Jersey Beat Music Fanzine
 




Reviews by Joe Wawrzyniak

SWAAI BOYS - Meet the Mysterious Swaai Boys (www.swaaiboys.bandcamp.com)

Picture yourself on a hammock on the beach on a fine bright summer day in Hawaii complete with a nice cool drink in your hand, a soothing breeze wafting through the air, and the feel of the warm sun gently caressing your face. Well that’s exactly the image that’s vividly conveyed on every last sweetly mellow and harmonic note of this utterly engaging four song EP CD. Boasting delicate acoustic guitars, pleasant vocals, and dead simple lyrics, this baby rates highly as an ideal item to kick back and chill out to.


RICK BARRY - This Postdiluvian World (www.myspace.com/rickbarryband)

Offering up six songs worth of moody and introspective pop-rock, this EP takes the listener on a movingly sorrowful trip. Barry’s mellow soothing voice and thoughtful lyrics make for a strong and effective double whammy. The prevailing mood of melancholic regret gives the music an extra touching resonance. The delicate tunefulness of the arrangements further adds to the achingly fragile quality. A bittersweetly affecting little gem.


WALTER SICKERT AND THE ARMY OF BROKEN TOYS – Soft Time Traveler (armyoftoys.bandcamp.com)

Crank up the volume, buckle your seatbelt, and nail down anything (and everything) that might fall or shake, for this fierce and intense eighteen song beast of an album possesses the right savage and harmonic stuff to set your hair on end and get your ass shakin’. Moreover, this Boston-based group have a firm knack for strong kickin’ hooks, tight playing, and lyrics with real substance to them. It’s this deft combination of ferocity, tunefulness, and on the money musicianship that in turn makes this album so damn impressive and enjoyable.

ROUND MOUNTAIN – The Goat (www.roundmountainmusic.com)

This Santa Fe-based duo keep things real warm, simple, and folksy on their latest album: The vocals are casual and comforting, the playing crisp and able, the arrangements basic and unadorned, yet still tuneful, the melodies pretty and soothing, and the songwriting straightforward and unpretentious. The diverse array of instruments that include horns, an accordion, a dobro, and a mandola produce an extremely rich, harmonic, and appealing gentle sound that puts the listener immediately at ease. Moreover, the whole thing has a genuinely nice and pleasant quality to it that’s impossible to either resist or dislike. A lovely album.

ANGELA PERLEY & THE HOWLIN’ MOONS – Nowhere is Now Here (www.angelaperley.com)

Blessed with a sweet twangy voice and a terrific knack for colorful lyrics that paint vivid pictures in a handful of sharp phrases, singer/songwriter Angela Perley deftly blends blues, folk, country, and Southern rock into a flavorsome brew with tang, soul, and spirit to spare. Whether living it up at the “County Fair,” or advising a lady friend to dispose of her unfaithful companion in “18 Feet Under,” Perley projects a winning mixture of sassy grit and downhome spark that’s utterly charming without ever becoming too cutesy or cloying. A total treat.


THE NEIGHBORHOOD – I Love You (www.thenbhd.com)

This Los Angeles quintet comes on like gangbusters with their debut full-length album: Moody, yet bouncy and dynamic, these guys really know how to milk a big, fat, and meaty hook for all its worth. The smooth vocals radiate a winning blend of laid-back ease and confidence. The cutting guitars, sturdy basslines, and persistent drums deliver a steady succession of crisp syncopated beats and constant snappy tempos. The smart to the point songwriting clinches the whole deal: This group doesn’t beat around the bush and cuts to the chase with spot-on precision and straightforwardness. It’s this sense of fiercely streamlined efficiency that gives this album an extra tasty and appealing charge and potent brooding atmosphere that’s impossible to shake or resist. A bang-up yummy winner.

ALESSSI’S ARK – The Still Here (www.alessisark.com)

Charming. That’s the first thing one thinks while listening to this lovely and lulling album. Singer/songwriter Alessi Laurent-Marke’s incredibly sweet voice? It just radiates a certain soothing and delicate charm. Ditto her thoughtful lyrics and sturdy grasp of tender, yet lush and hypnotic melodies. The gradual tempos and subdued beats possess a gentle sway that’s appealing and captivating in equal measure. Toss in the careful playing by a top-notch array of musicians, sprinkle it with a pleasant dulcet sound, and the net result sizes up as one to relish.

SPUTNIK – Rising (www.elgrande.net)

Representing pop-rock at its most buoyant, vibrant, and engaging, this album radiates a bright light-as-a-feather gaiety and positivity that’s sure to put a smile on your face. The warm and energetic vocals soar over a tasty array of jangly guitars, bouncy drum beats, and smooth basslines. Moreover, the dynamic backing harmonies add extra zing and appeal. The smart songwriting mines a likable line in sunny optimism. Good easy’n’breezy fun.



COLIN STETSON – New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light (http://colinstetson.com)

Multi-instrumentalist Colin Stetson returns with yet another album of exceptionally fluid, melodic, and often surprising jazzy improvisational perfection. Stetson’s remarkable facility with the saxophone gets quite the extensive workout as he makes that baby weep and wail like nobody’s business. This is the type of off-kilter, yet still captivating music that boldly eschews conventional formula in favor of a more brave and startling “screw it, do it” experimental avant-garde approach. What makes this album so impressive and compelling is the way Stetson keeps things on a steady course without ever faltering for a moment. Recommended listening for those with a taste for something daring and different.

THE SHOUTING MATCHES – Grownass Man (http://theshoutingmatches.com)

Pouring on the lowdown bluesy rock with topmost tang and snap, these three grown-ass men keep the grooves thick and tasty throughout the duration of this ten track album. The guitars deliver a steady succession of fierce cutting riffs, the drums lay down a strong stomping beat, and the bass provides a gutty undertow. Moreover, we also got some spot-on moaning harmonica and zoned to the heavenly bone organ ripples to further ensure that things be hoppin’. The vocals are quite lively and passionate as well. Better still, the straightforward songwriting says what it means to say in a pleasingly direct and unpretentious manner. Damn solid and satisfying stuff.

ESQUELA BAND – Are We Rolling? (www.esquelaband.com)

Representing good ol’ get-down rollicking Southern-fried rock’n’roll at its most simple, charming, and unpretentious, the second album from this upstate New York band bubbles with a warm and loose vitality that’s sure to have you tapping your toes. Nothing real fancy or complicated here; this band keeps everything basic and straightforward, throughout, with lively vocals, crisp playing, sharp to the point songwriting, and tuneful arrangements holding sway from start to finish. Words of wisdom: “Ass, gas, or grass/ There ain’t no free ride.” A hugely enjoyable and engaging little beaut.


MR. PAYDAY – It’s Payday!!! (www.facebook.com/mrpaypadyband)

Screw pretense, crank that sucker up as high as it will go, and get right down to thrilling brass tacks with topmost brio and enthusiasm. That’s the essential meat and potatoes attitude of this New Brunswick, New Jersey rock outfit. The vocals are robust and compelling, the playing tight and dynamic, the melodies awfully damn bouncy and catchy, the writing smart and succinct. The guitars riff up a hellacious storm, the drums keeps the beats big and constant, and the basslines supply a strong undertow. Better yet, the lyrics have some genuine substance to ‘em as well, so it’s not just mindless noise. An excellent and impressive debut album.

DRIVIN’ N’ CRYIN’ – Songs from the Psychedelic Time Clock (www.DrivinNCryin.com)

Paying gloriously raw’n’ragged homage to 60’s garage rock, this six song EP CD totally nails the wild vitality, spaced-out experimental attitude, and scruffy quality of that particular beloved subgenre of rock. The open and holler vocals roar over a furiously freaky array of cutting 12-string guitars, groovy electric sitars, funky synthesizer washes, and snazzy blurting horns. Moreover, the songs actually sound like they were recorded back in the far-out 60’s, with not even the faintest hint of smug post-modern irony to be discerned throughout. Instead this group brings a winning conviction and sincerity to the music that’s a complete treat to hear.

MAL BLUM – Tempest in a Teacup (www.malblum.com)

Blessed with a wispy, yet sweet voice and a strong knack for clever and witty lyrics, indie folk singer/songwriter Mal Blum adroitly mines a charming line in pleasant whimsy on her fifth album. The key to this honey’s remarkable appeal is its winning blend of simplicity and honesty; The arrangements are spare and tuneful, the melodies warm and effervescent, and the lyrics offer an engaging mixture of quirky humor and equally offbeat reflection. Inspirational verse: “It’s about the altitude not who is climbing up.” A delightfully idiosyncratic album.

COHFLA – Breaking Out! (www.cohfla.com)

White guy doing hip-hop. Like word up, homies. Or, to be brutally honest, word down, man. Seriously, this shit just doesn’t fly my proverbial kite. Listening to the same monotonous hammering beat drill its way into the base of my skull is about as much fun as having my wisdom teeth pulled with a rusty old pair of pliers sans anesthetic. That is, no fun at all. Sorry, but me no likey.

CARSIE BLANTON – Rude Remarks and Dirty Jokes (www.cassieblanton.com)

Sporting an impossibly sweet voice and a smack dead on the money knack for wickedly barbed lyrics, Carsie Blanton registers strongly as a singer/songwriter to be seriously reckoned with on this three song EP CD. Opening with a fiercely funny song about a fed-up gal who’s in prison for murdering her husband, followed by another amusing tune about a woman with an unfortunate tendency for falling in love with every man she sleeps with, and concluding with a lovely slow drag blues addressing the lack of backbone and brutal honesty in the modern world, there’s plenty of choice quirky originality to relished throughout. Combined with the tuneful melodies, eclectic sound (traces of pop, country, jazz, and even blues are all tossed into the harmonic mix), and skillful playing by the musicians, this honey overall sizes up as a total treat.

VICTORY – Victory is Music (www.victoryismusic.com)

Bursting forth from the speakers with completely galvanizing and irresistible go-for-it snap and aplomb, Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist Robert Fleming’s debut pop-rock album possesses a vitality and catchiness that’s both infectious and engaging in equal measure. Fleming’s smooth voice soars over the lively arrangements while his lyrics get straight to the point with commendable concision. The quick tempos and forward-ho pushing ahead beats keep things fresh, dynamic, and flat-out hugely enjoyable throughout. The key word for this one is fun. If you’re looking for music that makes you wanna dance and provides a wealth of energetic entertainment, then this particular platter will fit that bill quite well.

KEATON HENSON – Birthdays (www.keatonhenson.com)

Achingly tender and delicate, London-based singer/songwriter Keaton Henson’s sophomore album possesses a wrenching poignancy that’s all the more moving because of its intrinsic fragile quality. Henson’s quivery tenor voice and thoughtful songwriting vividly capture a deep-seating feeling of regret and melancholy that’s affecting and endearing in equal measure. While the gloominess threatens to get a bit too heavy-going at times, this album nonetheless manages to be quite powerful and captivating thanks to the pretty melodies and engaging simplicity of the spare moody arrangements. It takes a special artist to make depression seem so haunting and beautiful; Henson is definitely such an artist. A lovely album.

GRAHAM REPULSKI – Cop Art (www.bigschoolrecords.com)

Representing Do-It-Yourself lo-fi indie rock at its most rough, basic, and immediate, this short’n’snappy little outing gets right down to stirring brass tacks with considerable go-for-it vigor and a winning dearth of pretense. The jangly guitars, clattering drums, and churning basslines roar and rattle up a gloriously raw’n’raggedy storm while Graham Pepulski’s tattered tonsils howl over the caterwauling noise. Slick and polished this rickety racket sure ain’t, but it still hits the deliciously scrappy spot somethin’ sweet.

WHOABEAR (www.whoabearmusic.com)

Delivering eleven tracks worth of extremely dense, dreamy, and hypnotic electro-pop, this album casts quite a strong and captivating spell. The cutting synth lines prove to be especially mesmerizing as they weave in and out of the tuneful arrangements. The hip-hop style vocals give the music an extra funky appeal. Moreover, the driving beats and brisk tempos keep things punchy and exciting throughout. Better still, the lyrics possess some real substance to them, so this isn’t all just eminently catchy and danceable mindless noise. Damn tasty stuff.



 

HOLLY GENTRY – So Much More (www.hollygentry.com)

Coming on strong with a winning combination of sass and spirit, Atlanta, Georgia-based singer/songwriter Holly Gentry scores a bull’s eye with her debut album. Gentry’s soulful twang blends well with the lively and tuneful country-flavored Southern rock sound. Moreover, her clever and colorful lyrics dig deep into personal experiences to give the music its own distinctive and engaging identity: Whether addressing the challenges of motherhood on the rousing opening number “Rockin’ on the Inside,” or taking an old college boyfriend to task for compromising his values in the wickedly biting “Justin Timberlake Show,” Gentry maintains a winningly honest, sincere, and down-to-earth straightforward sensibility throughout. The arrangements keep things dynamic and melodic without ever becoming too slick or flashy. A very enjoyable and impressive album. zzz

 

UNSUDDENLY – Don’t Waste the Mystery (www.unsuddenly.com)

Richly textured soundscapes are perfectly meshed with a strong brooding sensibility and smart introspective lyrics on this fine six song EP CD. Will James’ deep-voiced vocals gently float over a soothing sonic bed of captivating synth lines, tinkling pianos, steady pushing ahead drums, and quivery guitar riffs. The basic prevalent vibe is lush, dreamy, and hypnotic, with a sturdy underlying sense of regret and melancholy adding a significant emotional punch to the whole thing. An excellent album. z

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KEATON SIMONS – Beautiful Pain (www.keatonsimons.com)

Los Angeles singer/songwriter Keaton Simons keeps the touching and melodic bluesy rock firmly on tap on his sophomore album: There’s loads of incredibly moving passion and pour-your-heart-out open feeling evident throughout, which combined with Simons’ supremely expressive voice, smart introspective songwriting, and spot-on sharp guitar playing kick this honey right over the goalpost into so warm and sensitive that it’s downright endearing sweetness. Simons’ ability to bare his soul with disarming ease, candor, and clarity provides an additional powerful emotional punch. Beautiful pain indeed.

THE BELLE SOUNDS (www.thebellesounds.com)

Effervescent folk-pop done with tremendous buoyancy and melodicism, one can’t help but be swept away by the sheer infectious tunefulness that’s richly evident in this spot-on delightful album. Noelle Hampton’s sweet honeydew voice soars with breathtaking grace and agility. The harmonic arrangements likewise hit the dulcet spot, thanks to both the superbly proficient playing and the sure grasp of heavenly lush hooks. In addition, the songwriting digs deep into a strong melancholy mood with often touching results (the haunting “Away Away” in particular is simply heartbreaking in its plain-spoken articulation of forlorn regret). A beautifully fragile and affecting little jewel.

THE MILK CARTON KIDS – The Ash & Clay (www.themilkcartonkids.com)

Los Angeles-based contemporary folk duo Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale offer a wealth of lovely vocal harmonizing as well as exquisitely delicate and intricate acoustic guitar playing on their latest album. However, it’s not just those two above cited assets that make this music so lovely and soothing; there’s also an extremely pleasant sensibility and gentle homespun quality evident throughout which provides an extra appealing lift. The gradual tempos and subdued beats further enhance the overall charming simplicity of this supremely tuneful and timeless treat.


ARRICA ROSE & THE …’S – Lucky (www.arricarose.com)

Representing California folk-pop at its most lush, dreamy, and captivating, this six song EP CD casts an incredibly strong hypnotic spell on the listener. Arrica’s Rose’s sultry voices purrs with utmost seductive ease. Meanwhile, the arrangements keep this tuneful and enchanting, with the gradual tempos and subdued beats combining together to carefully craft a delicately pretty and soothing sound. Best of all, the smart and thoughtful lyrics ably mine a touching line in bittersweet reflectivity. Lovely stuff.



THE ORANGE PEELS – Sun Moon (www.theorangepeels.com)

Infectiously sunny and sparkling indie pop, done with a firm grasp of snappy hooks and nicely reflective songwriting, the fifth album by this always sturdy San Francisco Bay Area group delivers the expected bright and harmonic goods. The vocals smoothly glide over the immaculately tuneful array of jaunty guitar riffs, forward-ho persistent drums, neatly percolating basslines, and exuberant keyboards. There’s a sweet’n’swooning romantic sweep and pleasant positive sensibility to this music that in turn gives it a super tasty uplifting kick; one can’t help but smile while listening to this zippy and engaging affair. An absolute delight.

THE DUMB EASIES – Love! Love! Love! www.TheDumbEasies.com)

As tasty and bouncy as fresh bubblegum, this perfectly snazzy debut album delivers eleven tracks worth of straight-up no-bullshit rock’n’roll racket that happily eschew pretense in favor of just immediately gettin’ down to stirring and spirited brass tacks. The guitars grind up a fierce storm, the basslines churn away with equal relentless ferocity, and the drums lay down a mighty primordial steamrolling beat. Meanwhile, the vocals are quite lively and rousing. The plain-spoken simplicity of the songwriting rates as the yummy cherry on an already delicious sonic cake. It’s the extremely basic and uncomplicated quality of this music which in turn gives it a substantial breezy’n’easy charm.

KAGERO – Gumbo du Jour (www.kagero.com)

Bouncing along at a nicely jaunty clip, this 13-track album possesses a certain merry vibrancy that’s both infectious and invigorating in equal measure. The lively vocals project a winningly happy and carefree vibe. The peppy arrangements are dynamically filled out with incessant energetic guitar riffs, rousing strings, and surprisingly catchy accordions. Moreover, the lyrics are quirky and colorful, with the offbeat humor evident in such choice kooky cuts as “Rockstar in a Grocery Store” sure to put a smile on even the most humorless grouch’s face. A real toe-tapping treat.


NEW LUNGS – Lanterns (http://newlungsmusic.bandcamp.com)

This Seattle, Washington group skillfully weave an intricate sonic tapestry of complex, yet stirring and arresting melodic rock on this five song EP. The guitars swirl and whirl around while the bass supplies a gutty undertow and the drums lay down some damn formidable clip-clop pushing heavy beats. The emotive vocals are likewise up to snuff (the harmonies in particular are absolutely exquisite!), plus the songwriting gets right to the heart of the matter with admirable concision. Better yet, the songs vary from slow and reflective to more flat-out snappy and rousing, with the latter stuff providing the strongest socko punch. Damn good stuff.


NEW DAY DAWN – Rise Above This (www.facebook.com/newdaydawn)

Singer/songwriter Dawn Botti returns with this spot-on tuneful and dynamic five song EP CD. Botti’s strong and supple voice once again soars to the heavens with characteristic verve and graceful agility. Moreover, the songwriting cuts to the heart of the matter with bracing directness. The skillful playing on the tight arrangements serves as the delicious cherry on an already quite tasty sonic cake: The guitars cut and slash with galvanizing precision, the drums lay down a potent stomping beat, and the bass provides a gutty undertow. Best of all, there’s a smart and reflective mature sensibility at work that gives this beautifully melodic music extra substance and resonance. An absolute gem.

IL SOGNO DEL MARINAIO – La Busta Gialla (www.orgmusic.com)

Q: What do you get when legendary tireless and prolific indie musician extraordinaire Mike Watt decides to collaborate with Italians guitarist Stefano Pilia and drummer Andrea Belfi? A: You get one hell of a supremely trippy, offbeat, and startling “try it, do it” experimental avant-garde sonic excursion that boldly eschews conventional song structures and tried’n’true proven formulas in favor of an extremely fresh, inspired, and often surprising approach to music. This is the type of music that excitingly walks on that usually neglected beaten path that only the most hardy and adventurous consummate pro musicians dare to tread. This stuff is downright impossible to categorize – it’s got traces of the blues, quite a lot of rock, a smidgen of pop, and bits of just about everything else – and that’s precisely what makes this truly singular album so great.

RECOVERY COUNCIL – Plan-Do-Check-Act (www.recoverycouncilmusic.com)

The New Jersey-based rock trio are in super resilient and spirited form on their third album: Bursting with insanely catchy hooks and a positively infectious light-up-the-room happy vitality, it’s flat-out impossible to resist the urge to break out in a smile and start bopping your head up and down to the sweet radiance of this blissful music. The peppy vocals fly smoothly over a pleasing array of snappy guitar riffs, sturdy forward-ho drums, and nicely percolating basslines. Fortunately, the overall upbeat and determined vibe that pervades throughout never gets too cutesy or cloying; it stays on the right side of breezy and positive without ever succumbing to pure sappiness and perseveres through life’s hardships with an admirable keep-your-chin-up resolve. A real fine album.

MY GOLD MASK – Leave Me Midnight (www.mygoldmask.com)

Projecting a supremely ominous, yet captivating sound, this Chicago duo’s latest album possesses a potent and pronounced eerie quality that’s both haunting and hypnotic in equal measure. Gretta Rochelle’s divinely smoky’n’sultry voice pants and purrs with utmost darkly seductive aplomb while the guitars swirl and whirl around serpentine riffs and the drums lay down a fiercely unremorseful clip-clopping beat. There’s something deliciously sinister about this hellishly beautiful music, with Rochelle’s anguished and emotive singing in particular rating as a definite gorgeously spooky highlight. Incredible stuff.

GOLDEN BLOOM – No Day Like Today (www.goldenbloom.net)

Bouncing along with infectious verve and catchiness, this remarkably bubbly five song EP CD is sure to put a smile on the listener’s face thanks to its winning mix of snappy hooks, bright cheerful vocals, and sparkling tuneful arrangements. The carefree vibe of the music is vividly captured by Shawn Fogel’s merry vocals and sharp songwriting. Moreover, there are a few pleasantly relaxed and more thoughtful songs to act as a nice counter to the more lively and exuberant ones. A jaunty delight.


BROADHEDS (www.broadheds.com)

Bursting from the speakers with a gloriously raw’n’raucous shoot-for-the-moon vitality, there’s certainly enough ragged energy evident on this album to power an entire town for at least a month. Snappy guitar riffs bounce off a fiercely urgent blurting saxophone while the drums lay down a steady succession of constant chunky and driving beats. Meanwhile, the lively vocals yelp and yell with topmost lip-smacking joy and gusto. Best of all, the persistent gaiety and vibrancy of the music gives it a delightfully positive and uplifting quality that’s impossible to either dislike or resist. A total treat.


PRECIOUS BONES – Fracture (www.preciousbones.com)

Dynamically evoking the groovy and thrilling psychedelic rock music of the 1960’s, this five song EP CD skillfully mixes a catchy’n’lively rousing and tuneful sound with an utterly engaging reverence for good old fashioned straight-up rock’n’roll music. The playing is crisp and proficient, the singing harmonious and captivating, the songwriting sharp and reflective. The snappy tempos and constant beats keep things fresh and enjoyable throughout. Spot-on good and tasty stuff.



LIGHTNING JAR – Summerworld (http://lightningjar.org)

This four song EP CD keeps things nice and mellow with its gently melodic folk rock sound. The pleasant vocals softly glide over the tuneful arrangements that are beautifully filled out by delicately strummed guitars, laid-back, yet persistent drums, and exquisitely humming organs. Extra kudos are in order for the sweetly reflective songwriting, the gorgeous harmonies, and the divinely soothing air of easy’n’breezy amiability. Lovely stuff.

 

 

THE LUNA LAVAL – A Good Fear (www.thelunalaval.com)

Offering up three songs worth of sunny and melodic pop-rock, this Old Bridge, New Jersey quartet keeps things bubbling along in a very pleasant and reassuring manner. The vibrant vocals soar over a neat array of sparkling guitar riffs, steady basslines, and sturdy pushing ahead drums. The snappy tempos and bouncy beats possess a winning surplus of joy and vitality. The smart introspective songwriting rates as the yummy cherry on an already delicious sonic cake. A really nice item.



GRAHAM PARKER – Three Cords Good (http://grahamparker.net)

British singer/songwriter Graham Parker has been around for well over thirty years. Initially known as an angry young man, Parker might have mellowed a tad with age, but that certainly doesn’t he has nothing relevant or interesting to say. Quite the contrary, as his excellent latest album confirms. Okay, the sound is mellow and bluesy, the voice sounds a bit croaky, yet Parker manages to keep things compelling with his thoughtful songwriting and sturdy grasp of soothing laid-back melodies. Moreover, Parker’s casual acceptable of life’s numerous ups and downs possesses a genuinely moving honesty and maturity to it: This isn’t a man who’s fruitlessly attempting to change the world; instead he’s coming to terms with the fact that people are flawed and things don’t always work out the way you hope they will while hanging in there and doing one’s best to accomplish a few good things amid life’s myriad disappointments. Parker’s band The Rumour are in top form throughout; this is the kind of supremely tuneful music made by folks who know what they are doing, but are old and grown up enough to trust what they’re doing to do the job with no needless showing off. A very fine and affecting little jewel.

ENGLORIA – Shine (www.engloria.com)

Representing pop-rock at its most infectiously upbeat and vibrant, the eleven songs on this debut full-length album sparkle with a happy go-for-it verve that’s a true delight to hear. The radiant vocals soar to the heavens over a lively sonic onslaught of rousing ringing guitars, dynamic drums, and sturdy basslines. Best of all, the incessant stirring cheerfulness of such bouncy songs as “High Tonight,” “Where You Are,” and the specially exciting and energetic “Found a Girl” are sure to put a smile on even the sourest grump’s face. Moreover, there’s a positive optimistic streak evident throughout that’s both touching and uplifting in equal measure. A total treat.


KOWTOW POPOF – Tastes Like Armageddon (www.kowtowpopof.com)

Projecting an otherworldly vibe that’s eminently danceable and hypnotic in equal measure, the latest album from this offbeat singer/songwriter carves out its own unique little corner of the pop-rock universe with praiseworthy clarity and vividness. What makes Popof’s music so delightful is not only his firm grasp of tuneful sparkling melodies and similarly strong knack for sharp quirky lyrics, but also his ability to keep his chin up no matter what obstacle life might throw in his direction. Better still, the singular grooves dig deep into a tasty deep spacey soundscape that undulates with utmost captivating bounce and fluidity. An intoxicating journey into a dreamy and sumptuous aural wonderland.

ANDERS & KENDALL – Wild Chorus (www.andersandkendall.com)

The singer/songwriter duo of Anders Parker and Kendall Meade join forces to produce a real lovely, harmonic, and utterly endearing little beaut of an album with their debut CD. Although Parker’s dry croak neatly contrasts with Meade’s sweet delicate alto, they still nonetheless meld into a single pleasant and satisfying sound. Moreover, the thoughtful songwriting mines a nicely low-key line in quietly affecting introspection. The songs for the most part mosey along at a perfectly kicked back clip, with the gradual tempos and subdued beats chugging by in a soothing and engaging manner. The basic sound falls into the twangy’n’tuneful country-folk realm, with a dash of pop and a smidgen of rock tossed in on occasion to keep things lively and interesting. An extremely impressive and promising debut.




CHARLES COMPO – Foolish Pleasure (www.charlescompo.com)

Hitting a supremely cool, mellow, and soothing smooth jazzy breeze right from the first spot-on precise and melodic note, this instrumental album ace New York-born musician Charles Compo makes for an extremely captivating listen. Compo’s remarkably proficient playing of flute, guitar, and tenor saxophone totally hits the bull’s eye with unerring deftness and accuracy. Moreover, the arrangements are tight and tuneful while the music flows along with exceptional grace and swiftness. Pouring on the sweet bumpin’ funk like nobody’s business, this one should be savored like fine wine.


LISA RICHARDS – Beating of the Sun (www.lisarichardsmusic.com)

Blessed with a strikingly girlish, yet strong and compelling voice, a fine eye for telling minute details, and an equally sturdy grasp of harmonic country-flavored folk-pop, singer/songwriter Lisa Richards carves out her own touching and fascinating corner of the musical universe on her latest album. There’s an astounding individuality not only to Richards’ uniquely sweet and tremulous vocals, but also in her concise and thoughtful songwriting. The delicately melodious arrangements are devoid of needless clutter and compliment Richards’ sharp and insightful lyrics in an admirably stark and unadorned manner. The trudging tempos and relaxed, yet steady beats give the music a downright magnetic pull. However, it’s the way Richards addresses life’s most testing hardships in a brave and direct manner that makes this extraordinary album so poignant and resonant.


CHRIS RIFFLE – Another Dream (www.chrisriffle.com)

New York City-based indie folk singer/songwriter Chris Riffle delivers six exquisitely delicate and harmonic songs on his latest EP CD release. Riffle’s gentle soothing voice merges well with the softly tuneful arrangements. The gradual tempos and subdued beats ebb and flow at a relaxed rate that’s hypnotic and reassuring in equal measure. Best of all, there’s a lush and dreamy quality evident throughout that rates as the extra tasty cherry on an already delicious aural cake. Lovely stuff.

ROSEMARY’S GARDEN – Royal Flush (www.therainmakermediagroup.com)

For those who dig lively and pretentious straight-out no-bullshit rock’n’roll served up with loads of glee and gusto, this here be the album for you. Crunchy guitar riffs? Check. Fabulously raw-throated open up and holler vocals? Yep. Strutting basslines and fierce jumpin’ drums? Ditto. Almighty galloping beats and forward-ho speedy tempos? Yes, we got ‘em! Concise lyrics that cut right to the chase with admirable profane honesty and directness? Also present and accounted for. Shake it up with a surplus of grit, keep it simple, and play it loud, baby!

SPACE WOLVES – Space Wolves II (www.space-wolvesbandcamp.com)

Delivering twelve songs worth of extremely catchy, jangly, and vibrant lo-fi noise pop, this Buffalo, New York group keeps things bubbling along with a positively infectious surplus of joy and vigor. The peppy vocals soar over a neat array of snappy guitars, jumping drums, and percolating basslines. The speedy tempos and kickin’ beats never let up for a minute. Moreover, there’s a feeling of pure go-for-it giddy and dynamic fun to be relished in every last delightfully happy and radiant note. A total merry treat.


 

WAR POETS – Dulce et Decorum Est (www.warpoets.net)

Get ready to have those toes a tappin’ while listening to this incredibly catchy’n’snappy debut album from a very promising Minnesota band. There’s a positively infectious surplus of sheer bounce and vigor evident throughout, with the springy guitar riffs, bubbly basslines, and energetic drums supplying a steady succession of quick tempos and constant forward-ho charging beats. The vocals are likewise quite lively and rousing. Moreover, the songwriting tackles mature subject matter such as gay marriage and the necessity for honesty in relationships with admirable depth, clarity, intelligence, and thoughtfulness. Better still, this group deftly blends elements of pop, rock, and country into an extremely rich, tasty, and eclectic sonic mix. A very one the money album.
Live from the Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival (www.sojournrecords.com)
Okay, everyone, it’s time to relax. Draw the shades, turn down the lights, and pour yourself a cool one as you kick back listening to this divinely mellow music. Just let those lazy tempos and gradual beats put you at ease. Unwind as the lush melodies, supremely assured playing, and casual vocals take you away to a place that’s as sweet, calm, and refreshing as a quiet spring Sunday afternoon. Most of the songs contained herein are pretty laidback and soothing, with the occasional more lively and exciting number like the dynamic “Fashion Blues” by The Beauties tossed in to keep things hoppin’. Recorded live in July, 2011 at a blues festival, this is the kind of CD compilation that’s the perfect capper to a long, hard, and stressful day at work.

DANNY KALB AND FRIENDS – Moving in Blue (www.dannykalb.net)

Veteran Greenwich Village musician Danny Kalb returns with a vengeance on this sprawling, ambitious, and hugely enjoyable two disc CD release. Encompassing everything from blues to gospel to country to good ol’ rock’n’roll, this album comes across like a lovely, tuneful, and passionate sonic encyclopedia of rock itself for the last forty odd years. Sometimes going at it solo with just his own marvelously deep mellifluous voice and a well-strummed acoustic guitar, other times ably backed by a slew of top-rate players, Kalb pours his heart, soul, and extensive experience into the music with always melodic and impressive results. Best of all, Kalb wisely keeps it simple throughout, with no needless filler or flashy fireworks to be found at any point. Instead he digs into the tasty drawn-out grooves, lingers on those hypnotically gradual tempos and subdued, yet steady beats, and casts a divinely jazzy spell on the listener that’s both soothing and seductive in equal measure . A total treat.

PARKWAY DRIVE – Atlas (www.parkwaydrive.com)

Beautifully melodic, yet still quite punchy and visceral, this Australian hardcore metal band totally hit it right out of the ballpark with fiercely crunching aplomb and exceptional musicianship on their fourth album. Sure, on a strictly gut level this album certainly makes the grade with flying colors: The ferocious growly vocals, relentless hacksaw guitars, churning basslines, and savagely pummeling drums roar away with an awesomely aggressive vigor and abandon that’s exciting and impressive in equal measure. The rapid-fire tempos and stomping beats barrel along with a forward-ho momentum that lays brutal waste to everything in its lethal wake. However, it’s the remarkable skill evident in the playing and the breathtaking complexity of the music itself that makes this album so damn special and notable.

VINCA MINOR – Capital of Sorrow (www.secondshimmy.com)

Beautifully sparse, haunting, and melodic, this album creates a powerfully sorrowful and melancholy mood that grabs the listener right from the first brooding note. The richly layered sonic textures are vividly filled out by ambient synth lines, stately pianos, a tremendous sense of intoxicating cinematic sweep, and Matt Menovcik’s exquisitely forlorn vocals. The feeling of overwhelming sadness fortunately never degenerates into saccharine mush; instead it’s given a certain wrenching poignancy and dignity by Menovcik’s gorgeously lush and stark arrangements, thoughtful songwriting, and consummate musicianship. The gradual tempos and subdued beats further add to the hypnotic pull of the music. Lovely and moving stuff.

REESE VAN RIPER – Ghost Oil Revival (www.facebook.com.reesevanriper)

Spitting out five songs worth of fiercely crunchy’n’punchy scraped right up from the howling gutbucket bluesy rock’n’roll, this Newark, New Jersey group totally tear it apart on their latest EP CD release. Everything you love about lowdown dirty rock is present and accounted for: Wild raw-throated vocals holler over a seething sonic onslaught of savage hacksaw guitars, churning basslines, and relentless steamroller drums. The speedy tempos and chunky beats roll along with ferocious go-for-broke joy and vigor from start to finish. What’s not to like?



THE FAVE – Watching Me Starve (www.thefave.com)

Delivering quite the deliciously get-down funky groovy diggin’ rock’n’roll buzz with a mere four songs, this EP is sure to make you stand up and shake your ass for all its worth. The grinding guitars, chugging basslines, and sturdy drum beats spit out a steady succession of hard-as-granite hammering beats and nicely slithering gradual tempos. The hoarse vocals likewise possess a perfectly gritty and weathered quality. Spot-on sharp and reflective songwriting, too. Damn good no-bull rock served up nice and snappy with a yummy side order of skill and smarts.

DOTS WILL ECHO – Drunks is the New Sober/ Stupid Is the New Dumb (www.reverbnation.com/DotsWillEcho)

The Ridgewood, New Jersey indie rock duo of singer/multi-instrumentalist Nick Berry and drummer Kurt Biroc have concocted one incredibly massive, sprawling, and ambitious monster of a double length album. Clocking in at 79 minutes, this baby not surprisingly dips and ducks all over the place, but luckily these two amiable and good-natured fellows are funny, talented, and personable enough to sustain one’s interest throughout. The ragged vocals possess a certain scruffy charm, the playing is loose and spirited, the arrangements are a tad rough, but still tuneful and captivating. However, it’s the soothing lazy’n’lulling quality of the music that makes this outing so much likably laid-back fun to listen to. Often sounding like it was recorded at the tail end of a pleasantly casual weekend bender, with an eclectic array of songs that neatly alternate between lively and thrilling and more relaxed and comforting, this honey gets by on the basis of its utterly engaging easygoing vibe alone.

DRIVIN’ N’ CRYIN’ –Songs About Cars, Space and The Ramones (www.drivinncrin.com)

Spitting out six songs worth of furiously dynamic and exciting go-for-the-throat thrilling no-bullshit rock’n’roll, this kick-ass EP item gets right down to stirring brass tacks with considerable rousing brio. The lively vocals shout and holler over a fiercely energetic sonic onslaught of rippin’ guitars, churnin’ basslines, and full-speed-ahead relentless steamrollin’ drums. Best of all, the snappy tempos and hard-charging stomping beats never let up for a minute. An absolute blast of pure rock vitality.


AARON EMBRY – Tiny Prayers (www.weareeachother.com)

Hey you? Stressed out? Life getting you down? You need to hear something to take the edge off at the tail end of a long, hard, and arduous day? Well, sit back, relax, and give this beautifully gentle, tuneful, and lulling folksy treat a listen. Singer/songwriter Aaron Embrey’s soothing voice will immediately put you at ease. His pleasingly relaxed persona and the engaging homespun simplicity of his straightforward songwriting are likewise quite appealing and comforting in equal measure. Moreover, Embrey’s sturdy knack for soft and pretty melodies serves as the tasty cherry on an already delicious cake. This is the type of sweetly harmonic music that conjures up pleasant visions of a quiet afternoon spent with your closest friends on a back country porch. Plaudits don’t come much better than that.


NEIL NATHAN INC. – Sweep the Nation (www.neilnatha.com)

Paying gloriously full-blast thrilling dynamic and passionate tribute to 70’s glam-rock, deftly mixing elements of power-pop and alternative rock for yummy good measure, former high school history teacher turned singer/songwriter Neil Nathan assumes the identity of his delightfully outrageous and provocative alien alter ego The Overlord for this immensely enjoyable concept album. Boasting loads of insanely catchy’n’crunchy guitar riffs, infectiously danceable grooves, vibrant melodies, totally kickin’ arrangements, soaring choruses, and spot-on smart lyrics urging the need for freedom and democracy in America, this honey not only provides plenty of great energetic music to shake your butt to, but also delivers a handy helping of tasty food for thought to chew on and digest as well. Long live The Overlord!

THE JIGSAW SEEN – Gifted (www.thejigsawseen.com)

Coming on like total gangbusters, the latest album from this eclectic and ambitious Los Angeles group offers a tasty array of diverse elements that range from raw gritty blues to elegant orchestral pop to full-speed-ahead all-out rock’n’roll. Some of the songs are short and snappy (“Open Up the Box Pandora” in particular seriously smokes like nobody’s damn business), others are more low-key and lengthy (“Christmas Ain’t for Christians (Anymore),” about a bitter old geezer on his hospital deathbed, is simply heartbreaking), all are exceptionally well crafted, played, and arranged. In fact, the musical proficiency on display throughout really makes this one to relish, with smooth vocals, shimmering keyboards, percolating basslines, and snazzy guitar riffs all carefully creating a sound that’s as shiny, polished, and streamlined as a new car straight off the factory line. Beautiful stuff.

THROAT SPROCKETS – Methadone Picnic (www.myspace.com/throatsprockets)

Groovy and wiggy in equal measure, this offbeat and engaging third album from an alternative Los Angeles band score major points for its sheer wildly creative and original weirdness alone. Fortunately, weirdness isn’t all that this group has to offer: The intricate arrangements are rich in catchy riffs and surprising mid-song tempo shifts, the melodies are likewise quite dense, dynamic, and delicious, the vocals smooth and charming, and the songwriting bright and witty. Such choice kooky cuts as “Asleep at the Wheel,” “Vivesexual,” and “Undecided” possess a delightfully bouncy verve and flaky quality that’s both appealing and invigorating in comparable measure. Plus this band can turn the sweetly burnin’ funk up like nobody’s freakin’ business. A total treat.

H.E. MILLER – Your Time Will Come (www.HEMillermusic.com)

Coming on with a winning blend of cocky swagger, sharp wit, and sheer go-for-it raw thrilling vitality, New Jersey musician H.E. Miller’s sophomore album possesses a grungy and gritty verve that’s both exciting and appealing in equal measure. Miller scores a bull’s eye in all possible categories: His vocals are lively and enthusiastic, his playing of multiple instruments skillful and dynamic (the beefy strutting guitar riffs in particular are very tasty), his songwriting concise, thoughtful, and to the point, the arrangements are tight and vibrant. Flashy and polished this gloriously rough’n’ragged racket sure ain’t; instead it’s every bit as fierce, scrappy, and unvarnished as it ought to be. Proof positive that the keeping it simple back to the scruffy basics approach to rock’n’roll is a sure way to go.


BERN & THE BRIGHTS – Work (www.bernandthebrights.com)

This Montclair, NJ group whips up seven tracks worth of infectiously bubbly’n’bouncy pop-rock on their latest EP release. The opening tune “Slave Driver” addresses the hapless plight of the average working stiff with spot-on precision while providing an insanely energetic danceable beat, “I See Red” swings and sways to an irresistibly lush’n’breezy tropical groove, and “Thieves, Creeps, and Automatons” concludes everything on a nicely harmonic note. The lively vocals belt out the concise and thoughtful lyrics with real hearty aplomb while the crisp basslines, snappy guitar riffs, and peppy drums supply a steady supply of brisk tempos and straight-up kickin’ beats. An immensely enjoyable outing.

KHALED – Luci (www.khaleddajani.com)

Delivering a nice blend of energetic flamenco-flavored grooviness and laid-back contemplative sensitivity, this eleven song album supplies a steady succession of tasty licks, poignant moments of reflection, and thrilling kicks. We’re talking straight-up no-bullshit meat and potatoes rock’n’roll here along with a good deal of more low-key and cerebral introspection tossed in for good measure, with lively passionate vocals soaring over a dynamic array of surging basslines, snappy guitar riffs, and forward-ho jumpin’ drums on the faster cuts and more pleasant whispery singing plus appropriately tuneful and delicate melodies on the quietly thoughtful numbers. Tasty stuff.

BUILDER OF THE HOUSE – I Am a Tidal Wave (www.builderofthehouse.com)

This six song EP release immediately puts the listener at ease with its warm folksy sound, pleasant vocals, and pretty melodies. This Portland, Maine trio delicately blend elements of folk, bluegrass, and Americana into a pleasingly fragile, jaunty, and harmonic whole, with the snappy tempos and jubilant beats creating a happy vibe that’s rousing and endearing in equal measur e. Moreover, there’s a sweet and upbeat quality to this music that’s impossible to either dislike or resist. A very nice little item.

MATT BAUER – No Shape Can Hold Me Now (www.Mattbauermusic.com)

Blessed with a soft and soothing whispery voice, a strong knack for thoughtful lyrics, and an equally sturdy grasp of serenely fragile, yet tuneful melodies, alt folk singer/songwriter Matt Bauer certainly has what it takes to come through with a very pleasing and appealing five song EP CD. Whether it’s his lovely opening duet with Jolie Holland on “Andaman Sea” or the haunting reflection of “Tonight We Get to Sing Our Songs,” Bauer delivers a real winner with this engrossing and impressive release.


BRIGHT LITTLE FIELD – Treatment Bound: A Ukulele Tribute to The Replacements (www.brightlittlefield.com)

Now, here’s a real cool and inspired premise for a tribute album: Let’s do these incredibly happy and peppy acoustic bluegrass-sounding ukulele renditions of originally raw’n’snarly punks songs by the legendary group The Replacements. Does it work? Like a charm, buddy, thanks to the snappy playing, impassioned singing, and, most of all, an infectiously spirited feeling of pure go-for-it merry aplomb. The extremely catchy and folksy country-flavored sound gives the whole thing an extra harmonic kick and warm appeal. An absolute delight.

THE LUYAS – Animator (www.deadoceans.com)

This extremely quirky and charming album from an experimental Canadian indie rock outfit casts a singularly hypnotic and captivating spell with its tranquil and unusual sound. Jessie Stein’s soft and delicate voice floats over a fluid and languid array of gradual tempos and subdued beats. The arrangements create a compelling assortment of oddly entrancing sounds that bleep and waft throughout like a gentle breeze in an empty giant orchestral theater. There’s a fragile and ethereal quality to this highly distinctive and creative music that’s endearing and enchanting in equal measure. A strikingly original one-of-a-kind marvel.

MUD PIE SUN – Wooden Circle (www.mudpiesun.com)

The Philadelphia-based duo of Steven Pitcherella and Tom Quinn, who started out recording music together initially on cassette back in the early 1980’s, make a belated entry into the digital age with their latest collaborative effort. Offering up an offbeat and eclectic, yet still tuneful and compelling blend of such diverse sources as pop, psych, folk, and garage rock, these guys conjure up a sound that not surprisingly comes across as quite fresh, novel, and varied, with quiet reflective pieces that go heavy on the pretty delicate melodies, brooding regretful moods, and hushed vocals as well as a few more snappy and exciting all-out rockin’ numbers sprinkled throughout for good measure. The wildly creative arrangements not only use traditional instruments and fierce guitar feedback, but also utilize natural sounds that include cicadas, chirping birds, and barking dogs with always surprising and often stunningly haunting results. A marvelously idiosyncratic pip.

THE KNIGHT OWLS – Turning the Triad (www.reverbnation.com/theknightowls)

Crank up your stereo, sit back in your easy chair, and prepare for a hip’n’heady trek into the pleasingly tripped-out aural alternate dimension while listening to this incredibly groovy psychedelic rock treat. The surging basslines, funky fluid guitars, and sturdy charging drums all go full speed ahead with utmost stirring momentum and impressively skillful musicianship. The songs bend and wind around the most exceptionally well sustained protracted corners, with the steadily pushin’ tempos and constant rolling beats keeping this continually exciting and interesting throughout. Better still, the melodies are extremely rich and layered while the arrangements are remarkably dense and intricate. Very fine and enjoyable album.


HELVETIA – Nothing in Rambling (www.joyfulnoiserecordings.com)

Beautifully trippy and laid-back, this experimental psych rock outfit take the listener on a groovy soothing sonic journey into the blissed-out heady beyond with their seventh album. Nifty sitar and wonky wah-wah guitar riffs cut a sweet swath through buzzing basslines and constant clump-thumping drums. The nasal vocals project a winningly casual and relaxed vibe that goes down smooth and easy. The gradual trudging tempos and subdued beats further add to the overall refreshingly hazy’n’lazy atmosphere. It’s a stone gas, baby!


BAND OF HORSES – Mirage Rock (www.bandofhorses.com)

Blowing on down from the gentle and melodic country-flavored indie rock hills on a gust of exceptionally crisp and proficient musicianship, the fourth album from this Charleston, South Carolina group hits the sweetly tuneful spot with right-on captivating accuracy and consistency. The reedy vocals project a certain winningly folksy charm while the harmonic arrangements keep everything on an easy’n’breezy soothing keel throughout. The mid-tempo shuffles and relaxed beats further add to the overall comforting laid-back vibe. The thoughtful songwriting likewise warrants kudos as well. A perfectly mellow and worthwhile album.

KILL THE BAND – Mock Bottom (www.KILLYTHEKID.com)

Fuck yeah, bitches! This quirky and creative Brooklyn, New York band joyfully mix straight-up meat and potatoes punk rock’n’roll with a side order of funky white people rap and a megadose of wickedly funny sarcastic and irreverent humor. Lead singer Killy Dwyer goes to town on the kooky vocals with lip-smacking loopy aplomb. No foolin’ about the fiercely right’n’tight arrangements: The drums lay down plenty of chunky steamrolling beats, the guitars spit out groovy riffs with head-bopping brio, and the fat throbbing basslines supply a get-down pulsating undertow. But it’s this group’s cheery willingness to blithely poke fun at everything from celebrity babies to post 9/11 terrorist paranoia that makes this album such a gut-busting riot to listen to. Single most sidesplitting track: “Timing is Everything,” in which these giddy pranksters engage in a lively and uproarious gripe session when nobody can properly remember how to play a song correctly. An absolute hoot and a half!


JAMES DALTON – Frankonia (www.jamesdalton.co, jamesdalton.bandcamp.com)

Okay, everybody. It’s that time again. You know, it’s time to chill. And what exactly are we going to chill to today? Why, this perfectly pleasant, soothing, and tuneful latest album by folk blues singer/songwriter James Dalton. First off, we’ve got Dalton’s supremely mellow, yet hearty and engaging voice to take the edge off of a day. Next up there’s Dalton’s appealingly basic and uncluttered musical style: No fancy frills, no needless flashy pyrotechnics, no protracted show-off solos, just a guy strumming a guitar and playing a harmonica with utmost simple’n’straightforward skill and aplomb. The eloquently homespun quality of Dalton’s concise and thoughtful songwriting rates as another sterling asset. An absolute delight.

BOY OMEGA – Night Vision (www.boyomega.com)

Beautifully moody and brooding, dripping with a strong sense of despair and regret, there’s a delicate, yet powerful and compelling vibe to this pop-rock album that’s deeply affecting and endearing in equal measure. The frail whispery vocals project a potent feeling of yearning and melancholy with bracing directness. The bittersweetly reflective songwriting further captures an overall atmosphere of profound sadness with a similarly striking vividness. The spare, but tuneful arrangements carefully craft a gently melodic sound while the gradual tempos and subdued beats add to the pervasive haunting quality. By no means a fun album, but definitely a very touching and resonant one just the same.

TWO GALLANTS – The Bloom and the Blight (www.twogallants.com)

Erupting from the speakers with a bracing melodic ferocity and raw emotional intensity, this album hits you with all the startling force of a sudden sucker punch to the solar plexus. The hoarse anguished vocals howl and moan out a shockingly naked feeling of gut-shredding angst. The lyrics are likewise quite fierce and uncompromising in their straightforward articulation of urgency and honesty. But it’s the punchy arrangements and dynamic playing that really provides an additional powerful quality to this brutally cathartic and explosive music. The songs for the most part are really savage and aggressive, although there are a few more subdued and touching numbers scattered amid all the caterwauling racket. An extremely haunting and impressive album.

THE BERGAMOT – Static Flowers (www.thebergamot.com)

Artfully blending a beautifully crisp, tuneful, and energetic sound with smart songwriting and an equally sharp-as-a-tack worldly sensibility, the indie pop-rock duo of Jillian Speece and Nathan Hoff totally hit it out of the ballpark with their excellent third album. Speece’s sultry voice works well with Hoff’s smooth pipes; the pair belt out the precisely observed lyrics with tremendous skill and aplomb. The arrangements keep things lively and harmonic throughout, with a neat array of instruments crafting a sound that’s rich, warm, and captivating in comparable measure. Moreover, the eclectic mix of jazz, pop, rock, and even country elements adds an extra tasty zing to an already quite delicious sonic cake. A lovely little jewel.

DOUG RATNER & THE WATCHMEN – Lessons Well Learned (www.dougratner.com)

Loaded to the roaring brim with a furiously explosive surplus of pure galvanizing energy, this five song EP CD shakes and rattles up an invigorating storm with its smack dead on the money serving of straight-up unpretentious meat and potatoes rock’n’roll. The dynamic vocals belt out the lyrics with utmost brio while the rippin’ guitars, diggin’ drums, and churnin’ basslines spit out a fabulously raw rough’n’ready sound that goes right for the jugular. Great kick up the dirt gritty stuff.

ECLECTRIC MAYHEM (www.eclecticmayhemmusic.com)

Adroitly combining pure go-for-it aggressive hard rock punch with the intricate melodicism of pop, this Cleveland, Ohio quartet knock listeners flat on their keisters with their spot-on proficient playing and one-two-pow sonic dexterity. The passionate and expressive vocals soar and roar with considerable aplomb while the cutting guitars, smooth basslines, and sturdy drums lay down a strong-as-marble aural foundation. The heady furious buzz of “Again” gets things off to a rousing start, the more low-key “Want It All and ” “Let You Down” nicely mine a touching line in thoughtful introspection, the sweetly harmonic “For the Birds” chugs along at a pleasingly relaxed rate, “Fun with Gun” snarls and sneers it up to the supremely crunchy’n’punchy max, “Better Off Dead” likewise rocks it out somethin’ stirring, and energetic “Lost” concludes everything on a perfectly snappy and exciting note. A real fine and impressive album.


STEPHEN KALINICH & JON TIVEN – Shortcuts To Infinity/Symtomology (www.foothillrecords.com)

Musicians Stephen Kalinich and Jon Tiven collaborate on two albums for this double CD release. Symtomology cuts loose with loads of great’n’gritty bluesy rock, complete with boozy’n’woozy vocals, tasty harmonica, crunchy guitars, grungy basslines, hysterically raunchy humor, and trudging drum beats. The whole thing gives off the sensationally sloppy vibe of having been recorded over the course of a wild weekend bender of heavy duty partying and carousing. However, the lyrics are often extremely sharp and biting (“Hard to be a Millionaire” in particular is a hilariously wicked hoot while terrific “Weed” boasts the following immortal verse: “If at first you don’t succeed/ Try a little weed”), so it’s not all just mindless noise. Shortcuts To Infinity keeps the fine bluesy rock on tap, but adds a more mature thoughtful and reflective sensibility along with a stronger grasp of tuneful musical construction and more proficient playing (the marvelously protracted “Out of the Darkness” tears into a delicious slow-drag bumpin’ groove for a little over seven minutes). A top-rate double dose of straight-up scrumptious rock’n’roll.


THE JELLY PROJECT – Ugly Dirty (www.rockthejellyproject.com)

Kickin’, screamin’, and hollerin’ up a wonderfully raw’n’raucous storm, the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based bluesy rock group the Jelly Project joyfully eschew needless bullshit filler and flashy razzle-dazzle show-off pyrotechnics on their terrifically primal and stripped-down debut album. Lead singer Angelica “Jelly” Thomas’ fierce throaty voice roars over a seething sonic blend of churning basslines, rippin’ hacksaw guitars, and relentless steamrolling drums. The snappy slithery tempos and massive pounding beats keep things blazing along at a constant furious pace. Better still, the sharp lyrics offer a lot of biting social commentary amid all the ferocious caterwauling noise, thereby ensuring that this album works exceptionally well on both a visceral and intellectual level. A very tasty serving of straight-up no-nonsense rock’n’roll.

SEAN ROWE – The Salesman and the Shark (www.seanrowe.net)

Blessed with a marvelously deep, soulful, and commanding baritone voice, singer/songwriter Sean Rowe brings an authentically weary and rundown, yet sturdy and durable lived-in quality to his stripped-down simple country folk music that’s moving and compelling in equal measure. Rowe’s astutely observed story songs vividly capture a brooding melancholy vibe with bracing clarity and an admirable dearth of maudlin sentiment. Moreover, the spare and atmospheric arrangements do the tuneful trick sans any unnecessary flashy razzle-dazzle filler. Moseying along at a deliberate pace, with the slow tempos and relaxed beats both taking their own sweet time, this strong and affecting sophomore album sticks in the listener’s memory long after the CD has finished playing.


WHITE VIOLET – Hiding, Mingling (www.whiteviolet.net)

Close the windows. Turn down the lights. Get real comfy in an easy chair and pour yourself a glass of your favorite tasty beverage. ‘Cause it’s time to kick back and chill to this supremely gentle, soothing, and harmonic Americana pop-rock music. Lead singer Nate Nelson’s quivery tenor casts a calm and captivating dreamy spell as he softly sings the concise and thoughtful lyrics. The beautifully dulcet and delicate arrangements keep things properly tender and tuneful throughout with a steady succession of gradual tempos and subdued beats. But it’s this Athens, Georgia band’s weary and battered, yet still resilient and optimistic sensibility that in turn makes this album so special, touching, and endearing. A lovely and haunting little jewel.



MELISSA ANTHONY – Live at the Saint (www.reverbnation.com/melissaanthony)

Offering up five songs worth of lovely, soothing, and delicately melodic folk-pop, this album immediately wins the listener over on the basis of its glowing warmth and stripped-down sonic intimacy. Sporting a sweet’n’sultry voice, a fine way of playing a gently harmonic guitar, and an engagingly straightforward songwriting style, singer/songwriter Melissa Anthony cuts an impressive and captivating figure throughout. Best of all, there’s a real gracefulness and fragile dulcet quality to the enchanting music featured herein that’s a truly luminous joy to hear. An utterly charming and wonderful little jewel.

REALITY SUITE – Avoiding the Red Lights (www.realitysuite.com)

Ringing through loud and clear with a pleasingly punchy and melodic brand of highly kickin’ pop-rock, this quartet from North Haledon, New Jersey serve up six songs worth of immensely exciting and energetic pure sonic pow. The robust and passionate vocals belt out the concise lyrics with topmost urgency. The snappy guitars, steady pushin’ basslines, and firm diggin’ drums keep the speedy tempos and meaty beats hoppin’ along at a constant dynamic clip. Moreover, such songs as the divinely chillin’ “Sinking In” and the supremely hip’n’happening “For Those That You Love” tear into a hard-crunching rough’n’tumble groove with commendable flair and skill. Damn tasty stuff.


THE MOMMYHEADS – Vulnerable Boy (www.mommyheads.com)

Representing pop-rock at its most pretty, charming, and thoughtful, this album possesses a sweetly delicate appeal that’s both affecting and endearing in equal measure. The soft vocals project a lovely sense of wide-open sincere emotion. The extremely dense, complex, and tuneful arrangements are quite tasty indeed, with tinkling pianos, percolating keyboards, cutting guitars, sturdy basslines, and urgent forward-ho drums delivering a steady succession of snappy tempos and constant shuffling beats. The songs neatly alternate between low-key reflective numbers and more all-out exciting full-bore rockers. Best of all, the songs are frequently stretched out long and winding, with all kinds of surprising peaks and valleys done with an utmost skillful and consummate musicianship that’s truly something to hear. A simply terrific album.


THE DROWNING MEN – All of the Unknown (www.thedrowningmen.com)

You all know the drill. I just had a very grim, grueling, and thankless day at my crappy job. So after work I decided to get a much-needed load off by giving this particular album a spin in my CD player. Right from the first infectiously chipper and dynamic note I knew I was in for a real treat. The lively vocals soar over an energetic, engaging, and invigorating sonic onslaught of ringing guitars, smooth basslines, and steady drums. The tuneful arrangements keep things humming in a pleasingly crisp and straightforward manner. Better still, the bracing clarity of the smart and reflective songwriting gives this sweet rootsy indie folk-rock music an additional appealing warmth and immediacy that’s impossible to either resist or dislike. By the time I got to the end of this album, I totally forgot about the lousy day I had at work. Accolades don’t come much better than that.

DELICATE CUTTERS – Ring (www.skybucket.com)

Artfully blending elements of indie folk, pop, and rock into a beautifully brooding and atmospheric mix, the strong melancholy vibe conveyed on this album pulls the listener in and makes one hell of a potent lasting impression. Despair and heartbreak positively drip from every last harmonic note, with lead singer Janet Elizabeth Simpson’s achingly tender and lovely vocals projecting a forlorn sensibility with bracing clarity and authority. The gorgeously tuneful arrangements further enhance the overall mournful attitude thanks to the weeping fiddles, soft, yet urgent drums, and sturdy guitar riffs. Moreover, the songwriting cuts right to the touching heart of the matter with a winning directness and a refreshing dearth of pretense. A really haunting and moving little jewel.


ECHO ORBITER – Aerosol Power (www.echoorbiter.com)

Offering up 12 tracks worth of gloriously raucous pop-rock racket, this Philadelphia group keep things buzzing and hopping with considerable kick up the dust gusto on their latest stripped-down-to-the-rickety-bare-essentials release. The robust vocals holler over a lively and exciting onslaught of grinding hacksaw guitars, diggin’ basslines, and sturdy hard-charging drums. The constant tempos and meaty driving beats ensure that the music remains thrilling and dynamic throughout, with a tough and energetic rough’n’ready sound that eschews needless razzle-dazzle in favor of a more winningly basic and straightforward approach to bangin’ out a tune. It’s this latter element of stark simplicity that in turn makes this platter such a raggedy-ass delight to hear.

ANNIE AND THE BEEKEEPERS – My Bonneville (www.annieandthebeekeepers.com)

Exquisitely delicate and melodic, with a lovely feeling of real warmth and a winningly gentle’n’tuneful folk Americana sound, one would have to be a total joyless sourpuss to resist or dislike the sweetly captivating spell that this album casts on the listener. Annie Lynch’s gorgeously lilting voice and the astutely observed details in her precise songwriting make for a strong and impressive double whammy. The sparse arrangements likewise hit the calmly harmonic spot, with plenty of especially nice and carefully strummed guitar picking as well as supremely understated use of horns. Best of all, this album manages to be quite charming and pleasant without getting to cute or sappy about it, with the catchy titular song in particular rating as a definite delightful highlight. A total treat.


POOR LUTHER’S BONES – Jukes & Junk (www.myspace.com/poorluthersbones)

Pouring on the lowdown gritty bluesy moaning rock something fierce, the heady’n’heavy buzz and handy helping of poignant regret to be savored on this album are both truly something to hear. The raspy vocals project a strong and affecting sense of bone-weary resignation. The scrappy arrangements are nicely filled out by raggedy chopping guitars, churning basslines, and steady, but laid-back drums. The gradual tempos and kicked-back beats keep the rough-around-the-edges music bumping along at a pleasingly relaxed clip. But it’s the strongly felt mood of deep-seated discontent and melancholy along with an underlying delicate hope bubbling just underneath the brittle surface despair which in turn makes this album so touching and compelling.

DW DUNPHY – Reliquary (www.myspace.com/dwdunphy)

A fine compilation of fifteen of Do-It-Yourself New Jersey-born singer/songwriter Dw. Dunphy’s strongest and most impressive songs, there’s a quiet and understated power to this exquisitely lo-fi music that pulls the listener in a supremely subtle, yet still potent and captivating way. Dunphy’s dry voice projects a certain weary appeal while his sharp songwriting offers a wealth of precisely observed details and an utterly disarming matter-of-fact attitude on life’s countless ups and downs. The spare, but melodic arrangements likewise do the appealingly basic trick, with especially lovely use of gently strummed acoustic guitars and delicately humming synthesizers. Moreover, there’s an exceptionally wrenching poignancy evident throughout that reaches its heart-breaking zenith with the deeply touching “Cannot Hear You.” A beautifully fragile and moving collection.

 


 

ANTHONY D’AMATO – Paper Back Bones (www.anthonydamatomusic.com)

The perfect album to listen to on a lazy’n’hazy Sunday afternoon, singer/songwriter Anthony D’Amato artfully blends twangy country and harmonic folk into a lovely, touching, and altogether savory mix. D’Amato’s warm and reassuring vocals cast a pleasant and soothing spell while his songwriting impresses with its eloquently plain-spoken simplicity and straightforwardness. The gradual tempos and subdued beats give the gently tuneful music an utterly winsome kicked-back charm. Kudos are also in order for the crisp, tight, and uncluttered arrangements. A sweetly affecting and endearing little jewel.


DAVEY AND THE TRAINWRECK – Last Stop Hoboken (reverbnation.com/daveyandthetrainwreck)

Moseying along at a pleasingly woozy, yet melodic and captivating kicked-back clip, this album offers seven tracks worth of nicely cookin’ and simmering blues-rock bliss. Dave Calamoneri’s smooth vocals project a certain easygoing charm while the arrangements are neatly filled out by percolating basslines, funky burnin’ guitar riffs, soulful harmonica, rippin’ organs, and steady bumpin’ drums. The alternately slow slithering or more quick barnstorming tempos and subdued, yet constant beats keep things loose, groovy, and get-down happening throughout. This is the kind of right-on bitchin’ music that’s best listened to while wearing shades and leaning back in a leather recliner while drinking a long tall cool one. Dig it, baby.


THE TEMPER TRAP (www.thetempertrap.com)

Exploding with a positively infectious blast of sheer bouncy vitality and captivating harmony, this Australian pop-rock group come through with thrilling flying colors on their energetic sophomore album. Artfully blending soaring choirboy vocals with lively arrangements and sparkling melodies, this band produces a sound that’s exciting and arresting in equal doses. The dynamic “Need Your Love” gets things off to a cracking start, “London’s Burning” simmers with a seething sense of outrage, the neatly syncopated “Never Again” gets down with a spot-on pulsating groove, and “Leaving Heartbreak Hotel” concludes things on a beautifully graceful note. A very solid and satisfying album.


THE GRIP WEEDS – Speed of Live: In Concert In New Jersey (www.gripweeds.com)

The retro 60’s psychedelic rock outfit from New Jersey totally hit it out of the ballpark with this incredibly dynamic and exciting live album that was recorded all over the Garden State at various different venues. The passionate and energetic vocals soar and roar over a fierce nonstop array of burning basslines, blazing riffin’ guitars, and relentless steamrolling drums that rarely let up on the speedy forward-ho tempos and constant hard-rolling beats. The band tear through a slew of their own songs with a sense of joy, fury, and sheer go-for-the-throat bone-rattling brio that’s a galvanizing blast to hear. Better still, they also shred it up somethin’ ferocious on inspired covers of “(So You Want to Be ) a Rock’n’Roll Star” by The Byrds and “Shakin’ All Over” by The Guess Who. Insanely awesome stuff.


PAT GUADAGNO – New Jersey Material (www.PatGuadagno.com)

Sporting an appealingly raspy voice, a clean and straightforward style of dynamic guitar playing, and a wonderful knack for bringing a simple song to exceptionally exciting and energetic life, singer, guitarist, and troubadour Pat Guadagno covers fourteen uniformly excellent songs with a laid-back skill and engaging ease that’s a total tuneful treat to behold. Better still, there’s a tremendous sense of warmth, harmony, and a marvelously wholehearted passion for music permeating every last lovely glowing note. Guadagno wisely keeps the arrangements spare, tight, and uncluttered, with no flashy show-off pyrotechnics and a laudable noted emphasis on both the plain-spoken poetry of the lyrics and the basic sweet sound of the pretty melodies. A lovely album.


KAIA – Two Adult Women in Love (Jealous Butcher)

Blessed with a beautifully husky voice, a firm grasp of delicately pretty melodies, and a refreshingly frank, honest, restless, and emotionally open persona, out-of-the-closet lesbian singer/songwriter Kaia Wilson’s latest album deserves praise for its remarkable bravery and fierce integrity alone. Wilson’s smartly reflective songwriting addresses the bittersweet reality of being a gay woman with a put-it-all-out-there forthrightness that’s affecting and endearing in equal measure. Moreover, the spare, yet tuneful arrangements carefully craft a gently harmonic country-flavored sound that casts a soothing and compelling spell. A lovely and inspiring album.


JENEE HALSTEAD – Raised by Wolves (www.jeneehalstead.com)

Supremely mellow and melodic, singer/songwriter Jenee Halstead’s third album makes a strong and lasting impression on the basis of its beautifully low-key and reflective sensibility alone. Halstead’s exquisitely crystalline voice pierces through the delicately harmonic music with bracing clarity and an achingly sumptuous honeydew sweetness. The tuneful arrangements keep things tight and simple, with deftly spare use of such basic instruments as the banjo, a ukulele, synth bass, and an acoustic guitar producing a warm folksy sound that’s intimate and ethereal in equal measure. Best of all, Halstead’s songwriting smartly mines a nicely touching line in laidback introspection. A lovely album.

THE BRIXTON RIOT – Palace Amusements (www.thebrixtonriot.com)

Hey, you! Yeah, you. Ya wanna hear some mighty fine hard-stompin’ straight-up meat and potatoes rock’n’roll that just gets right down to stirring crunchy’n’punchy brass tacks with considerable brio and zero high-falutin’ pretense? Of course ya do. Well, this particular album totally fits that tasty bill somethin’ sweet: We’ve got passionate smooth-voiced vocals that soar into the melodic sonic stratosphere with tremendous aplomb, killer riffin’ guitars that happily hack away throughout, firm and unyielding basslines, rousing jumpin’ drums, constant snappy tempos, and constantly pushin’ ahead forward-ho meaty beats that never let up for a minute. Naturally, the crisply proficient playing and nicely concise songwriting definitely don’t hurt matters any. But it’s the invigorating sense of sheer go-for-it vitality and the band’s consummate musicianship that makes this honey such an absolute pleasure to hear. If your butt doesn’t shake while listening to this fun and energetic music, then you better go to the doctor ‘cause you’re missing your ass.

THE STATIC SEA – Third Parties (http://thestaticsea.com)

Offering up 12 catchy tracks worth of extremely bubbly, upbeat, and invigorating indie pop-rock, this delightfully buoyant album makes for a very enjoyable listen. The robust vocals soar over a lively sonic bed of snappy guitar riffs, smooth buzzing basslines, and constant jumpin’ drums. Better still, this New Jersey group keep things simple and straightforward throughout, with a neat noted emphasis on steady driving beats, swift tempos, and tight uncluttered arrangements that get right to the energetic meat of the matter with a refreshing dearth of flash and fuss. The music itself has a fluid and coolly undulating rhythmic momentum to it that’s extremely tasty and captivating. The overall chipper and pleasant mood that pervades throughout serves as the yummy icing on an already delicious cake. Damn impressive stuff.

THE PORCHISTAS – The Baby Album (www.theporchistas.com)

Hopping and bopping up a frothy sonic storm with an irresistibly rough-around-the-edges go-for-it buzz, this pleasingly scruffy rock’n’roll album has a real scraggly kick to it that’s both engaging and enjoyable in equal measure. The raw and merry vocals shout out the simple lyrics with considerable aplomb. The scrappy, yet tuneful arrangements keep things loose, ragged, and charming, with churning basslines, tattered cutting guitar riffs, woozy blurting horns, and relentless drums delivering a steady succession of crunching beats and laid-back, but steady tempos. Favorite song: The hilariously twisted and tasteless “Zombie Jesus.” Polished this rattling racket sure ain’t, but it’s got more than enough pure joy and scroungy vigor for it to qualify as a perfectly satisfying sliver of fun and unpretentious rock noise.

THE MODERN AIRLINE (themodernairline.com)

Clocking in at a right’n’tight 28 minutes, this remarkably catchy, groovy, and dynamic album from a five piece punk/New Wave band from Brooklyn, New York gets straight to the thrilling heart of the matter with topmost flair and finesse. The robust vocals mix well the snappy synth lines, manic riffin’ guitars, poppin’ basslines, and insanely kickin’ drums. Sheer infectious shoot-for-the-moon joy and vigor are the order of the day here. Both items are rendered with a delightfully cheery vitality that’s impossible to either dislike or resist. Favorite song: The amazingly witty and energetic butt-shaker “Vee Haf Vays (of Making You Rock).” A hugely enjoyable album.

JENNY OWEN YOUNGS – An Unwavering Band of Light (www.jennyowenyoungss.com)

Bursting with infectious energy, given an extra shot of uplifting vitality by the incredibly chirpy and robust vocals, with a strong knack for sharp and wickedly witty lyrics, catchy’n’snappy melodies, and tasty big’n’bouncy pop-rock hooks, New Jersey-born singer/songwriter Jenny Owen Youngs’ third studio album possesses so much sass and verve that one can’t help but smile and happily bop one’s head up and done while listening to it. Youngs’ spirited brash persona eschews sappy sentiment in favor of a more clear-eyed and sarcastic take on life and relationships that gains considerable strength from taking things on the chin with an unflappable attitude that’s both endearing and affecting in equal measure. While a majority of the songs rock out with tremendous rip-snorting gusto, there are still a few more subdued, thoughtful, and touching numbers sprinkled throughout. An absolute treat.


MICHAEL ANDREWS – Spilling a Rainbow (http://everloving.com)

Beautifully moody and melodic, suffused with an exquisitely pure feeling of hope and anticipation, composer/singer/multi-instrumentalist Michael Andrews comes through with a delicately well crafted album of achingly frail and tender harmonic pop. Andrews’ slight wispy voice and thoughtful songwriting make for a strong double whammy as he chronicles his excitement about becoming a father for the first time. Andrews manages to address the subject of fatherhood in an admirably positive and straightforward manner that fortunately avoids cliché and sentiment while noting both the highs and lows of being a parent. The gorgeously lush, ornate, and tuneful arrangements are likewise up to par. A lovely and touching little jewel.

KELLY HOGAN – I Like to Keep Myself in Pain (www.beekeepercorp.com)

Atlanta, Georgia native Kelly Hogan hits it out of the ballpark with this beautifully smooth, soulful, and soothing third album that deftly melds elements of pop, R&B, and country into one supremely tasty and tuneful sonic mix. No fooling about Kelly’s extraordinary voice: It’s warm, rich, and lovely, with a wonderfully delicate Southern lilt, the kind of sweetly appealing purr that sends the listener right to a more pleasant and relaxing soundscape that’s a complete joy to visit. The smart and thoughtful songwriting certainly doesn’t hurt matters any. Ditto the gently harmonic arrangements and consummate playing by a first-rate group of musicians. A total winner.

DELTA MOON – Black Cat Oil (www.deltamoon.com)

Shaking and rattling with a fabulously raw feeling of fierce urgency and equally burning intensity, this bluesy Atlanta, Georgia Southern-fried outfit dredges up 11 songs of terrifically ragged and slithery gut-bucket rootsy rock’n’roll. The raspy vocals possess a satisfyingly hoarse quality. The guitar riffs quiver with utmost snaky aplomb while the bass supplies a gritty undertow and the drums lay down a strong pounding beat. Better still, the concise songwriting gets right to the point in an admirably terse and unpretentious manner. This is the type of lowdown groovy music that vividly evokes images of a blood red moon hanging moodily in the sky over a dusty and desolate desert landscape. A damn fine album.

PARLOVR – Kook Soul (www.parlovr.com)

Representing indie pop-rock at its most infectiously frothy and catchy, this Montreal, Quebec trio really hit it out of the joyfully bouncy ballpark on their second album. The exuberant vocals project a robust happy vibe that’s impossible to either dislike or resist. The lively arrangements keep things hoppin’ along with a steady succession of dynamic head-boppin’ beats and constant speedy tempos. The smart songwriting neatly explores a perfectly touching line in bittersweet reflection. But it’s the overriding feeling of sheer bliss and boundless vitality which makes this album such an uplifting and exciting treat to hear.


STOLEN RHODES – Falling Off the Edge (www.stolenrhodes.com)

Rolling along the stirring sonic road with utmost verve and harmony, this lively rock album sweeps the listener along on one hell of a hugely rousing and enjoyable journey down the ol’ rock’n’roll highway. The raspy, yet expressive vocals hit the soulful spot. The tuneful arrangements likewise do the trick, with ringing guitars, sturdy drums, and smooth basslines keeping things chuggin’ along at a pleasingly constant clip. The songs nicely alternate between full-bore exciting barn burners and more laid-back and reflective numbers. Better still, these guys eschew needless flashy razzle-dazzle and just get right down to the straight-up butt-shaking basics with a winning lack of pretense. A really solid and satisfying album.

MIGHTY HIGH – Legalize Tre Bags!! (www.mightyhigh.net)

A gloriously loud blast of trashy’n’thrashy bluesy rock’n’roll noise that offers 11 songs about smokin’ weed and getting’ high, this album sure ain’t politically correct by any stretch of the imagination, which is exactly why is so goddamn funny and enjoyable to listen to. These Brooklyn-based bad boys really kick out the blistering jams with a steady succession of rippin’n’wailin’ guitars, churning basslines, and relentless steamrolling drums. Better still, there’s a hilariously brash and irreverent sense of blithely tasteless humor evident throughout, as confirmed by the gut-busting tunes “Tokin’ N Strokin’” (about the life and unfortunate untimely death of David Carradine) and “Drug Wars,” in which “Just Say No” Nancy Reagan gets a well-deserved sonic raspberry blown right in her officious face. The rapid-fire tempos and barnstorming beats never let up for a minute. Great grungy stuff.

XAVIER RUDD – Spirit Bird (www.xavierrudd.com)

Indie Australian multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd takes the listener straight to the lush, vibrant, and entrancing wilds of the outback on this album.: The yowling vocals, pulsating tribal beats, extraordinarily exciting didgeridoo playing, and snappy forward-ho tempos sweep one along in a madly thrilling swirl of harmonic folksy sound that possesses the rousing energy of a dingo stampede. Better yet, there are plentiful moments of finely affecting introspection amid all the aural whooping and hollering, plus the music is always melodic and captivating throughout. A terrific album.


FALLON CUSH – April (www.falloncush.com)

Fallon Cush continue to nicely mine a delicately harmonic line in gentle and soothing country-tinged pop-rock on their sturdy sophomore album. The group’s characteristic fragile warmth asserts itself once again with sumptuously tuneful and thoughtful results. Steve Smith’s reedy voice projects an engaging feeling of easygoing intimacy and introspective. Moreover, Smith’s smart and thoughtful songwriting grapples with life’s constant hardships and addresses the need for reconciliation as well as the basic desire to keep on plugging away no matter what with utterly winning resilience and straightforwardness. Kudos are also in order for the divinely melodic arrangements. The gradual tempos and laid-back beats trudge along at a pleasingly relaxed clip. A lovely and touching album.

MISS MAY I – At Heart (www.facebook.com/MissMayIMusic)

Oh fuck yeah! Strap yourself in, crank it up loud, and get ready to blow out your eardrums while listening to this fabulously thunderous slab of pure in-your-face punishing hard metal rock. The ferocious vocals howl and yowl over a savage sonic onslaught of rippin’ guitars, diggin’ basslines, and pile-driving drums. The relentless steamrolling beats and rapid-fire forward-ho tempos keep things tearin’ along at a brutally intense and constant rate. Moreover, one can discern amid all the shred ‘em up noise a genuine sense of complex melody and a firm grasp of real musicianship that are both impressive and exhilarating in equal measure. Hell, even the songwriting manages to evoke a potent feeling of raging anger and angst that comes across as sincere and authentic. Amazing stuff.


WATERSLIDE – Lincoln Signal (www.waterslidemusic.com)

Singer, songwriter, and producer Mark Doyon stakes out his own funny, inventive, and singular corner of the sonic universe in this marvelously offbeat and inspired album. Doyon’s smooth vocals and sharp’n’witty lyrics make for a potent double whammy. Musically, this album delivers a richly layered, melodic, and hypnotic sound that buzzs and hums with a startling sense of playfulness and imagination that’s truly something to hear. The crisp arrangements keep things tight and tuneful throughout while the songs take the listener on a captivating trip into an entertainingly idiosyncratic aural world where off-kilter humor, keen observations, and genuinely surprising creativity are the order of the day. A worthwhile foray into the eccentric indie-rock outer limits.


CALLAGHAN – Life in Full Colour (www.callaghansongs.com)

Blessed with a beautifully sweet and soothing voice, a strong knack for pretty and harmonic melodies, and a firm grasp of smart and thoughtful songwriting, UK-bred singer/songwriter Callaghan comes through with a terrifically radiant and engaging winner on her sunny and appealing country pop debut album. Covering life’s various ups and downs with a keen eye and an utterly charming down to earth positive attitude, Callaghan cuts through the nonsense and gets right to the heart of the matter with refreshing clarity and directness. The delicately tuneful arrangements qualify as another sterling attribute, with the gentle guitar riffs, subdued drums, and understated bass all creating a sound that’s fragile and enchanting in equal measure. Best of all, a lovely warmth and purity of spirit shines throughout. A wonderful album.

SUIT OF LIGHTS – Shine on Forever (www.suitoflights.com)

Singer/songwriter Joe Darone artfully blends harmonic indie pop and angular hard rock into a beautifully brooding, complex, and arresting sonic whole with his supremely moody third album. Exploring the many facets of human consciousness in a smart, incisive, and provocative manner, Danore takes the listener on an absorbing aural journey that chugs along at a gradual, yet still hypnotic clip. Danore’s soothing vocals and smart songwriting make for a potent double whammy while the shimmering arrangements keep things tuneful throughout. The calmly reflective sensibility provides an extra intelligent quality. Excellent stuff.

RED – Broken Earth (www.redsongs.com)

Two CDs of everything under the sun rock’n’roll music is a lot to listen to. Fortunately, the music contained on these two discs is strong enough to be worth all the time one has to invest in listening to it: Usually punchy and energetic, sometimes subdued and reflective, always melodic, and often thrilling, this stuff seriously cooks on primo unleaded gas like nobody’s freakin’ business. The robust vocals hit the right-on stirring spot while the gritty guitars, sturdy drums, and churning basslines supply a steady succession of fierce barnstorming beats and constant forward-ho charging tempos. Better still, there are a few more thoughtful, low-key, and harmonic songs sprinkled amongst the all-out rousing rockers. It’s this latter tasty element of variety and eclecticism which in turn makes this album such a deliciously rich and diverse treat to hear.

ADVANCE BASE – A Shut-In’s Prayer (www.caloverderecords.com)

Neatly bumpin’ along to a cool syncopated rhythm, this album delivers ten tasty tracks worth of nicely soothing and melodic meditative electronic pop-rock. The relaxed vocals and spare, tuneful, and unflashy arrangements both cast a pleasantly insouciant vibe. Moreover, the thoughtful songwriting nicely mines a winningly casual line in low-key introspection. The gradual tempos and subdued beats keep things percolating at a perfectly mellow manner. A good album to listen to when you want to kick back and take a load off.

THE MEMORIES (Underwater Peoples)

Representing straight-up no-bullshit rock’n’roll at its most short and snappy (most of the twelve songs contained herein are well under two minutes long), this group certainly gets right to the point with admirable clarity and concision. The vocals are fairly ragged, yet still sturdy and passionate. The arrangements keep things buzzing with a neat array of jagged guitar riffs, relentless drums, and smoothly percolating basslines. Moreover, there’s a truly touching wide-open sensitivity and vulnerability evident throughout. But it’s the fierce brevity and rattled intimacy of the cut to the bone music which in turn makes this album so weirdly endearing, affecting, and enjoyable.

SAM DENSMORE – Ku-Thar’-Tik (www.reverbnation.com/samdensmore)

Portland, Oregon singer/songwriter Sam Densmore adroitly mines a nicely affecting and incisive line in bittersweet reflectivity on his debut solo album. Low-key, subtle, and contemplative, Densmore casts a sharp and down-to-earth unsentimental eye on life’s steady stream of ups and downs while maintaining a firm grasp on delicately tuneful melodies and tight arrangements that keep things buzzing along with utmost harmonic finesse and a refreshing dearth of needless flashy razzle-dazzle. Densmore’s pleasant voice and smartly succinct songwriting make for a strong and impressive double whammy. Moreover, Densmore plays a mean acoustic guitar and never degenerates into mushy cliché at any point throughout the album. Best of all, by emphasizing a stripped-down no-frills blunt’n’basic sound Densmore is able to bring an immediacy and intimacy to the music which adds considerably to its overall power and poignancy. Wonderful stuff.

HAROULA ROSE – So Easy (www.haroularose.com)

Offering up five songs worth of sweetly harmonic folk-pop, singer/songwriter Haroula Rose’s second EP release casts a very warm and relaxing spell. Rose’s soft and pleasant voice puts the listener immediately at ease. The frothy melodies and bouncy arrangements likewise project an utterly engaging cheerful vibe. Rose’s upbeat attitude and thoughtful songwriting further add to this honey’s considerable sunny charm. Highlighted by the lovely titular track and concluding with a beautifully haunting spoken-word cover of Jimmy Webb’s great “Wichita Lineman,” this one’s a perfectly winsome winner all the way.

 

 

 

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