A Few Uneven Rhymes - A Tribute to Winter
Hours (mainmanrecords.com)
All proceeds from this compilation will benefit
Road Recovery, an organization dedicated to
helping young people battle addiction and
other adversities. Please visit:
www.roadrecovery.com
for more information.
Winter Hours began in 1983 with Joseph Marques
on vocals, Michael Carlucci on guitar, Bob
Perry on guitars and vocals, Bob Messing on
bass. Drummers included Stanley Demeski (of
the Feelies and Luna,), John Albanese, Dave
Scheff, and Frank Gianini (of the Bongos).
At the time, one of the few truly alternative
radio stations in NJ, WHTG-FM 106.3, was giving
critical support to amazing up and coming
bands like Winter Hours, who helped pave the
way for the indie music scene today in Jersey.
For the band’s 25th anniversary (they
disbanded in 1991, and lead singer Joseph
Marques passed away in 2003,) Jeff Raspe (who
was the music director for HTG) spearheaded
and supervised this two-disc/28 track release
with a lot of TLC. Besides this creative body
of music, performed by some of the most talented
artists around, they’re also having
a few record release parties and this year
a deluxe reissue of “Winter Hours”
is being planned by Arena Rock Records.
As for the music and musicians on “A
Few Uneven Rhymes: A Tribute to Winter Hours,”
it’s as diverse and extraordinary as
the band itself. Besides three innovative
versions of the song “Walk Away”
by Think About It, The Miscreants, and Norton
Antivirus (cool name, think I have that on
my laptop), they also include a 1989 demo
by Winter Hours called “Her Heaven,”
which was covered by John Caselli. His version
owes a lot to The Beatles’ “Taxman,”
but both cuts expose The Beatles, and Winter
Hours’ music to a new generation. It’s
a good example of why Winter Hours literally
defies categorization. The sweeping pop guitars,
the defining rhythm section, the swirling
vocals form a wall of sound with sharp lyrical
ideas pained on the front of it.
One of Winter Hours signature songs, “Hyacinth
Girl,” is covered by Jack Brag with
Deena Shoshkes (of the Cucumbers) and given
a slight reworking, with male/female harmonies,
skittering drums, flourishing guitar, and
solid bass lines could make the song into
an underground hit all over again!
The performers include Matthew Caws (Nada
Surf), Rob Norris of The Bongos, Gordon Gano
& The Ryan Brothers (in their hands, “Familiar
Places” is like delicate love letter
that was never sent,) Frankenstein 3000 (who
punch up “Stay With Me,” without
detracting from the original’s menacing
vibe,) Glen Mercer of The Feelies, and Steve
Barton of Translator. None of these artists
suffers from lack of fresh ideas.
Some bands survive for years making the same
album over and over. Winter Hours not only
created some of the most impressive music
of their era, they also left space for interpretation.
- Phil Rainone
Vans Warped Tour 
-
2007 Tour Compilation DVD
Ok, so it’s like 4 degrees out, and
with the wind chill factor, about -10. I’m
holed up in the operator’s cabin about
50 feet above the Raritan River doin’
my 8 hours for NJ Transit Rail. The winds
whippin’ down the boardwalk - oh wait,
that’s Springsteen’s gig! Cabin
fever set in about a month ago, with at least
two more to go before Punxsutawney Phil pops
his noggin’ out of his gopher hole to
see how long before Spring. I'm jonsin’
for something, anything, to take my mind off
winter...
So I pop in the new Warped Tour DVD from
‘07 and I’m instantly transported
to Englishtown in Old Bridge, NJ, Camden,
NJ and all across the country. I imagine I’m
wearin’ shorts, t-shirt, sneakers, and
I’m with the guys, (Steve, Frank, &
Tim, fellow Jersey Beaters), soaking in the
sun, complaining about the heat, and how hard
it is to get from an interview to catch a
band, and the sea of bodies in between.
I’M AT THE WARPED TOUR!!! Wow, who needs
drugs when you can a big dose “Déjà
vu all over again” (Thank you Yogi),
watching the bands, the babes, and the booze
that are all part of the mayhem that is The
Warped Tour.
Produced by Kevin Lyman, it’s a brief
(only 60 minutes) but eye-opening look at
all that is Warped Tour! This was the “Lucky
13” Tour, that featured 83 bands (20
bands on the DVD), 45 cities, and all the
punk rock you could handle, and then some.
Opening with a couple of songs from Killswitch
Engage, the scene opens with the band contemplating
about starting a “Wall of Death”
during their set, which they pull off beautifully,
as the kids separate into two groups and slam
into each other, all in the name of fun -
no one gets hurt.
From there, it’s a warts-and-all joyride
through Warped Tour Land, as the cameras take
you from the Tours starting point in California,
through it’s completion in the NJ/NY
area.
The DVD contains everything a good documentary
should have - drama (the sports), silly stuff
(most of the interviews with the bands like
Alkaline Trio, Meg & Dia, The Fate, are
the funniest), the fans, and some of the best
up and coming (The Almost, Chiodos) and established
punk and alterative bands (Pennywise, Bad
Religion, and a killer, show-stopping set
by Fishbone).
The Warped Tour. for me, is one of the best
bang-for-your buck shows around! Besides the
gazillion bands and fans, they also take time
to bring political (Punk Voter was a factor
in this and years past elections), environmental,
and social issues to the forefront. - Phil
Rainone
CD Reviews 
