With spring break quickly approaching I am here to offer up some details about what came across my desk this month. What I liked may be good to have around when playing naked bingo, and what I hated may be useful for getting drunk freeloaders out of your backyard. Whatever your usage please enjoy.
Prize Country
"Lottery of Recognition"
www.myspace.com/prizecountry
Style (rock)
I like a CD that lives up to their bio statement – ‘absolute intensity’. Hit play and this CD pops a wheelie and doesn’t look back to see if you’re still hanging onto the sissy bar. The musical arrangement doesn’t follow the normal rock & roll straight writing style but instead coagulates punk infused tangents with primal raw energy creating a unique style worthy of blasting through the speakers. The sound reminds me a little bit of Fu Manchu’s latest CD. I totally dig the bass string ripping in the song “Into The Depths”. For so many bands the bass is a percussion accompaniment but not for Prize Country. Musically there’s lots of character and depth in this CD that will take a few more spins in the player to unlock.
Rating 3 ½
Hardwire
"Keyboard Cowboy"
www.myspace.com/hardwirecentral
Style (industrial / electronica / gothic)
Window shopping on Melrose a few weekends back I strolled into Shrine and was introduced to this band's demo playing through the store's stereo. And immediately I was hooked. The sound is industrial, electronica, gothic, dark, medieval, underground, and powerful, a sound conducive for letting your dark side alter ego come out to play – follow the white rabbit, Neo. To sum up this CD - through the seizure inducing strobes, the mix and mingle of leather, latex, and lace, the euphoria of happiness, fear, and exploration, a tongue stinging taste of a fiery blue mustang, whipped into hormonal hyper drive on the dance floor – this is “Keyboard Cowboy” from Hardwire.
Rating 4
Truck Fighters
"Phi"
www.truckfighters.com
Style (rock)
This CD has a little throwback to the 70’s hard rock sound – a tad Deep Purple influence. Unfortunately the CD arrived without lyrics, and because I received only a generic sleeve I’m not sure it’s being released with them either, but I’m wondering, given the band’s name and some of the song titles, if these four members are gear jammers, or deal with truckers on a daily basis. Titles like “Fortyeight”, “Below the Sun”, “The Game”, “Dysthymia” and of course “Traffic” lead me toward my guess. Musically though the CD’s not knocking me over. From the middle on the music just lays there meandering and I feel like I'm stuck on an endless highway with boring scenery. Sad because I like how the CD started but now I want to stop the mule, kick it in the ass, and I’ll walk from here.
Rating 1 ½
Tripping Horse
"self titled"
www.myspace.com/trippinghorse
Style (metal)
This is a band still trying to find its identity. Vocally there is a deep and heavy approach with some throaty belted out screaming, some heavy and crunchy guitar chords, but mixing in with these heavier elements are some bubble gum harmonies for the chorus (first song), middle of the road slow guitar rhythms, the kind most guitar players strum on stage while swigging a beer, and drums and bass that too get swallowed up in the slow grind of a mortar and pestle. The major problem I have is the slowness of the song's rhythms. It’s OK for a song but more than one is too many and predictable. Song 7 – “Frightened Out of Heaven” is a prime example – slow to medium to slow to fast to slow to medium to fast…. and this arrangement is generally the same for all the songs. Chalk this up to a learning experience.
Rating 1
Hulda
"Always Haunted"
www.myspace.com/hulda
Style (rock)
My initial reaction, which remains the same as I play through the CD, is this band was formed not because the musicians hold dreams of grandeur and want to set the world ablaze with their musical genius but because the members like playing music. And there's nothing wrong with that. The group is of the middle age sect fronted by a Blonde'ish wannabe female singer who desperately needs vocal lessons to learn how to develop more than one pitch, which happens to be off. In a nut shell this is a garage band sound, which is great for playing a local keg party, but in a club setting they would be bypassed as patrons grabbed a drink and headed for the back area until the set ended.
Rating 1 ½
Sheri Miller
"Mantra"
www.myspace.com/sherimiller
Style (singer songwriter / southern / pop)
Here's an artist with a grown up soulful voice, top quality musicianship, excellent songwriting skills, a sound that's fun and well produced, and emotion destined to draw you in. Listening through the CD this is a sound that would reverberate wonderfully live. "Devil in White" and "Waste My Breath" are my favorites because they're the most up-tempo songs and her energy burns bright. Unfortunately this is a 6 song EP and I personally would like to hear more up-tempo songs then slow songs, for which the CD has two too many in my opinion, but to Miller's credit the slow songs are written, arranged, and performed superbly and stand out. Adding to my enjoyment of this CD are the two sepia toned artist portraits showing off even more creative energy for what I hope is a long and artful journey.
Rating 4 (too bad I missed the March 6th CD release party at Hotel Cafe in Hollywood)
Juan Prophet Organization
"self titled"
www.myspace.com/juanprophetorganization
Style (indie / experimental)
To put it bluntly, and nicely, this is the musical version of cyanide - one listen and you are done! The best way I can describe this would be to call this offbeat beatnik acid jazz with influences in eastern European folk music. OMG, I have walked into an outtake of a Kubrick infused Fellinni picture!!! And it really doesn't surprise me this band is located in an Appalachian state, and personally being from an eastern seaboard state myself, I'll give you three guess (and the first two don't count) as to the beverage of choice in them parts. Looking at the bands MySpace I'm shocked to find out they are booked throughout the month of April. All I got to say is I wish them well and pray for the ears of their listeners.
Rating 1/2 (another mason jar of white lightning please)
Eric Sardinas and Big Motor
"self titled"
www.myspace.com/ericsardinasband
Style (Honky Tonk / Blues / Rock)
How freakin’ cool is a slide guitar? Way cool in my book! How cool is honky tonk blues that gets your toes tappin’ and the girls dancing on the dance floor? Way cool in my book! And how cool is a rattlesnake cowboy hat? Way Fing cool!!! Well that’s exactly how I feel about this CD - way cool! Living in Los Angeles I’ve been exposed to all kinds of music and on occasions have come across honky tonk blues rock bands in a club and each and every one has blown me away. And though I’ve yet to catch Sardinas and Big Motor’s set in a club, if this CD is any indication of what to expect, they definitely won’t disappoint. This is a rockin’ CD that’ll remain in my home collection for a long time to come.
Rating 4 (rattlesnake cowboy hats really are F’ing cool!!!)
Winger
"Winger IV"
www.myspace.com/wingertheband
Style (rock)
Oh yes, exactly what I was waiting for, something from the Kip Winger collection!!! And isn't calling it “Winger IV” a bit much? Maybe Kip’s trying to follow the George Forman method of naming. In that case I can’t wait for the Winger VIII project. I like the cover art of the soldier with his weapon and the 3 angels but the problem is the image is used three times within the packaging. There’s an old saying “less is more” and I wish it had been employed. Musically though this isn’t the Winger we know from the 80’s, and I, along with many others, are thankful for that. From the sound of it I’m guessing there are some tough personal emotions Kip’s trying to work out through song and this project is the result. Don’t know, just a guess. Kudos for the effort but this CD’s not grabbing me in the least.
Rating 2 (at least there are still people going to see 80’s bands reunion tours)
In Flight Radio
"The Sound Inside”
www.myspace.com/inflightradionyc
Style (pop / rock)
As the website address would imply here’s a band out of the east coast, and the accompanying bio indicates this is a follow up CD. Musically the sound is run of the mill poppish rock reminiscent of something you’d hear as background music in some elevator or maybe some credit card or dishware commercial. Energy wise I’m not gleaming anything strong or note worthy from the CD. The band's fronted by a female singer, who looks like a chick who could rock but given her too high vocals falls way short. Instead the singer comes across reflecting a Tori Amos style. By contrast the dudes in the band have a decent rock look and if you ask me don’t look like they’re playing the style of music they should be. Maybe I’m judging the four books by the cover here but that’s just my gut instinct.
Rating 1 ½
