than me would probably really love this.(Kevin Finn)
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TROPHY LUNGS
Death to False Hope Records/Drink or Die Records
No Judgment
3 tracks
Trophy Lungs take a page out of the early history of pop punk. Not quite as hard or melodic as Pennywise and not as silly/schmaltzy as Blink-18. Trophy Lungs carve out a nice niche between those poles—keeping an accessible yet fairly hard edge.
As with any three-song 7”, there’s not a lot to sink your teeth into. Just enough of a tease to convince you that you want to hear more. The opening bass line of “Dad’s Away on Business” is like vintage Green Day and immediately makes me wish that Green Day hadn’t turned into the Rolling Stones of punk. “Bone Dry” screams for New England but sounds like California snot-nosed punk while “Left of Center” leans towards radio-friendly rock with a punky edge.(George Dow)
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JACKIE HIGHWAY
Solid State Sun
10 tracks
Angie Shyr, with bassist, Jeremy Moses Curtis, and drummer, Benny Grotto, has created a sunny, buoyant pop album. Shyr is a classically trained musician who wrote the songs, played strings and piano and sings lead on all the songs.
“Ride the High Tide” has a very catchy melody that could be used in a television or film score. “What Happens” is a techno song about the universe, sung in a syncopated beat. There’s a little guitar distortion and playful lyrics such as, “Hey curvy earth!” and “What happened to the handstand that landed Big Sur?” “Bach is My Boyfriend” not only has a great title but features violins, viola, and cello interspersing classical and pop music elements. It reminds me of the work of Wendy Carlos. “Flowchart” is a bouncy theme that could be a big hit with theMuppetsor some other kind of children’s television. It suggests the numerous joyous possibilities in life. “Hold You” says, “Hold you in the light, hold you, hold you….” This is a very pretty theme, reassuring and kind, with a beautiful violin over piano. It was written for her friend, Mary Lea Simpson, who passed away in a tragic accident. The album is dedicated to her as well.
Angie Shyr has a kind and loving heart which shines through in these compositions. If you’re feeling a little blue and you want to listen to something upbeat and joyful I recommend this CD. (Kimmy Sophia Brown)
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MELLOW BRAVO
Small Stone/Mad Oak Records
Ripper
4 tracks
Mellow Bravo is the kind of band you have to notice. The opening riff of “Feel Like Dancin’” from their EPRipperis something that most energy drink companies dream of bottling. The band’s ’70s hard rock sound is not only propelled by a dual guitar attack, but manages to combine the catchy Phil Lynott songwriting and guitar shredding of Gary Moore-era Thin Lizzy. With vocals reminiscent of Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan and Jon Lord style organ flourishes added to the mix, the band almost miraculously produces classic party-time/boy-wants-girl tunes that sound fresh and new, not dated or derivative. Each track surges with a power and urgency that leaves you wanting more. So, if you long for the days of the peace-sign patched, bell bottom blue jeans then Mellow Bravo will is the perfect retro-recipe. (Marc Friedman)
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THE JESUS CLAUSE
Downtime
12 tracks
A lot of your favorite indie tunes start with a charming little guitar bit, then the drums kick in, then the bass, and… away we go, right?
Downtimeis like listening to the first four or eight seconds of those kind of ditties, then cloning the signature riff forty or eighty times and somewhat randomly adding a contrapuntal layer or three. The Jesus Clause is guitarist Trevor Hook accompanying himself with a drum machine and looper, and nothing else. Some call this idiom “math rock” but I longed for many of his excellent musical ideas to expand into full-on song concepts with vocals, choruses and a bridge. And that’s because I really liked them.
However, Hook seems highly content to keep his ideas minimalist. And it’s terribly hard to knock what he’s created here. Many of the notions do work very nicely in an uber-repetitive, trance fashion. As pure background, I can dig it. But I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of terrific music might be borne of a collaboration with a passionate lyricist/vocalist. (Tim O’Brien)
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JON MCAULIFFE
Americanmuse Records
In This Present Form
12 tracks
A tasteful guitar-driven bluesy foray from 2011. McAuliffe has a strong and evocative voice and his choice of material, though heavy with 12-bar blues and pleasant ballads, is unobjectionable. There are some nice touches here: “Head in the Clouds” features some jazzy piano; “Jack! Jack!” is a touching Dylanesque tribute to Kerouac; the reverential “On the Other Side” is emotive and evincing. Best of show: the touching “Once Upon a Time” and the Gospel-tinged “Tear Down Every Wall.” (Francis DiMenno)
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SUSAN CATTANEO
Haunted Heart
15 tracks
It is an honor to hear an album of this caliber. Susan Cattaneo conveys exceptional qualities here. In fact, I get the sense that the musicians who collaborated with her feel that way too. She is a life observer and a life feeler – there’s almost a paranormal quality to her insights into the stories she tells – a brokenhearted farmer; a twin sister murdered by her sister; broken marriage, women wronged by their men, a burning barn, a revival meeting, survivors of love, survivors of life, dance halls and cowboys. The melodies are somewhere between country and pop – both audiences would like her. She’s got the power and the glory but the sensitivity and gentleness too. If I had to choose someone that she reminds me of, I’d have to say Eva Cassidy.
In “Worth the Whiskey” she says, “Take a sip for every time you lied and kissed me.” This is the song of a woman scorned and you can feel the scorching on his sorry ass.
“Revival” tells of an evangelist who’s got “the heat in his hands.” She’s not saying if she’s a believer, but she watches it all with an honest heart. Kenny White carries us along with his minor key piano, the whole band channels the spirit.
“Lies Between Lovers” has the musical hook which could attract mindless listening, but her writing nails the sad reality – “crooked scars are gonna fade,” and “little ones between us taking cover.”
“Memory of the Light” is a heartbreaking song about being “a casualty of the casual way you look at me/it’s like you never knew me/at all/ you know you used to be/the sun, the moon and the stars to me/ now all I see is a vacant sky/when I look into your eyes/I see the memory of the light/” This song tells about the irony of the deepest intimacy that turns cold. I haven’t heard a woman turn her heart inside out like this since Joni Mitchell’s Blue.
“Haunted Heart” is a Patsy Cline/Patti Page waltz, with a roller skating organ and brushes on the drums. Her voice is dreamy and creamy, like a pretty woman in a taffeta gown and long white gloves – romantic and elegant.
She conjures up Dale Evans and Roy Rogers in their cowboy shirts with fringe and lassos, in the song, “How a Cowboy Says Goodbye.” “Why don’t you sing me a love song and lay your heart to rest?” She gets through this without a yodel but it makes me so lonesome I could cry. How does she do it? Y’all go buy this album, it’s too good to miss. (Kimmy Sophia Brown)
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JAMIE LYNN HART
Live at Tupelo Music Hall
11 tracks
Frontwoman Jamie Lynn Hart is an old-school blues belter backed by a stellar band that includes Doug Standley, a powerful and subtle drummer; Louis Ochoa, a lively bass player; James Auburn Tootle, who ably accompanies on keyboard, and the spectacular but restrained Kevin Eldridge on guitar. Having said this, is there anything on this live recording worthy of continued play? Certainly the barn burning Joplin-esque opener “Down” is one such song, along with the smoldering “Not Enough,” the show-stopping covers of Patti Griffin’s “Up to the Mountain” and Chris Smither’s “Love Me Like a Man.” (Francis DiMenno)
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WAYNE MARTIN
I Like Your Caboose
9 tracks
Wayne Martin is a folkie in the James Taylor family style. He has a strong voice and writes good songs. He also has a verbal tone with a wide range of emotions that make each song more impacting on the listener. Good stuff. He is a good story teller too. Check out “The Savoury Love Song” to hear a tale. I also dig “Cycles of Love” with the talented Casey Desmond singing harmony. “My Back Window” and “Dancing With The Bride” sound like they are pulled from James Taylor’s catalog and the multi-instrumentalist Taylor Barefoot adds bass, percussion, lap steel, and keyboards to the mix. But I love his voice. A few times he takes a deep breath and bellows out an emotional note; and you check and make sure your seat belt is fastened. Wayne Martin: I like your sound.(A.J. Wachtel)
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DEMORALIZER/BOXCUTTER FACELIFT
Split 7”
11 tracks
The A-side belongs to Demoralizer who barrel through seven tracks in well under five minutes. Dueling vocal styles bounce from a squawking screech to something that sounds like it might be the Kraken. With less than five minutes to take it all in the best approach is to simply hold on for dear life and breathe a sigh of relief when it’s all over. After the brief yet intense pummeling I’m left sweating, weary, and partially deaf in one ear.
I had hoped to say that the best thing about Boxcutter Facelift is their name (because I love the name and I thought it would sound snarky). To my surprise I kind of liked Boxcutter Facelift. Their four tracks felt absolutely epic in length after Demoralizer’s A-side. Their crunchy metal style reminded me of a rawer version of early Korn.(George Dow)
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ALLYSEN CALLERY
75orLess Records
Mumblin’ Sue
10 tracks
While the hypnotic intertwining of Callery’s fancy finger-picking lulls you into a meditative state, it’s her petal-soft lilt that really does a number on your heart-strings, plucking them with the same fervor as she does her guitar. The music is stoic yet still yearningly bitter-sweet. The lyrics, poetic and steeped in country wisdom, relate stories of heartache seen through sadder-but-wiser eyes. The power isn’t only in the words themselves, but in they way they’re sung—in a melancholy, reverberatingsean-nósstyle. Something tells me she could be singing in Swahili or Cantonese and anyone with ears would still have some idea of what she was singing about. (Will Barry)
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MAX GARCIA CONOVER
Burrow
11 tracks
This is the second of Max’s CDs that I’ve reviewed. He is a totally original musician. He is not writing what might be defined as ‘hit’ songs. He has a dancing and sprightly guitar playing style, and his voice calls out like a town crier, announcing stories and images. He’s not a big one for melody, but he sounds as if he’s channeling realizations from the bottom of his heart that he can’t contain. This is not music that you put on in the background and forget about.
“New Beast” is the closest thing to a folk song on the album, which is a duet with a female performer. He says, “If I’ve only been loud, just a word hurling child, I regret it, that is nothing I’m for. But I was a new beast teeming through and I ran and I ran to the war.”
“The Wedding Line” has this poetic line, “All us in the wedding line, cry my father’s mother in her cataract eyes, she said she was a salt water woman and the rain only made her more dry.”
His images pour out like Dylan Thomas or James Joyce, like impressionistic paintings, full of feelings. If pop music is your thing, you probably won’t like Max’s music. If you like to shut your eyes and really listen to the soul of a poet/musician, you’ll probably love him.(Kimmy Sophia Brown)
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CHRISTINE OHLMAN & REBEL MONTEZ
The Deep End
15 tracks
Although Christine and her band are based in the southernmost part of New England (New Haven-Wallingford CT) and frequently play around that scene, you are more likely to catch her fronting theSaturday Night Liveband in Rockefeller Center for all to see on TV. Her music is contemporary R&B with a southern feel, and this blue-eyed soul beehive queen rips through originals and a few covers on her latest album. I love her duet with Dion DiMucci (Dion & the Belmonts) on the southern soul song “Cry Baby Cry,” and with Detroit’s Marshall Crenshaw on Motown’s “What’s The Matter With You Baby.” She also does a duet with Mott the Hoople’s Ian Hunter on her own composition “There Ain’t No Cure.” And I love Link Wray’s “Walkin’ Down the Street Called Love” recorded live and on the air at The Rock WCCC-FM 106.9 in Hartford.
Just great stuff. And what a band. Christine also has Big Al Anderson from NRBQ playing on the title cut. And Levon Helm from The Band playing drums on “What’s The Matter With You Baby.” Wow. What a band. She reminds me a bit of Janis Joplin and her music is more Memphis than Chicago. Her voice commands your ears’ attention; and rightly so. Great music from a great singer.(A.J. Wachtel)
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GUILLERMO SEXO
Midriff Records
Dark Spring
11 tracks
It is impossible to sum up Guillermo Sexo’s sound in a simple sound bite. Across the 4-plus minute opening track of their recently released Dark Spring, you will hear pretty much the gamut of all they have to offer, crammed into an amazingly dense track. All Whispers starts like a jangly late-period R.E.M. alterna-pop song, overlaid with vocals that lie somewhere between Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and the Velvet Underground’s Nico. Minutes in it morphs into a Mogwai/Explosions In The Sky worthy noise-fest and finally comes back to Earth as a droning, psychedelic meditation.
And so it goes for 10 more tracks—each more surprising than the next—each covering giant swaths of influence. All held together by an ample rhythm section and keyboardist/singer, Noell Dorsey’s deadpan, airy vocals.
Every song becomes its own miniature suite, but without the jarring tempo changes and instrumental noodling associated with prog-rock suites. Instead, Guillermo Sexo holds tight to the plot—maintaining continuity across the sweeping changes within each song. It’s not surprising then that the 53 minutes ofDark Springfloats by with hardly a thought to where one track ends and the next begins. Their formula is so consistently applied that the entire album maintains the quite, loud, drone cycle, tying each song to the next such that you can float through its entire length without another care in the world.(George Dow)
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NEW WORLD ORDER
Top SecretEars Only
11 tracks
The Laquidara brothers Bobby, Joe, and Chris are the main talents behind this music. Bobby on vocals and keys, Joe on vocals, guitars, and bass, and Chris listed in the credits on vocals, security, comic relief and the voice of reason. Bobby and Joe wrote all the songs and the string and horn parts are written, arranged and produced by them too. This is good arena rock; loud guitars, strong vocals, and did I say loud guitars? Good pop and hard rock with a heavy metal edge. There’s some good stuff here: acoustic guitar dampening the metal on two metal ballads “No More Lonely Nights” and “In Memory Of.” “Travel Song” has a cool acoustic/screaming electric guitar mix. Other songs follow a similar formula too: a slower intro builds energetic momentum as the song progresses. This works well for them. I dig the harp on “Ladies of the Night.” “Inside Out” and “Expectations” are real radio-friendly too. Lots to listen to here.(A.J. Wachtel)
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B11
B11
15 tracks
Boyon Hristov though it was a good idea to produce a batch of enigmatic instrumental versions encompassing every genre from Tough-Guy Jazz (Peter Gunn Theme) to persnickety film score (Pink Panther Theme) to pop music evergreen (Isn’t She Lovely) and beyond (“Perfume de Gardenias” is particularly nice.). Mr. Hristov, by no means needlessly modest, has chosen to intersperse these numbers with exotica-tinged originals like “Boyan’s Bolero”; funky instrumentals such as “Waltz in A” and (the actually quite pleasant) “Gospel of Me”. Was this an inspired idea? Perhaps. At the very least it is a workmanlike concept carried through to a satisfactory conclusion. There’s not a bum note to be heard. It’s essentially soothing cocktail music all the way through; nothing earth-shaking and, I suspect, nothing which is intended to be. (Francis DiMenno)
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JOE BLACK
2 tracks
This two song teaser is the preview of the full album scheduled for release in March. Bassist Joe Black is a vet of Balloon (Charlie Farren sings on the CD too) and Ball ‘n Chain and he uses the talents of another long time Boston scene vet Johnny Press on growling guitar. Along with vocalist Jeff Baker and drummer David Pontbriard this band plays arena rock with a hard metal edge. Both tunes, “Armageddon” and “Love Lives on Forever” are metal ballads with the latter having a slower tempo and more passionate vocals. I cant wait to hear more of their power pop. Good stuff.(A.J. Wachtel)
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HAUNT THE HOUSE
75 or Less Records
Rural Introspection Study Group
6 tracks
Will Houlihan’s solo foray is a modest collection of guitar ballads and blues. There’s no gainsaying his personal approach to the material, of which the best of show is the bluesy “Vampyre,” along with the heartfelt “Eden.” (Francis DiMenno)
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CHARLOTTE LOCKE
3 tracks
This band met in college in New Hampshire and have been together for a bit more than two years. Their music reminds me of Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and maybe Lita Ford; and I like it. Charlotte has a good voice and the band backs her up well. I also like the harmonies that show up in theshort and very sweet songs. All of their electric folk/pop ballads are written by the musicians and “Addicted To You” may be the hit. A young band that sounds like they have a bright future. Check them out.(A.J. Wachtel)
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The coffeehouse that once seemed so hard to find is as easy as a straight line. It’s cold as the dickens outside and inside is nice and toasty. Host Phillip Murphy reminds us that February 20 marks the 44th birthday of this coffeehouse and then his evil twin brother barges in to drops some rhymes about the fire exits. This is not the place you expect to hear NYC rap but it somehow fits in with the charm of the place. Phillip is back to introduce the first act—Jonah Tolchin, from Bar Harbor, ME, who’s just been signed to Yep Roc Records.Two guys take the stage—one, wearing a winter wool hat that incorporates bear ears and pig tails, sits with a slide and Dobro. The other slight one with a worn straw hat and red plaid shirt stands at a mic with a sunburst folk guitar in hand. Jonah is the guy standing and Danny Roman is his longtime buddy. They get things kicking’ with some old hillbilly blues in the form of a song called “Mockingbird.” Danny removes his hat to reveal a grown-out mohawk. Jonah says he wrote the next one in New Jersey (where he grew up) after a long meditation. He’s a sincere man who squinches his eyebrows up together when he talks and sings like he’s from the backwoods. He treats us to his good fingerpickin’ in what turns out to be his most memorable song with the lyrical hook “She’s pretty, she’s pretty… insane.” He impresses us even further with some Flamenco-type picking on “Walk Until You’re Old” then invites vocalist Julie Guidi to belt a bluesy number a la Janis Joplin to end the set.
Between sets is time for coffee and baked treats in the back room—something almost as good as music—well, it satisfies different senses.
Having played me&thee for more than 20 years, Chris Smither comes out and says he should have worn more clothes. Funny because with all the layers I have on, I’m starting to feel too warm. Chris starts talking about “feeling vs. non-feeling” and follows it up with “Open Up Your Heart.” His fingers fluidly dance on his fretboard while the other hand exercises its masterful finger picking control. We’re not talking shredding solos—he’s got solid melodies, chord structure, and bass patterns all happening at the same time. He also has his worldly worn smile, stories to tell, good advice, and songs with words you listen to. Now you’d think that would be enough, but his secret weapon is his invisible rhythm section… his two feet. He keeps a wooden board under them and a solid up beat gets tapped out in almost every song. And there’s a microphone aiming right at those beat makers. He proceeds to play 20 songs—and each one shines. Things Chris says that I like: Give up thinking that life is fair. If you listen to your mother, you’ll never have fun. By the time you figure out money, you’re six feet underground. I think my songs are hopeful. Tomorrow is just a grand plan for yesterday. And my favorite songs: “I Don’t Know”—the answer to his daughter’s multi-questions. “No Love Today”— about the fruit and vegetable man in Lawrence, MA—he’s got a wide assortment of vegetables—but no love to sell you.
Chris’s double CD (a retrospective of his career) is due out in July. I’m sure it will be a keeper. Catch him if you can. You won’t forget the experience.And unlike the vegetable man, Chris slips a little love into each song.(T Max)
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FUNERAL BARKERS/
FOXPASS/
ZEN ARMADA
Club Bohemia, Cambridge, MA
1/18/14
It’s a cold, wet night in Cambridge, but it’s rockin’ hot @ The Cantab. A great full crowd experiences some veteran rockers still shakin’ some action. First up are a new quartet, Zen Armada, offering up some low-down rock (a la Morphine), with plenty of groove from John Nourse (drums) and Marty White (bass), which immediately gets the dancers up. Fronted by the twin guitars of Drew Hollinger and Bryan Russel, tunes like “The Bug,” “Hollow Day,” and “Foreign Accent Syndrome” captivate the listeners. Very promising group!
Next are ye olde stalwarts, FoxPass—or should it be StompFox with Steve Gilligan and Lenny Shea from the Stompers as the knock-out rhythm section to complement Jon Macey and Michael Roy. Absolutely top-notch pop-rock that has everyone cheering and still dancing. They’ve been doing this since they were kids and it is always infectious and totally professional.
Lastly, the Funeral Barkers, Phil Kaplan’s mesmerizing mix of Stonesesque material and Indian raga rock, tonight featuring the great Woody Geissmann (ex-Del Fuegos) banging out the beat. Phil’s fretless-guitar Bollywood solos are stunning. Hoots, whistles, and cheers all around. A completely satisfying evening, indeed! (Harry C. Tuniese)
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THE BARRETT ANDERSON TRIOwithRON LEVY
Smokin’ Joe’s BBQ and Blues, Brighton, MA
1/25/14
This year’s Boston Music Award’s Blues Artist of the Year winner just keeps getting better and better each time I hear them perform. They are an R&B groove band and the best parts of the night are always in the middle of the song when the band has found its groove and is playing well together. What I really notice right away and enjoy is the tight way that guitarist Barrett and keyboardist Ron Levy play off of each other: it’s like listening to the show in stereo as you hear their artistry come out of different speakers; and this is what I listen to as drummer Frosty Padgett and bassist Jamie Hatcher drive the band powerfully and professionally. Songs of the night are a rocking version of Muddy’s “I Can’t Be Satisfied” showcasing Barrett’s killer slide and gruff vocals, “Emma Lee” from his latest CD “The Long Fall,” and the Jimmie Reed classic “Shame, Shame, Shame.” One song right after the other; first the guitar riff to start the melody, then the band comes right in. Very cool. I look at Barrett: growling voice, eyes closed, standing up and holding his old Telecaster with the worn fretboard; just singing into the mic. And he plays with no pick on many songs: just plucking the strings to get the most out of them. Smokin’ Joes. Smoking band.(A.J. Wachtel)
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JASON ANICK
One Longfellow Square, Portland, ME
2/6/14
I go to this concert alone, feeling a bit bereft because my husband and my son are both sick, and normally one of them would have come with me. I park the van in a big snowbank and hope I don’t get towed and walk to OLS. It is heartening to see people come out on a cold winter night to hear music.
There is a good-sized crowd but I’m early enough to get a good seat. Before long, four nice-looking young men take the stage, three of them in jackets and ties. The four are Jason Anick on violin and guitar, Greg Loughman on bass, Mike Conners on drums, and Jason Yeager on piano.
They start out with a Django Reinhardt tune. I close my eyes and the stresses of the day fall away. These guys are so good, I relax into their excellence. They play the winsome “My One and Only Love,” and tears spring into my eyes. Jason Anick’s violin tone is sweet and woody, mellow as red wine. They play with the alchemy of jazz musicians who feel their way through a piece of music, traversing landscapes—arid, rocky, mountainous, and then lush green forests of sound. Jason’s composition “Occupy,” about the movement last year, begins with a throbbing bass, then a beat, shiny cymbals prefacing, and then an electric mandolin takes off. Tempos change and shift, pianist Jason Yeager is playing with his eyes closed, Mike Connors is building, building, building on the drums. They fold into “Something,” by the Beatles, and then “The Keeper,” a tune written by Jason Anick as a teenager. The unspecificness of jazz holds the beauty—it is unregulated, unstructured and liberated. The spontaneity is the touch of the notes, eyes, and ears, they make up the language as they go. Jason Yeager lifts off his seat with enthusiasm. The ecstatic dimension of the performance becomes like making love—you make it up as you go, but when it works, it works—you’ve been there before, but it’s new.
During the break I call my husband and he tells me there’s a parking ban in downtown Portland because of the snow and I better move our van. I stay for two more tunes. Watching them is like witnessing horses let out of the barn. They run with force and joy and power and spontaneity. The first song of the second set is called “The Turn Around,” and it is full of humor and playful energy. If Ella Fitzgerald were here she would scat-sing her brains out all over this. I reluctantly leave before it’s over, but I am so glad I can hear these amazing musicians. I feel like kissing their hands, they create so much beauty… (Kimmy Sophia Brown)
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HOWIE NEWMAN/
GUY ZACCARDI/
RYAN SWEEZY/
SARAH HOONAN SMITH/
SCOTTY ANDERSON/
JOHN JEROME/
TONY GODDESS
Singer Songwriter Shuffle, Giuseppe’s, Gloucester, MA
1/23/14
Giuseppe’s is a comfortable Italian restaurant where I feel relaxed and take in a variety of singer/songwriters from Cape Ann and nearby areas. Owner and host of the night, Joe Thomas greets me with a big smile and shares tonight’s lineup of seven performers, all doing 20 minutes: that’s the Giuseppe shuffle.
Tony Goddess is up first, sitting at the piano with a slim acoustic guitar and his hair a bit messed. Tony’s already made his name in Boston, Gloucester, and beyond with Pappas Fritas, the Rudds, Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents, and his popular recording studio Bang-A-Song. His fluid talent is apparent when he bangs out a song he wrote before he landed in Gloucester, all about moving from the city to near the water. His life has followed the lyrics and he follows it up with a new song of his called “I Won’t Let Go.” And I’m sure he won’t let go of his wife, Samantha, and daughter Franny (both in attendance). His music style varies from song to song and he warns us about his piano-playing limitations but proceeds to play a Burt Bacharach-ish number, switching to guitar on the more complicated bridge. He’s got a great sense of chord structure and melody and finishes up with a hit that he helped write for Guster… “Amsterdam.” Excellent.
It’s John Jerome’s turn to sit at the piano and play his guitar. His hair and beard look evenly grown out from a shave—all hairs being about a half inch long. He’s a friendly looking guy and proceeds with a jumpy number called “Superman Lies.” The pure tone of his Taylor acoustic mixes well with his jangly guitar-playing style. Though it’s a bit hidden, there’s an element of Elvis in his singing approach. He plays a song, “When the Morning Comes,” that he wrote for his band, whose CD never became a reality. He knocks out “Once in a Lifetime” but it’s not a cover of Talking Heads. Then he wraps up his set with “Cloudy Day” that ends withbig-arena chord antics.
Joe introduces the next act as a world troubadour—and Scotty Anderson appears to at least be familiar with trippin’. Scotty starts by admitting he’s still in his work clothes. He builds up a rolling guitar groove… then unexpectedly stops to take a sip of his Clausthaler beer and remove his skullcap. He’s got a handsome smile (kinda like Johnny Damon) and dedicates the song to the key of C, as the previous groove returns.He drifts into another world, fiddling around in C—and just when I’ve given up on this as a song, a growly voice sings a verse, and is followed by a jammy guitar solo—as if there is a band backing him up. The tune eventually ends and the likable Scotty presents “Columbian Blues” with a fingerpicking introduction. He stops again… and takes another swig. Then it’s back to his laid-back finger pickin’ routine. There’s a feel of a jam band in this solo act—and the guy sitting next to me quips, “I almost forgot what it was like to be stoned.” Scotty spins out another one with “Wheelbarrow” where he channels his days of landscaping in Canada, rides in his three-wheeledbucket, and encourages someone he misses to write him a letter. Charming in a stoney way. Joe gives me a look that says—”How’d you like that?” My smile back at him says, “Crazy and entertaining.”
Ahhh—it’s nice to see the younger generation participating in the shuffle. The somewhat shy yet pretty 20-something (if that)Sarah Hoonah Smith—or maybe it’s just Hoonah—sits at the mic with arms in position to play her guitar and her medium-long light-brown hair falls by her side on her open sand-colored sweater.Her personally penned “Blackbird” (not the Beatles) floats with an Ingrid Michelson vocal style—beautiful soprano melodies that jump around quickly with simple guitar accompaniment.Her presence is shy, but she doesn’t let that affect her likable presentation. She admits in “Lucky for You” that when it comes to love, she’s a fool. She’s got a sweet style going for her, whether she’s a fool or not.
Next up is a young man—Ryan Sweezy from Lynnfield, MA.He masters his Epiphone acoustic guitar and has a very impressive voice too. “Truly Free” displays his youthful confidence. He’s got quite a vocal range combined with clarity and could definitely sing a wonderful duet with Hoonah, if they put any effort into it. He shows his political side with “You Can’t Bring Us Down” written in reaction to the Marathon bombing. And although he’s never done time, “Doing Time” is about his longing heart. In his final offering he shows off his hammer-ons and pull-offs impressively connecting guitar runs in “Breath.”
Guy Zaccardi is the performer I really came to see tonight. He’s got creative qualities far beyond others. He’s loaded with a sort of foreign style that touches on cabaret—but never really goes there. When his first song ends, the audience erupts, and one guy yells out “Leon Redbone meets Freddie Mercury” and he is right on the money. With his dark mustache and old-fashioned eyeglasses, Guy could be the grower of grapes on an Italian countryside. He encourages response by repeating “every clap counts.” I don’t get the titles to any of his songs, but my notes include “Bozo Cute” (the first tune) “Goat” (a slow bouncer), and “Cotton Stuffed in a Blouse” (with creative chords).I sit on the edge of my seat while Guy performs—you never know what rhythms may emanate from his slightest touch, or which way an odd melody may turn. All I know is I’m riveted by his performance and immediately set up a future story inThe Noise. Oh—and he’s such a respectful guy—he leaves a couple of minutes at the end of his set for his Aunt Barbara (Koen), whose birthday it is tomorrow, to get up and sing an a cappella tune with some religious ties about meeting in the middle of the air. Somehow the entire set makes total sense and no sense at the same time.
Coming back down to a normal playing field, Howie Newman is given the opportunity to close the night. Joe adjusts the microphone level while he sips on his Guinness and glances over for approval of the acts. Meanwhile Howie is discussing relationships and how you learn to accept your partners’s flaws, then goes into a novelty tune that claims, “My Baby Can’t Parallel Park.” He admits he also writes serious songs and goes on about being a father of two kids, then sings about them growing up. He’s an easy-going performer with basic chords and traditional-type melodies. He’s got it down how to entertain. For the next song, he teaches the audience to repeat “whoot woo” on a single note while his guitar changes chords. I realize before he tells us that we are rehearsing the background part for the Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.” And although he may end up losing his backup singers throughout the song, he keeps up his end of the bargain. He tells us that the older you get the harder it is to stay out—and reinforces that notion with “Way Past My Bedtime.” A good family performance to send us on our way. Another entertaining shuffle at Giuseppe’s Ristorante & Piano Bar.(T Max)
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THE BONES OF J.R. JONES/
CARAVAN OF THIEVES
me&thee coffeehouse, Marblehead, MA
2/7/14
It’s a cold night in Marblehead, MA, with the week’s new snow piled up along the winding downtown streets. The pews are packed inside the Unitarian-Universalist Church, but not for services. They have come, as they have for the past 44 years, to Me&Thee Coffeehouse to hear the latest and greatest folk music. The stage exudes a bohemian yet dignified quality, with floor rugs in front and a stately altar serving as backdrop. J.R. Linaberry, aka The Bones of J.R. Jones, is the first to perform, wearing jeans and rolled-up sleeves. He wields a chestnut-colored guitar/banjo while playing a kick drum and high hat with his legs. It sounds like a full band is filling the church hall with thundering noise, but it’s all coming from Linaberry. The crowd is enraptured by his soulful voice and furious strumming. The bluesy crawl of “Sing Sing” has a particularly haunting quality.
After a brief intermission, Caravan of Thieves take the stage to a hearty round of applause. They are clad in their iconic ragtime-era outfits and bursting with energy. Fuzz and Carrie Sangiovanni harmonize beautifully on the lively “I Don’t Wanna” before the former retreats to a percussion kit made of trash cans and kitchenware and starts pounding away. Not only is the band full of gifted musicians, they are exceptional performers. Their set is rife with animated body language, droll repartee with the audience, and moments of pure theater. Fuzz joyfully bobs his head to the music and his ear-to-ear grin is a permanent fixture. At one point, violinist Ben Dean lies on his back while Carrie pretends to wilt under her husband’s riffing. “This is what we do. We perform, you come watch it, and it’s pretty good,” Fuzz quips after the band’s frenetic cover of “Sympathy for the Devil.” “Your Parents Did a Bad Bad Job” has the audience laughing throughout, perhaps tapping into a human desire to shirk responsibility for our shortcomings. Dean shines on “I’m Gonna Eat You,” leaning back as his playing becomes higher- and higher-pitched. Brian Anderson is equally impressive on upright bass, dancing while he plays and adding artful flourishes like the catchy bass line on “Rattlesnake.” Fuzz and Carrie enlist the audience’s help on an acoustic rendition of “Dead Wrong,” and the crowd keeps the hand-clapping, foot-stomping beat going with ease. An older woman gets up to leave midway through the set, telling the band, “You were great!” Carrie responds with the Thieves’ trademark humor: “We’ll be thinking about you after you leave!” My first trip to me&thee is as memorable as they come—a historic venue, an enthusiastic clientele, and two enormously talented acts add up to an unforgettable Friday night. (Anthony Harris)
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DAR WILLIAMS/
KAT GOLDMAN
One Longfellow Square, Portland, ME
2/1/14
I arrive for the 9:30 show at 8:45, and wait outside with an anxious crowd until the doors open and we enter graciously. I’m so glad we don’t live in a place where people stampede and kill others to get a good seat! Soon I’m waiting in the third row with my hot tea. I heard that the first show was sold out and this one seems to be nearly so.
The calm and sweet presence of Kat Goldman takes the stage. She has a quiet and sincere persona. She sings her first tune, “Red Canoe,” in a lovely husky, Shawn Colvin-ish voice.There’s a little Irish trill in some of the notes and I am drawn in. She explains that she moved to Boston from Toronto to go back to school to study literature. She sings “Just a Walk Tonight,” about observing Boston neighborhoods and landmarks such as where Mother Goose is laid to rest. She has a shy smile and sings only a few songs. Her voice is sweet and sure, carrying an element of depth.She explains that the song “Annabel” was written for her deceased grandmother, and was covered by the great Canadian band the Duhks. “I’ve looked low and I’ve looked high/ tell me where does the spirit go when you die?”She playfully talks about her dreams to be a rock star, and performs her song “Traveling Band.”
Later in the show, Dar invites her back up to sing a duet of Kat’s song, “Weight of the World.”“You want to take it off/ It’s the weight of the world/ You want to set it free/ Just for today/ You can’t always be the one/ to heal everything/ and the weight of the world/ was never yours to keep.”This song makes my tears flow.
I tell Kat after the show I want that song played at my funeral. She says she wrote it after watching the movieThe Green Mile—that it came out, just like that. I love art-begets-art stories.
Dar Williams comes out looking great in a little black dress and leather boots—I always thought she and the actress Laura Linney look like they could be sisters. Jazz musician Bryn Roberts backs her up with keyboards and harmonies. He is utterly focused and supportive. She stands and delivers with the confidence of an observant and deep-feeling woman, who has been distilling the scenes of her life through poetry, music, and voice. Her voice has power and depth—it is lovely and emotional.She jokes about money, about life, and performs great songs such as “Spring Street,” with this achingly poetic line: “So April had a blizzard just to show she did not care/and the new dead leaves made the trees look like children with gray hair.”In the song “If I Wrote You,” she tells the one that she longs to be intimate with that, “If I wrote you/ you would know me/ and you would not write me again.”
“I’ve Been Around the World” is a love song about family and work, and relationships, and what really has meaning. This song makes me sob, too. “That I know I am not alone in you/ and I know you’re the one I can tell my stories to/ I have been around the world/ there’s so much there to see/ and the story never ends/ you’re all the world to me.”“Buzzer” is about the Yale Milgram Obedience Experiments. It illustrates what people may be willing to do for money, and what they might do if they don’t have to take ultimate responsibility for their actions.The last song is a tribute to Pete Seeger who died the previous week. Dar was Pete’s neighbor. She sings, “If I Had a Hammer,” and encourages us to join in. A woman named Elly Chase joins them on stage with her cello. I belt out the harmonies I know from a deep place in my solar plexus. I sing to Pete—to freedom, and to the song about you and me, all over this land.Dar ends by saying, “I heard the harmonies. This is Portland, not New York.” I go home flying, I stay up half the night thinking about the concert. It is in my dreams, it is on my pillow when I wake up, it is with me all day. Thank you, sweet women of music. (Kimmy Sophia Brown)
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Sam Bayer is a unique folk singer-songwriter from Cambridge, MA.He’s edgier than most in the field, and his intelligence is obvious as soon as he opens his mouth.He uses his wit to create some of the most interesting and and humorous takes on life and this is what ends up on his albums.His latest, The Great Indoors, is pure evidence of his ability to entertain.I met Sam couple of years ago at Giuseppe’s Singer-Songwriter Shuffle and immediately took to his smart city/folk approach to performance and songwriting. When I received his CD in the mail recently, I knew that it was time to track him down for an interview.
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Noise:Let’s start at the beginning – how did your music career unravel?
Sam: My brother wanted to take piano lessons, so I said what the hell. For the first year the only time he ever practiced was when I wanted to. He’d slide onto the bench under me. He quit, I kept going. He later started and then quit the clarinet and the violin, too. Now he has a doctorate in modern classical composition and runs the jazz program at American University in DC. Go figure.
As for me, I got to college and one morning I woke up and decided I wanted to be a rock star. I’m not a rock star, you’ll notice. But in my own defense I did try, not very thoroughly and not very well. So I’ve settled for being a singer-songwriter idol in my own mind.
Noise: Then what is necessary to transfer that singer-songwriter idol image into other folks’ minds?
Sam: Exposure, mostly. I’m my own worst publicist, which is a shame, because I really believe in my music and my act. If you come see me, you’ll remember me. Unfortunately, finding the audience for a great act is the story of an awful lot of people’s lives here in Boston. What makes this a great town in which to learn the craft also makes it a really hard town to practice it in – lots of talent chasing too few attentive ears. I really admire the people who can make a dent, because it takes so much more than talent.
Noise:Agreed. An old saying in the Boston rock scene was that there were more bands than fans. It’s probably true of the folk scene too. But we don’t want to dwell on that. We are on a mission to get you public attention.What’s the craziest thing that ever happened to you at a gig?
Sam: A long time ago, when I was playing keys in the ska band Agent 13, we were booked to open for Foghat, believe it or not. They were some random incarnations of the band. You know the story. Its had one original member and a cast of midgets or something. The show was in some large no-name club in Dedham, I think. We could not turn this down, the idea was so hilarious. We got there and Foghat was doing their sound check. Apparently, the sound engineer – I kid you not – could not make the sound system loud enough for them. So they left. We and the other opening act had to do the gig.
Noise: What about in your folk world?
Sam: As for my illustrious folk career, mortifying things have happened, but crazy? Folk people aren’t really crazy.
Noise:Then who are your current favorite uncrazy local artists?
Sam: It’s hard to say – we’re not the prominent people on the local scene, given our superannuated state. The Lied To’s, Susan Levine and Doug Kwartler, are awfully good right now.
Noise:Do you do something besides music to supplement your income?
Sam: Hahahahahaha. Ha. I’ve been able to keep my losses down to the low hundreds of dollars for several years now. My actual job is what finances my music habit. I’m not ashamed of it, but I never talk about it to my music colleagues – I’m sure most of them haven’t the faintest idea what I do for a living.
Noise: Ahh, I see… you like to keep your non-musical life very separate from your musical life. Would this be the same case with your photographer on The Great Outdoors? The one you refer to as “She Who Must Be Taunted.” And is she also a Noble Prize Physicist winner?
Sam: If you mean does anyone know my lovely spouse’s true identity, the answer is some, but it’s more fun to use her code name. She has never won the Nobel Prize, but she certainly inspired the reference. She has demanded that, if she ever wins an award, I have to wear a tuxedo.
Noise: I’m sure she is worth it. But imagining you in a tux is quite a stretch. Getting back to the music… Where have you performed lately? And do you play with a band sometimes? If so, who are they?
Sam: My last gig was a CD release house concert hosted by my pal Rob Mattson, who runs a house concert series where I’ve played before.
Usually, I perform with my percussionist, David Troen-Krasnow, who was in Agent 13 with me. I got the idea from Paul Horton, a musician on the South Shore, who did an open mike feature with someone playing a real stripped-down kit. Dave is a wonderful musician, really imaginative and versatile, and we’ve been playing together for almost 30 years on and off.And until the CD show he was the only person I played with.
The Great Indoors features three other musicians. The first is Jeff Root, my producer, more about whom later. The second is my brother Josh, the jazz director in DC, playing upright bass. The third – well the third is Walter Crockett, and I am humbled by his presence. He has been a legend on the Worcester scene for 40 years, and is one of the most creative acoustic lead players I’ve ever heard. His and his late wife Valerie’s band, the Oxymorons, were wonderful, and he’s been very kind and supportive to me over the years. I opened for them several times and was honored when he agreed to play on the album, as well as when he agreed to playthe CD show with me and Dave and Jeff.
I love playing with a band. I hadn’t done it in decades before the CD show. I’d love to do it again, but musicians like to get paid.I couldn’t keep my losses down to the low hundreds if I were paying musicians on a regular basis.
Noise:It’s been eight years since your last CD, I’m Not a Modest Man, what took you so long with The Great Indoors?
Sam: Fabulous question. Next question.
Just kidding. This is a somewhat traumatic question to answer. I wanted my next album to be a real album. I was not satisfied with the production on I’m Not a Modest Man and had a lot of very specific requirements for production and engineering. The prospect of trying to find the right person was draining. I didn’t want to work with any of the usual suspects on the local folk scene for various reasons. Plus, I really wanted to do a live album, but that wasn’t possible because my audiences aren’t large enough. Finally, I knew it was going to cost money, but spending it seemed pointless, since the chances that it would pay itself back were zero. So I felt pretty stuck. Without Jeff Root at the Root Cellar, the album never would have happened.
Noise:So what was it like recording with Jeff at the Root Cellar in Westminster, MA?
Sam: In addition to running the Root Cellar, Jeff is a marvelous songwriter and musician, and that’s why I chose him. His own albums reflect the stylistic versatility I was aiming for with this album. He and I had a long talk at the beginning of the process, and he addressed every one of my concerns. He even promised me that I’d enjoy the process, and I usually hate recording as much as I love live performance. In the end, I have to say that I enjoyed Jeff’s company. I highly valued his musical contributions and greatly appreciated his patience. I am delighted with the result.
Noise: I agree. The Great Indoors is a wonderful collection of well-recorded great songs. What is your favorite cut on it? And which song ended up sounding the most different from the way you perform it live?
Sam: My favorite cut? Heavens, I love them all. What I have are favorite moments. Walter’s guitar solo in “Bad Song” wows me every time I listen to it. The three part harmonies at the end of “Shlomo” make me dance around the room. I love harmonizing with myself under any circumstances, but those four measures are pure, over-the-top bliss. And the moment when the organ comes in after the chorus of “Songs that Write Me” is truly poignant, I think.
But don’t make me pick a favorite song. I can’t do it.
As for the live vs. studio thing, it’s interesting, because I really strive to capture the live feel and energy in the studio. All of the songs are more arranged than they are live, but many of them are just more support for the original feel. The two that really aren’t that way are the two keyboard tunes. “Shlomo” was always going to be a klezmer/ska extravaganza, and the piano was always going to be forward. I seldom play piano live anymore, so it was always going to be different. “The Songs that Write Me” was the surprise. The piano and organ parts just came to me one day while I was fiddling with the rough mixes. It gives the song a completely different texture.
Noise: I find that most artists either excel with their live performance OR their studio work. You seem to have found a very good balance between the two.
Have you played with any national/ international acts or are there any you wish you could play with?
Sam: Well, there’s Foghat, but we didn’t actually play with them, did we. I opened for Jack Hardy several years ago, but that’s pretty much it. I haven’t really pursued anything else. I remember attending open mikes with Lori McKenna. You could tell that she was special – Mary Gauthier too. I’d love to open for Peter Mulvey someday – I knew him way back when he was just getting started in Boston, and I’d get a kick out of showing him that I learned something.
I recently shared a gig this past fall with Kirsten Maxwell. Someday, I expect, she’ll be on the list of national acts I’ve played with. Major talent.
Noise:Do you have any special plans to market The Great Indoors?
Sam: I’ve signed up with Hudson Harding Music, run by Erik Balkey, a fine songwriter from Philly, who also does CD marketing. I’m very pleased with his efforts so far. But really, I’m counting on this interview to bring me fame and fortune. Don’t let me down, T Max.
Noise: I would never! Your fame and fortune are about to change with the double barrel shot of The Great Indoors’ release and the publishing of this interview!Back to reality… What about touring? Are you willing and able?
Sam: Unwilling. Fat, lazy, uninterested in poverty and sleeping on sofas. The time for that was thirty years ago, before I incurred a mortgage and expensive taste in food. Now, if someone fetches me in their private jet…
Noise:Well, good luck with hitchhiking on a runway. And before you get run over, tell me, what’s in the future for Sam Bayer?
Sam: How does the old joke go? A folk musician hits the lottery, and someone asks him what his plans are. He says, “I’ll keep playing until the money runs out.” As long as I keep my losses in the low hundreds, Boston is stuck with me until one of us dies.
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Noise: Sam Bayer may like to downplay his role in the folk music scene, but I’m confident that if more people saw him and listened to The Great Indoors they would find a place in their heart for him. Put a dot com after his name if you’d like to invade more of his privacy… or maybe give him a lift in your private jet.
FRANK BLACK
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THE NEIGHBORHOODS
