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by Staff
CLIPLife Without Blinking(Indie) I really love this
group. As the disc spun from song
to song, I found them reminding me of another local group I love, Scarlett Life.
Clip provides the
listener with great electro-pop and just a touch of rock. There just is not a
bad song to be found on Life Without Blinking – no filler either. Just one
cool tune after another.
Strong yet sensual vocals from Keri Campbell are the perfect vehicle for
these songs and work well with the well layered synths, keys, drum machines and
old school rock guitar supplied by the rest of the band. Both lilting and
strong, as needed, Campbell has one of the best voices (and a fairly broad
range) I’ve heard in a while. Influences ranging
from the Cocteau Twins to Siouxsee And The Banshees can be found throughout this
very, very impressive CD. As much as I love
rock, which is the obvious mainstay of “Da Region,” it’s damned refreshing
to find bands like Clip coming out of Chicagoland. As popular as electronica, ambient and electro-pop are, I’m
surprised there are not more groups of these genres popping up all over from the
Midwest. Maybe as Moby’s
annual “Area” tours continue to spread this style of music far and wide and expose it to the masses...we will
see more bands like Clip emerge.
There’s a lot of
talent contained in this vibrant young band and it will be fun to hear where
they go from this point, having created such a strong debut disc.
Standout songs here include ––
“Close As I Get,” “Would Have Loved Her,” “Wicked One” and my
personal favorites (at least for today), “Like
To Know” and “Sleepytime.” This is one hell of a CD from one hell of a band! Check
them out online at: www.clipband.com – David A. Buco In Concert: Merchants Of Cool(Sanctuary) Bad Company and its
superlative vocalist, Paul Rodgers, bring new, intensified meaning to the word
“timeless.”
This Bad Company live release, recorded early this year, and accompanied
by a live DVD (with interviews and “extras” including guest appearances by
Slash, Neil Schon, and several others) demonstrates with stunning clarity the
primal and powerful appeal of a true rock ‘n’ roll band at its best, and
should also be a major herald to the youth culture worshippers and other
Doubting Thomases that – Yes! – artists on the level with Paul Rodgers and
Bad Company actually DO become more breathtakingly effective with age.
Indeed, on this 14 cut
CD, which includes many of Bad Company’s most renown hits, along with the
band’s rapidly rising new single (the tongue-in-cheek, contemporary, and
eastern-influenced “Joe Fabulous”),
Rodgers is at his passionate, bluesy, improvisational best. This is a guy who
could croon the Tax Code and make it sound soulful and sexy.
Fortunately, though,
the songs he and the band perform here are some of the best in the book. We get
knockout live renditions of “Bad
Company,” “Silver, Blue and Gold,” “Ready For Love,” and the Free
anthem, “All Right Now” wherein
Rodgers demonstrates just why he remains one of the most respected vocalists in
the business. Although Bad Company
is a band that really must be experienced live to fully absorb the depth of
their talents, this CD is still a must for a new generation of rock ‘n’ roll
lovers searching for something real, as well as an aural connection between the
past and present. On the other hand, it is also a poignant reminder (for those who were around since the band’s knockout debut nearly 30 years ago) just how exhilarating and soul-satisfying Bad Company’s authentic brand of blues-based power rock can be. Forget “Merchants” –– these guys are truly the “Masters” of Cool. - Shelly Harris
HAT TRIKKI’ll Be Good To Your Daughter(Indie)
Mega Stars in waiting positioned on the ground floor of fame with songs
that rise miles above the production. The
music is the lithium counterpoint to today’s “sad-core” depressants much
in the vein of the Spin Doctors if they were more Metal and less hippie.
“Powers That Be” and “Anna”
scream radio and remind one of infectious hard pop types like Donnie Iris
(remember him?) and Chicago’s own, Cheap Trick.
The group’s
guitarist, Tom Herr, and vocalist, Todd Hashaw seem to have struck that magical
balance that fellow Midwesterner’s Tommy Shaw and Dennis DeYoung did only here
they both appear to have the same focus making the songs all the stronger.
The weak point, as is
the case with so many of these band on a budget things is the extremely poor
production. The life of each song
is just siphoned straight out of it by the transient knob twisting.
The worst offender is Hat Trikk’s version of
“Little Willie.” Somehow I
don’t think the Sweet would approve of this version.
Still, the skeleton
and enough of ht meat remains to see this disc as the prelude to something great
that it is. - David Lee Wilson FUSION...In The Life (Cellar Records) Fusion is a
psychedelic blues rock quartet from Chicago. Reminding me much of the mid to
late Seventies bands of the genre (i.e. Robin Trower) with a touch of
twenty-first century (i.e. Black Crows), here is a band that can jam.
Much
of the music contained on ...In The Life is well thought out and arranged, but
there is also a lot of (at least to these seasoned ears) improvisational jams
that are just friggin' cool!
The rhythm section of Bill Edwards (bass) and Gerry Daniel (drums)
is remarkeably tight and thumpin' with rock ‘n’ soul. The guitar work of
Mike Jablonski is as on target as can be, sounding like a mix of rock, soul and
funk; he more than gets the job done. Gino Calantoni’s vocals are above
average but a bit to over powering at times. I would really like to hear of his
harmonica (check out “Catalina”) – great work.
The best cuts here are
“For What It's Worth,” “All Is Not Lost,” “C’Mon,” the
previously mentioned “Catalina” and the surprise of the CD for me, the straight up
punk sound of “Confrontation Part II.”
which is a killer cut! In a nutshell...if
you’re into garage-bar-blues-rock, then ...In The Life is for you. Pretty damn
good stuff here. – David A. Buco
JERRY PORTNOYDown In The Mood Room(Tiny Town)
Fair warning: Jerry
Portnoy’s latest solo CD does not feature the harpmaster doing Chicago blues
classics.
While he’s probably
best known among blues audiences for his work as Muddy Waters’ harp player and
a driving force behind the band that featured many other Muddy Waters alumni,
The Legendary Blues Band, I’d expect that he’d put out a CD of blues harp
classics. Or, one reflecting his
four years of work with Eric Clapton?
Nope.
Down in the Mood Room is quite a departure from Jerry’s blues roots,
and actually I’m glad.
While it’s not the
blues of Muddy, Pinetop, or Eric, Down in the Mood Room shows how Jerry Portnoy
can pay tribute to some jazz standards.
In doing this album,
Portnoy has opened my horizons to some very traditional jazz (along with
producer/guitarist Duke Robillard, Gordon Beadle and Doug James on horns, Mark
Davis on fiddle, and rhythm section of Marty Ballou on bass and Steve Ramsay on
drums). It’s primarily a
jazz record where Jerry introduces the harp as the lead instrument in George
Shearing’s “Lullaby of Birdland,”
Horace Silver’s “Doodlin,” and
two other American classics, “Sentimental
Journey” and “Stormy Weather.”
I’m pleased to note
that Jerry doesn’t stray too far from his blues roots when blowing on the
tracks “Mood Room Boogie” or “Money.”
This record hit me
like Dr. John’s homage to Duke Ellington – Duke Elegant.
It reinterprets some American jazz classics tastefully and helped me hear
the work of George Shearing and Horace Silver in a brand new way.
He shows that the harmonica has a place in more traditional jazz, if done
well and done right, as on this album. – Eric Steiner HEDDERVentilate (Gold Circle) Crisp and clean
edges that cut through several layers of accessible hard-rock, somewhere between
Godsmack and Lifehouse where there is a lot of room to move and form something
genuinely original but still feel familiar.
The first single, “Save
Your Face” has already had fairly wide acceptance at radio. Given that
there are at least another half dozen tracks here equally as catchy, this record
could escalate Rockford, Illinois’ Hedder into one of the year’s hottest
sellers; making them Chicagoland’s Disturbed-style of success story for 2002.
If there is one truly
magic moment that surfaces above the general high standard for this disc it
comes in the brilliantly understated guitar of “Too Many Holes.” The
choice of taking the solo down in volume instead of just pushing the faders all
the way up is an example of the impeccable taste employed when producing this
record. black
tape for a blue girl The Scavenger Bride(Projekt)
“Philosophical,
multi-layered and sooooo diverse”… that’s what I think of this CD.
If you are in the mood to devour a new experience for your soul, check
out this ethereal and gothic piece of aural art.
The Scavenger Bride is black tape for a blue girl’s first true “concept album,”
which succeeds in seamlessly blending words, images and music into a complete
“art piece.”
Inspired in part by
the writings of Franz Kafka and the artworks of Marcel Duchamp,
lyricist/songwriter Sam Rosenthal created this contemplative, mesmerizing,
deeply passionate album about a bride, her past lovers, and the many ways
relationships can twist us, but also make us grow.
I particularly enjoyed the varied sounds and “feel” of the pieces. Each song caresses your senses through a myriad of thoughts
and dreams.
Softly undulating
combinations of poetry, varied instrumentation (such as the violin, viola,
cello, dulcimer, mandolin and electronic keyboards) along with haunting/mystic
male and female vocals move your imagination to make it seem as you are
experiencing the journey firsthand; one song even boasts somewhat of a Middle
Eastern flavor. (Note:
If you are a fan of Bauhaus, some of the vocals by Bret Helm of Audra
sound very Peter Murphy ‘esque!).
This is a CD that
everyone should experience at least once. I
sincerely enjoyed this unique and cerebral compilation by black tape for a blue
girl. It really makes you reflect
on your chi! – Kim Radu AUDRA Going To The Theater(Projekt)
The Arizona gothic
band Audra is brushing on their makeup once again for their second album.
Going to the Theater
combines the dark sounds of goth with traditional rock reminiscent of ‘80s
pop. Bret Helm’s deep voice is almost eerie when backed by the creepy
keyboarding and guitar strums of brother Bart Helm. “Fearless
Peaches,” however, is a borderline acoustic folk song.
Other songs could have been cranked right off the ‘80s music assembly
line. A garage sale Casio keyboard
could supply better beats than those found in “All
Ghosts Spend Their Time Alone.”
Ultimately redeeming
the album, “A Walk in the Woods,”
provides a faster tune to rival the dreariness of preceding songs. And, “Cabaret
Fortune Teller” is bound to bring its gothic listeners back to life.
Overall this sophomore effort is a fairily good album with a few weak
spots. Audra ought to put away the
make-up and shiny clothes and call itself a rock ‘n’ roll band. Or, gracefully crawl back into their cellars and rediscover
their goth roots and influences. The
blend of the two worlds in not working all that well. – Adam Madison CUSTOMFast(Artist Direct) Thank God that
there was finally something to displace the “Spank
my Ass” song by Puddle Of Mudd. I
mean, it is definitely a disservice to lump Custom’s debut in with the novelty
hit posse but that is basically what “Hey
Mister” will be remembered as. I
say, if people buy this album for that reason alone, so be it. The surprise will come
when the brilliance of the other twelve tracks on Fast slip, slide and wriggle
their way into the listeners deeper consciousness. Custom has an
instantly lovable and quirky style much like that of Beck only in the case of
Custom there is no need to rely solely on that quirkiness, the man can actually
write. For most of its length Fast circles around
emotions – love, hate, fear, and all others that frustrate the average human
in some way. Custom doesn’t give
many answers to the problems, but he does let you know that you are not alone
and that is definitely better than straight out railing against the unknown. Take “One
Day” for instance, here you have a sophomoric shell but deep down inside
the lyric as much as the beat, you have a serious declaration –– “love
me as I am!” The
instrumentation is rock enough for Creed loving radio with enough hip-hop/street
vibe to get spins on either Alternative or Urban stations and all this without
sounding like he started out to be everybody’s everything.
“Morning Spank” will be the
next “hit” from this disc and is “Hey Mister” with less care about hurting the subjects feelings
and imparts this sage advice –– “A
friend doesn’t let a friend fu*k a friend’s girlfriend.” – David Lee Wilson NYC SMOKEFor The Posers(Smoke Records)
If all you have to go by is For
The Posers, and at this point it is, it would seem like posing is
something that Howie Statland (who is NYC Smoke) doesn’t seem to know much
about.
Every track on NYC Smoke’s debut carries with it a realness that is
generally washed clean of your average big label/commercial music factory
product. Here you hear an artist
torturing and twisting himself like a sponge with each golden drop of
inspiration qualitatively incomparable to anything out at the moment but let us
try anyway.
The Strokes, also from NYC, would seem to share Statland’s affection
for punk-rock cum Bob Dylan mix of blunt musical phrasing and soul ripping
lyrical sentiment. Phrases like
“My empire of doubt crushes everyone” and “If
death is really God’s ocean, than we are his only wound” go beyond
simple statements of personal understanding and insight to something that
anyone, anywhere immediately understands and more often than not, feels.
Like a needle scratching across a slab of vinyl,
(remember that stuff?), Statland’s voice absolutely refuses to be given equal
billing as any other instrument. Part
Tom Petty, some Springsteen, a little Lou Reed and maybe even a touch of Kurt
Cobain, Howie’s voice draws and delivers each song with every ounce of its
intended force. Yeah, someone else
could sing these songs, but not nearly as well as they are here and it is all
because he so obviously and truly believes in what he is singing.
The man is no poser.
Best track? It is a toss up between the Zeppelin-esque “Pick & Choose” and the three-minute raver “Balance” which despite its name never fails to knock the
listener over. Each has its
own charm, the first is slightly more paced than the rest of the disc whereas
the latter is the equivalent of mainlining cappuccino, but choosing isn’t
necessary when you get both and everything between the two on one damned
brilliant disc.
By the end of For The Posers, Howie Statland is likely to be elevated in
each listener’s estimation to that of the genre’s best singer/songwriters
with the added joy of knowing this is only the beginning. – David Lee Wilson KEVN KINNEY Broken Hearts And Auto Parts(Evil Teen)
If you’re thinking of committing suicide, this is the album for you.
Kevn Kinney, the stereotypical country singer, loses his girl and car in
the first chorus of Broken
Hearts and Auto Parts. At
times it is hard to tell if he is singing or actually crying.
Survivors of the first track, “Broken
Hearts,” are bound to find something to like.
Kinney sings yee-haw country with
“It’s Comin’ Down This Way,” and leaves room for the blues with “Yes
That’s Me.”
He whines on with a Bob Dylan-ish voice and some well-composed rock
‘n’ roll, “Why Is It Feel So Hard to
Say.” Other songs could
easily pass for Tom Petty.
Broken
Hearts and Auto Parts should appeal to fans of country or southern rock.
It belongs on the jukebox of a lonely whiskey bar.
– Adam Madison SCORPIONSBad For Good: The Very Best Of The Scorpions(Hip-O Records)
I can’t live without
this album! I don’t know if
it’s Klaus Meine’s crystal clear, ear splitting, guitar-like voice, or
Rudolph Schenker’s and Matthias Jabs’ mind-blowing, electrifying guitar
playing, but the unification of these great artists can explode you to heaven
then plummet you to hell –– in the best kind of way.
Along with world-wide
hits like “Rock You Like a Hurricane,”
“Still Loving You,” and “Winds
of Change,” they have included two brand new cuts: “Cause I Love You” and “Bad
For Good.” These songs
sound very now, yet also have same classic elements of many of the earlier
Scorpions albums, and thus are not disappointing in the least to either longtime
or younger Scorpions fans like yours truly.
No doubt ––
as this 18 song CD clearly spells out –– what continues to make the
Scorpions special and unique to listeners, no matter what their age or
background, is their distinctively European classical influences, the emotional
roller-coaster of their dynamics, the naughty and nice dichotomy of their
lyrics, their haunting melody lines, their signature screaming dual guitar
leads, and –– most of all –– the purity and power of Klaus Meine’s
vocals.
Yesterday or today, it
still stands true: Scorpions... “There’s
no one like you!” – Adrian Harris
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