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MONTHLY
COLUMN
by David Allen Buco
Hey, everybody...welcome to 2003!
Grab a cold one and get ready to be enlightened about the great local
music right there in your own backyard!
STANDING 8 is the first one up for this first issue of
the new year with their four song E.P. sampler. Billing
themselves as “the new millennium power groove outfit” is an apt
description of their sound.
Influences like STP, Rob Zombie, Korn and
even the non-rap side of Linkin Park, are stamped all over this heavy, but
way too short CD set.
Furious raw musicianship, excellent production and
tight angry vocals dominate from start to finish. Pay close attention to
the airwaves, you just might be hearing Standing 8 on the radio very soon,
because their music is palatable to the masses who have embraced the
above-mentioned bands.
www.stand8.com
MY
GRADE: B+
Next up is DETOUR out of Monee, Illinois with their
three song demo CD.
Melodic pop-rock, very radio friendly and to be
quite blunt - rather ordinary. The music here is well done; almost a
grungy,, yet polished brand of rock with pop sensibilities. Yet, to these
ears anyway, it's been dine
time and time again.
Vocally Detour misses the mark from time to time
– sounding like they are trying to reach notes slightly out of reach.
Maybe I just don’t get it. They did win “Ed
McMahon’s Next Big Star.com” in the rock group category in 2002.
Not bad stuff, just more of a same old sound to me.
www.detour4t.com
MY
GRADE: C
That brings us to A.D.D. with a much too short – two
song demo CD.
Hard ass, yet melodic rock ‘n’ roll.
Excellent production, smart arrangements and flawless musicianship drive
A.D.D. to near perfection.
The vocals are always on the mark, from somewhat
understated to harmonious and powerful. The songwriting and lyrics
are equally as good.
With only two songs, I find it hard to formulate
an opinion sometimes (I prefer at least three), but I really like what
I’ve heard and eagerly await more from this very promising band to
rockers!
www.add40.com
MY
GRADE: B+
Next up is SMOKESCREEN with their 5-song demo CD that
is best described as classic rock meets metal. This is a pretty good
offering from this quintet.
Obviously recorded live in-studio with minimal
production, these are damn good “bar rock” tunes!
From the angry, Dave Mustaine-sounding
“Taliban,” to the ‘80s metal influenced, “Listen,” to the ‘60s
funk-blues-rock “Smokescreen” (which is the best cut here), these guys
show some great versatility. Oh yeah, then there’s the metalized
take on Jethro Tull’s classic, “Locomotive Breath,” that is
simply killer!
I would love to hear more from these guys after
some quality studio time and a producer who could help them fine tune
their powerful sound and cool attitude.
www.smokescreen.com
MY
GRADE: B
Our final Rumbler is HELLO with their excellent
8-song demo CD.
Without really sounding like them, the Grateful
Dead come to mind.
Their music sounds spontaneous, important.
Influences from Steely Dan to Radiohead and the
Beatles are all over this really cool set of alt-pop-jazz-funk-rock.
I hope they can retain the urgency of their music
in the years to come (two of the original HELLO have left and are being
replaced). I hope that HELLO is not forced to say good-bye!!
hellobandmusic@hotmail.com
MY
GRADE: A-
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