A few year back an artist friend of mine told me the goal of any artist, whether it be a musician, writer, photographer, or painter, is to create an emotion (good or bad) in the viewer. So let me dive into this months goodie bag to see which ones created an emotion.
Ghost
“The Get Down”
www.myspace.com/getghost
www.getghost.net
style (hip-hop / funk / rap)
Add equal parts rap, funk, and hip-hop, shake well and serve chilled and you’ve got Ghost. But what separates Ghost from other of this genre is that these guys are not sampling or scratching a bunch of music from other artist. To the contrary. These guys play their own instruments and play them well. Adding to their sound is the use of horns in various tracks, a little piano, and exceptional backing vocals. Not what I expect from a hip-hop / funk sound but Ghost mixes this difference exceptionally well with their groovin’ funky bass lines that you’d have to be deaf to miss, and a rapid fire rap vocal style that’s unique all on it’s own. Adding to the musicianship and killer rhymin’ lyrics is the arrangement of the songs on the CD. The songs order is assembled with a mood and direction in mind making this a CD you could put on in a club or at a party and just let the music set the pace for the evening and I absolutely dig that. If you want some music to move and groove to listen to Ghost’s CD and you’ll be gettin’ down.
Rating 4+ (Hidden Gem)
Better Left Unsaid
“The Silencing”
www.myspace.com/blumusic
Style (hardcore metal)
When the first song “Never Again” started my immediate reaction was this is a band with a big sound. Then as I settled into the CD I noticed too much sameness in most of the songs and arrangement oddities when the vocalist throws in sung vocals in sections. The guys do maintain a constant hardcore assault on your ears most noticeably with the double kick and accompanying howler monkey screaming vocals but suffer from the same criticism much of the hair bands did in the 80’s - same sound different faces. This attempt would have definitely been better left alone.
Rating 2 (only because the drummer is working his ass off)
Three Legged Fox
“Ideas”
www.myspace.com/threeleggedfox
Style (beach / reggae)
Funny how listen to a CD can transport you to a place. In this case I’m kicking back on a Caye Caulker Belizian beach in a hammock sipping a coconut rum drink watching the gentle waves kiss the shore. Barkeep can I get another and turn up the music. The music’s got a relaxing chill out feel with a little Jimmy Buffett / reggae influence. Drop this into your CD player during a lazing summer afternoon hanging out with good friends, cold drinks, and good food, and you’ve got the makings for a good day. Not much more I can say about this CD.
Rating 3+
Rockets To Ruin
“Love * Drugs * Rebellion”
www.myspace.com/rocketstoruin
www.rocketstoruin.com
style (rock)
Right off the bat I dig this. Love the name, love the CD title, and totally diggin’ on the jacket pix. This takes me back to Motley Crue and Hanoi Rocks in their days of tattoos and whiskey, debauchery and decadence. And isn’t that what real rock & roll is all about. The sound of Rockets to Ruin reminds me of Wrathchild UK with more meat on the plate. A sound that freakin’ grabs you, catapults into a rock and roll club, sticks all the sights and sounds right in your face and ears, and brings back those lovely memories of a hot chick on her knees in a bathroom stall. Listening to the CD I can image the live show is awesome. Not to mention any rock back playing Gibsons just sounds that much better.
Rating 4
Six Feet Under
“Commandent”
www.myspace.com/sixfeetunder
style (death metal)
For the record I like hardcore music. The kind that shakes your insides and makes you mosh. But there’s something about this style of death metal that makes me walk outside and wait for the next bus. Each song is played using the same cords (sounds like only two), same rhythms, and the same pacing throughout each song. So much so it’s tough to take this offering serious. Then add the vocals which are delivered with a constant incoherent meandering growl, but to the singers credit matches the pacing of the music. I feel like I’m watching a giant cyclops clumsily chasing the fair maiden through the woods with a slow meandering pace. Do you read a similarity here - pacing. SPEED UP!!!!! You’re death metal for christs sake. Don’t take us there slow and bored, take us there 100mph kicking and screaming. I’ l l p a s s ! ! ! Get the point!
Rating 1/2
Ashes Are Nutritious
“Frustration +”
www.myspace.com/ashesarenutritious
style (progressive / alternative)
First thing grabbing my attention with this CD is that there’s a lot of stuff going on in the music. Maybe too much to be honest. It’s a little like listening to 4 different solos played at the same time, each trying to outplay the other. I don’t know anything about this group but this sounds like 4 guys who all graduated from some music school and probably hated playing typically arranged music. Can’t say their sound doesn’t work though. Something to be said for musicians who strive to create art outside the box.
Rating 2+
A Broken Heart Pro
“The Kitten Next Door”
style (alternative country)
It’s true I’ll listen to anything. And what drew me to this CD quite frankly was the cover image. It never hurts your image as a performer if you’re a looker and Jeanette Kantzalis is definitely a pretty woman. But one can’t get by as a performer on looks alone. The songs are written about love, lust, and relationships good and bad. Unfortunately the delivery of the songs lack believable emotion. If you’ve written and sung a song about love, lust, or hate then those emotions should be recognizable. Not so with this CD. There’s little variation in the songs arrangement and presentation so much so each song gets lost behind the other. I could see Jeanette playing to a room full of inspired woman, for obvious reasons, but equally playing to a room full of bored males who initially enjoy the sight of Jeanette but are quickly bored and more interested in the ice at the bottom of their Jack Daniels.
Rating 2 (only because of her looks)
The Vein
“Monsters and Men”
www.thevein.net
Style (Psychedelic / Goth’ish) - don’t know what to call this
This is one of those CD’s I absolutely have no clue why money and time was spent creating. The singer sounds like Bobby Pickett on a downer. And for those who don’t know Mr.Pickett, he wrote and sung the halloween classic “Monster Mash”. Come on, what is this? Back jacket picture shows 5 guys need deep in the ocean by a pier. Talk about getting the wrong impression to what this was. In a nutshell here’s what you do with this CD. You roll a big fatty, turn the lights off and turn the lava lamp on, and toke out until the pictures on the wall start talking to you. Maybe that’s the intention I don’t know. I definitely can’t see this band getting booked to play live from this offering.
Rating 1 (R.I.P. Mr. Pickett)
Bishop
“Steel Gods”
www.bishopmusic.com
style (rock)
The music’s got a real strong and energetic soul to it but I’m not totally diggin’ the singer, who’s also the lead guitar in this 3 piece outfit. The guitar is driving the engine for this music but pulling double duty as the singer sounds like it’s holding the machine back just a little bit. The vocals aren’t terrible, in fact the more I played the CD the more they grew on me, but I’d really like to hear this music with a different singer. But only a singer who’s presence and charisma matches the energy of the music, especially the guitar. As a whole I hear some deeply rooted older style rock influences - deep purple and black sabbath, etc - and hey that’s always a good thing to be influenced by. Something about this CD tells me these guys bring it loud and hard live and hey isn’t rock and roll suppose to be that way.
Rating 3
Authority Zero
“12*34”
www.myspace.com/authorityzero
style (alternative / punk / rock)
If you’re looking for a party sound head to the club with your best girl and best mates, order up some Guinness and a few Jack Daniels, and get to jumpin’ around singing the chorus’s at the top of your lungs. This is exactly my first reaction the second I hit play. I’m not sure of the band members origins but to me this has an Irish feel but it’s alternative mixed with punk and some rock on top. And I’m totally digging this sound. If your looking for a CD that’s got a bunch of different influences then this offering from Authority Zero is it. Forget for a minute their core sound in all the songs but open up your ears to the reggae rhythm and rock chorus on “ Talk is Cheap”, the ska / rock / punk sound in “Memory Lane”, and flat out Irish rockin’ song “Drunken Sailor” that doesn’t let you rest for a second and you’ve got a CD filled with numerous tangents but not that take you away from the core origins. A complete CD with not a bad song on it!
Rating 4+ (hidden gem)
