Zigman
Bird - Balls Marie
(zigmanbird.com)
As one of the main supporters of The Christmas
Dogs of War Shows which just celebrated it’s
20th year, (they donate all the proceeds to
a charity), Zigman Bird took the opportunity
a week before the CDOW Show to perform at
their record release party at Buddies Tavern,
which has been hosting The CDOFW for about
three years now.
Scrappy “Fing” Lamberton on bass,
and Bill Homeyer on drums sock out in unison
with a wallop and swoop, while Keith Beck
on lead guitar and vocals not only rock’s
out, but at times stripping rock ’n’
roll down to it’s primal state, never
passing up a good lick whenever they find
it, which is any song on Balls Marie. Beck
places his guitar parts like a knife thrower,
at times hurling single notes that leave wide-open
spaces. Then he plunges through the middle
with power chords, while Devine and Homeyer
frame the songs with a solid rhythm section.
“Fit Right In” has the countrified
swagger of The Stones “Dead Flowers,”
with a little psychedelic blues for added
flavor. Zigman Bird takes the natural progression
from bands like Wlico and Uncle Tupelo, adding
a righteous, psychedelic blues taking the
county rock genre further on up the road,
which runs deeper and wilder, elevating them
above heads above their musical kin.
Desire, fury, and loneliness course through
the songs. On “The Prince Steps Heavy”
they have found a way to go gentle without
going soft. A well-rounded album from start
to finish, that features some kick-ass rock
’n’ roll! Hopefully they‘ll
be back to Buddies Tavern soon. Mike Gray
& Lazlo (Blowupradio.com), have been putting
on some of the best shows in the area, and
they‘re all No Dough Shows. (no cover
charge!) - Phil Rainone
American
Speedway - Ship of Fools (americanspeedwayrocks.com)
What makes this four piece band (Michael Thursby,
lead vocals/guitars, Johnny Griswald, guitars/backing
vocals, Billy Angry, bass/backing vocals, and
Chris Callahan, drums), so damn interesting
is not just the solid musicianship which jumps
out at you with its urgency and stripped-down
emotionalism, it’s the purity of the hardcore
punk that American Speedway spit out.
Furthermore, Callahan’s industrial-strength
drumming and Thursby’s terrific songs
that mostly draw on everyday problems and
love/hate situations make for a winning combination
of punch and intelligence. Over memorably
original music that is ignited with repressed
passion and explodes in gloriously liberated
choruses, Thursby summons up heavy hardcore
vibes with sturdy power, propelled by the
rest of the band’s ample musical resources.
Uncluttered rhythms shape the body of each
song, but they never lose their firm attachment
for bracing, loud guitars.
With Thursby’s impassioned talk-shout-singing
and masterful guitar overlaid with feedback
and amplified distortion, Angry’s straight-ahead
driving bass lines, Callahan’s only
slightly less demented and excitingly excessive
drumming, and Griswold’s grinding guitar
work puts American Speedway into it’s
genre. The band piles on the hooks to the
point of explosion, creating a startling rush
of momentum. If this is a taste of what their
live set could sound like, be ready for an
adrenaline rush bar none! - Phil Rainone
Kottonmouth Kings - The Green Album (Suburban
Noize)
Kottonmouth Kings swerve and sway throughout
their tenth album with a stoner trip-hop vibe.
The music’s throb, buzz, and twirl sounds
both retro and futuristic. I’m all for
taking the past and bringing it forward, but
I have a hard time getting into what Kottonmouth
Kings are doing. They‘re better than
Kid Rock with his “Rock Rap,”
but that‘s not saying much either.-
Phil Rainone
CD Reviews 
