A Quick Burst of Blues - Featuring Geoff Abraham, Fast Johnny Ricker, and Jason Ager & the C.O.P.D.,

 Geoff Abraham & the Stone City - World Gone Crazy

Man, this CD had been sitting on my desk for so long, I have no idea how it even got there.  But within seconds of that first garage-y blitz, I knew this disc was gonna take a revered place in my CD collection.  Hell yes!  From the first swirling, frenetic moments of opening cut, "The Carrot and the Stick" I knew I'd stumbled upon a treasure.   Simple, almost rudimentary (as all good garage rock should be) the irrepressible beat married to that, funky-blast-from the garage, "Carrot" got me hooked right away. Best of all though was the way the chorus broke down in to that swirling whirlpool of a descending riff.  Freak-tastic.

Turns out Geoff Abraham is no newbie to the scene, having jammed with Peter Wolf, Slash, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Robin Zander and the Cars.  He's opened for the Black Crowes, Alic Cooper, Bad Company amongst others.  Hmmm.  Makes sense.  Perfect melody like Cheap Trick, bluesy like the Thunderbirds, soulful like Peter Wolf.  Yep, it's all there.  "Let it all Ride" proves right away that this CD ain't no one trick pony.  Dirty, almost filthy, deep in the garage, sultry blues.   Not to be missed.

Fast Johnny Ricker - Arise and Dig

This CD arrived at Ripple North with a hand-scrawled note from Fast Johnny and reference to his good friends and playing buddies the JPT Scare Band, and sure enough, there's our mad Dr. Bomar, Paul Grigsby mentioned right there in the "thanks" section.  Well, Fast Johnny certainly knew that way to get his disc from the mailbox to my ear --mentioning Ripple favorites (and recording artist) JPT has that power.  And thank God Fast Johnny did.  Otherwise I may have missed out on this treat.

Blues is the name of the game here.  Psychedelic, heavy, and full of more soul than a thousand White Stripes or Black Keys.  Wah'ed out guitars, feedback flourishes, soaring squeals and bending notes.   Johnny masters that guitar like a blacksmith masters metal--add a little fire, and he can get it bend and mold into any shape he desires.   "Arise and Dig" is a prime example of acetylene torch blues, from it's intro smoking riff through the blistering acid-blues meat of the song.   "Electric Rain"  brings a shade of that red-hot burning acid-tinged metallic edge, while "Back to Mystery" takes on a psychedelic voyage that'd make even the JPT boys proud.

The guy's got a blues pedigree an arm long, and I got a feeling he ain't even reached halfway.  If you like your blues drenched in acid and colored in psychedelia, Fast Johnny Ricker may just be your man.

Jason Ager & the C.O.P.D. - Born to Surf

I've been digging Jason Ager's brand of G. Love and the Special Sauce, urban funky blues since he dropped his first EP, Lunchdate.  Back then I spouted that Jason was blessed with a voice that just oozes soul the way BP oozes oil.  Yep, that's still true.  With his backing crew C.O.P. D. Sheri Walsh and Austin O'Connor, Jason opens his sweaty palms and releases another set of funky, hip-hop tinged blues.

One of the things I love about Jason, is that he really takes his time with his tunes, allowing them to breathe and grow.  No rush, no hurry.   "The Fishin' Jawn" just drips out on the back of some fine acoustic strumming and some electric fills until that gentle beat kicks in.  Just downhome blues and funky through and through, as he equates playing for an audience to a day fishing.  "The Indian" brings in some tasty Rhodes organ and a jazzy/jammy feel for a perfect moment of chilled out bliss.  "Closer to the Bone," also brings on some big juicy funk.  Other cuts like "The Indian" and The Girlfriend Song" slip into a mellower vibe, primarily acoustic tracks focusing more on Jason's voice than the beat, with nice results.

Gotta be honest, Born to Surf didn't grab me quite as quickly as Lunchdate did.  For what ever reason, the first song/title cut just doesn't click with me, and overall we're a bit mellower here than we were on Lunchdate.  And I liked the beats on that EP.  But after repeated listens, I can hear the subtlety of what Jason is doing.  I'd love to see him stretch himself out a bit more on his next album, but Born to Surf should satisfy his fans until then.

--Racer

A Sunday Conversation with Jason Ager

Funky.  Soulful.  Rocking.  Just a few words that popped into my mind when Jason Ager's new CD, Jason Ager & the C.O.P.O.,Lunchdate,  dropped across the Ripple desk.  After one song I knew we were gonna have to chat with this dude and learn what makes him tick.  With that, we suddenly found Jason sitting on our red interview couch, popping open a cold one and telling tales.

When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkel, the first time I ever heard Kiss's "Detroit Rock City," it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphany's since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and revolutionary to your ears.

What have been your musical epiphany moments?

I think one of my epiphanies has to do with my father.  He is the type of guy that wore tapes out in the stereo of his truck when we would drive, and we drove everywhere.  Favorite tapes of his were Creedence, Willie Nelson, and Nat King Cole (both his stripped down jazz stuff and his big band/ orchestra stuff).  Anyways, my dad always dabbled with music, and had an organ that played beats along with the  melody you were hammering out on the keys, and he used to love to jam out in the afternoons (he has been retired longer than I can remember since he was considerably older when I was born).  On one particular afternoon, myself and some buddies from around the way were fooling around with a four-track recorder I had at the time, and were recording live, when in walks my dad.  He fires the organ up and starts wiling away.  Needles to say, I reacted strongly, his retort simply being "It's my  f@$%#*& organ time!!! "  I think that was pretty formative in my musical life, it taught me to keep songs short as well as to shrug off crazy people in the crowd.


Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?

The idea is usually always first.  I'll have an idea about something I wanna say, and I'll try and match some chords and melodies to it.  I just wrote a song about not being able to surf, called "Born to Surf" (it will be the title track of the next album we are working on, slated for a Spring release) because I saw a bumper sticker of a dude riding on the front of a board with a huge wave behind him.  All my songs have to come from experiences or concepts I grapple with, otherwise I can't make the song sound genuine.


Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new motivation?


I look at relationships around me for inspiration...different people get on differently, and I think that makes things interesting.  I always have to have my own thoughts about it though, otherwise it won't come off right.



Genre's are so misleading and such a way to pigeonhole bands. Without resorting to labels, how would you describe your music?

I have been thinkin ' about this for a while, and without getting in trouble with anybody or their management, I like to describe my music as "Chuck Berry rappin' as the frontman of the Chili Peppers." I hope I didn't piss anybody off, especially not Mr. Chuck Berry.  Genre's are tough, but I think I am a modern blues artist with R&B tinges.

What is you musical intention? What are you trying to express or get your audience to feel?


That's a hard question, which I don't know if I can even answer.  I will think about it though.



In songwriting, how do you bring the song together? What do you look for in terms of complexity? Simplicity? Time changes?


We really strive to be simple, which is reflected by our live setup, bass drums and guitar.  I think there's a lot to be said for grittiness and raw emotion, and for me, that works just fine. I also don't ever wanna take myself too seriously, and try to include funny stories or witty thoughts that detract from people taking my music too seriously.  Music for me is cathartic, and should be a release, anything too complex and demanding would take away from that aspect.



The business of music is a brutal place. Changes in technology have made it easier than ever for bands to get their music out, but harder than ever to make a living? What are your plans to move the band forward? How do you stay motivated in this brutal business?

Our plan is to continue making songs we love, and to get them to our fans as quick as possible.  We are planning on releasing an album a year  for as long as we can keep it up.  I have also just started a videoblog that will hopefully let folks know what we're up to, as well as give them a taste of some of the new tunes coming their way, like a sneak peek.


Come on, share with us a couple of your great, Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?

My favorite story about rock and roll happened when I was just starting out.  At that time, my band had a horrible name, we thought it was clever, but people thought it sounded like "three, four eights" or "deformed face" or "tree stormed gates" (the name was really "Three Formed Fates," so you can see how easy it was for folks to mess it up...)  We were young and somewhat naive, when we were put in contact with a dude whose name shall remain unmentioned, although it was a name like "Buddy Mann."  He managed a bunch of bands that played around the area, cover bands to be more precise, and he immediately loved our music and wanted to use us as the rhythm section for another band he was forming, and we would get a set whenever this larger band performed.  This guy was a proven entity and had made every band he touched a success, partly because the names he chose were cool, that and he hand-picked the musicians and whatnot.  Needless to say he hated the name we had at the time, and wanted to give us a new one.  Naturally, I was really stoked and thought he would come up with the coolest thing I had ever heard...I did mention previously that I was naive.  He sat back after one meeting we had with him (he actually invested a lot of time and effort with us, recording a demo and having photos taken and the whole nine yards) and I'll never forget how earnest he was when he informed us that he'd come up with a brilliant name for the group... "Slow Butta." First of all, I didn't know butter had any speed to it, let alone slow, and secondly, I was pretty sure he had lost his mind.  I am not exaggerating when I say that I feel somehow dirty hearing the name even today.  It was at this point that I knew we were better off pursuing our own course...then again, who knows, "Slow Butta" could be the next big thing.

 What makes a great song?

Songs that are true, or convey a truth that someone has felt or known.  I don't go for contrived things, especially not in the artistic realm.


Tell us about the first song you ever wrote?

It's called "The Girlfriend Song" and I have promised a friend that we will redo it for the next album.  It tells the story about my girlfriend at the time breaking my heart, my pride, and my balls to be completely honest.  Now that I think of it, it is probably one of the truer things I have ever written.


What piece of your music are particularly proud of?

I really like the "Sing-along Jawn" off our debut CD "Lunchdate."  I love the guitar solo, not because it is intricate, but because it is gritty and nasty.  Overall, i think that song captures what we are about.  It gets the crowd participating, it has some whimsical ideas in it, and it allows us to cut loose.



Who today, writes great songs? Why?

The Avett Brothers, The Hold Steady, Alexi Murdoch and Citizen Cope are just a few of the albums sitting on my desk right now.  I think they all write some pretty awesome songs.  Funny thing is, I am never sure what their songs are actually about, but it doesn't matter since they convey a truth to me that I cherish, and play over and over again.


Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?

CD I think.  I was always too scared to rummage through my brother's vinyl collection (he's got some amazing ones) and it steered me to CD's.  I remember listening to Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever album on my first CD player.  On that album, he stops in the middle and says something to the effect that "We're gonna take a short pause while our vinyl and tape listeners switch sides."  I just always thought that was cool.  I also think having stacks and stacks of CD's around my house is awesome, and Spoon said it the best in the liner notes of their most recent platter, "Buying records in record stores is cool."



We, at the Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. When we come to your town, what's the best record store to lose ourselves in?

Main Street Music in Manayunk, PA. (Philadelphia)



Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our readers, the waveriders?

I just would like to encourage people to support music whenever they can.  It means the world to the musicians, and that's not an overstatement.

www.myspace.com/jasonagermusic

Another Tsumani of D.I.Y. Ripple Bursts – Featuring Jason Ager & The C.O.P.O., Obsidian, Brady Harris, Alejandra O’Leary, and Behind the Sun

Without a doubt, one of my favorite columns to write is the D.I.Y. Ethic missives.  We at the Ripple, just can’t tip our hats high enough to salute all the D.I.Y. musicians who strive against spellbinding odds to pursue their music.  Much respect.  So today, we’re gonna run through five stellar D.I.Y. projects that are truly head and shoulders above the pack.  Pay them some attention.




Jason Ager & The C.O.P.O – Lunchdate

First up on our rundown is this downright funky, delightfully bluesy, deliberately rocking platter from street funkmeister Jason Ager and his C.O.P.O.  Now, I don’t know what C.O.P.O. stands for, but it’s filled out by Austin O’Connor jazzing out on the bottom end and Sheri Gallagher keeping the whole shebang moving on time.  A while back, Pope and I professed our love of gritty, funky street blues bands such as Fun Lovin’ Criminals and G. Love and the Special Sauce.  Now add Jason Ager to that list.  Blessed with a voice that just oozes soul the way BP oozes oil, Jason takes his time moving through this juicy set of hip and cool steamers.  “Jocelyn” puts it all right on display.  Jason’s voice is rough and gruff, languid, unhurried as he digs deep into his vocal chords.  Best of all, despite the song moving at a nice clip, Jason takes his time with this burner, letting it ebb and flow, grow and recede.  Great guitar, deep funky bass, Sheri hitting everything within arms reach.  It’s all good.  Fans of G. Love must take note of this one.  “Sing-Along Jawn,” brings in some tasty, underground club jazz bass to kick us off, dropping into a stuttering funky treat.  “Blue Kathleen,” is about as funky as white folk can get.  “Rock Star,” is a loose-strung bout of down-home, barbecued funk, while “Strawberry Wine,” has just got to be the feel-good hit of the summer.  Give me a picnic, a soft blanket, a warm breeze blowing through the leaves of a dangling weeping willow, and my wife and we got us a day of summer perfection. 

A dynamite debut, and perfect for these hot summer days.  Black tank top not included.

buy here: Lunchdate



Obsidian – Dreamcatcher

Alternating between beautifully melodic and punishingly heavy as fuck, Obsidian just may well be the most complete, ready for the big-time pop-metal outfit I’ve ever heard.  I mean, make a checklist of what it takes to have a destroyer of a band, one that could go toe-to-toe with the heavyweights at Ozzfest--or Crue’s fest or whatever fest—and you’ll spend all day just checking those qualities off the machine that is Obsidian.  Stellar guitar work, massive bass-heavy production, crushing riffs, dead-on melodies, and a singer who can belt it out with the best of em – gruff enough to please me, but not so much to turn off the casual fan.  No two ways about it, Obsidian got it all and their debut album, Dreamcatcher is the proof.  “Whispers,” just breathes metal power with a dead-hook of a chorus.  “Sounds of Silence,” is a terror, starting off with a muted guitar a la Creed (back when they were still cool).  The muscle kicks in about 30 seconds in with another damn-winner of a melody, chugging guitars and a chorus that will drill its way into your head.  There’s late 80’s metal here, 90’s nu crunch, and more.  “How About the Truth,” is a metal power ballad that’s actually worth hearing while “c.k.t.c.” just terrorizes.  Personally, I prefer the balls out metal cuts more than the mid-tempo, slower songs but both types demonstrate the craft these guys bring to the table.

I’m not making any predictions here, I’m just telling the truth.  You will be hearing tons more from these guys in the future.  They will rule.  Nothing will stop them.

buy here: Dreamcatcher [Explicit]


Brady Harris – Cover Charge


There’s two lines of thought on a cover album.  One says you play it straight; that the greatest feat is to really play like the band being covered.  The other goes the exact opposite way.  Re-interpret the song in as radical a style as you can.  Run it through your own musical blender, pour out the contents across your stylings, and see how it tastes.  Personally, I prefer, the later.  There’s nothing as much fun as hearing a song you know and love, totally re-imagined in bold and startling ways.    That’s what Brady Harris does.

A low-key, rootsy singer/songwriter from Texas, on Cover Charge Brady takes some of the most unexpected songs you can imagine a cowboy songsmith to be singing and turns them into startlingly new pieces of music.  Versions no person could resist.

So what am I talking about?  How about a warm and languid version of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” sung perfectly straight without any Weird Al irrelevance.  It’s a fantastic, absolutely addictive version.  As is his slide-guitar, lazy version of Duran Duran’s “Rio.”  Under Brady’s vision, The Clash’s “Spanish Bombs,” takes on a full, over-the-hills country charm,   But nothing can ever be as just flat out perfect as his low-toned, deep acoustic and slide guitar version of Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades.”  I played this one for Pope and he was stunned by the brilliance in this interpretation of the track.  The true strength of Lemmy's song writing becomes oh, so apparent.  Truly, a cover masterpiece.

buy here: Cover Charge

 Alejandra O’Leary – Nothing Out Loud

We get tons of submissions from singer/songwriters coming into the Ripple and to be honest, it gets hard to tell them all apart.  Somehow they all seem to fall into this vague morass of love lost, acoustic ballading that becomes a little mind-numbing.  Not Alejandra O’Leary.

The very first time I heard Alejandra sing, I fell in love with her voice.  Coquettish, mildly childish, kinda like Jewel, but a Jewel that doesn’t get annoying and grate on my nerves.  In fact, the more I listen to Alejandra, the warmer and more inviting her voice becomes.  And that’s important, because Alejandra’s voice is clearly the main instrument here.  That’s not to say the album is spartan.  Au contraire!  Each song is filled out with a robust arrangement, bringing in different and sometimes unsuspecting textures to play against the guitars.  And let me tell you, Alejandra can write a song.   The fact that “Ever After,” isn’t already dominating the radio is a crime against musical common sense.  Place whatever name you want here -- Sheryl Crow, Jewel, Natalie Imbruglia – and Alejandra will stand tall.  “Love I Been In,” is a gorgeous, multi-melodic piece of pure pop perfection.  Don’t know how Jack Johnson can sell a single album while people don’t know this song.  “Tremor,” may be my favorite song on the album, employing keyboards along with the bass to bring in a delicious, ambient, downtempo vibe while still maintaining all her pop smarts.  Radio? You bet.  I’m gonna make it my own personal mission to get this song heard.  Ripple Radio to start.  The world to follow.  I’ve fallen in love and I’ve fallen hard.

Buy here: www.myspace.com/alejandraoleary



Behind the Sun -  S/T

Israel’s vast Negev desert may not be a place you think of as the rock capital of the world, but Behind the Sun are doing their damndest to change all that.  Playing a sort of post-grunge, quasi-progressive brand of desert metal, Behind the Sun have all the pieces to put the Negev desert onto the rock and roll map.

Beginning with a simply goreous, decidedly desert-feeling, acoustic passage, “Second December,” brings everything Behind the Sun have right to the table.  Post-Alice in Chains melodies and crashing guitars.  A powerful post-Tool groove and charge and some serious riffing.  Complex yet simple, this song is just beautifully crafted and played.  Listen to the guitar flourishes throughout the chorus.  There’s something very different there, something that I can only define as Israeli Desert Metal.  Warm and textured.  “Wishful Thinking,” plays more towards the bands jazz/prog tendencies in a King Crimson sort of way without ever losing itself up it’s own ass.  “Nothing But a Stain,” is a post-Pearl Jam ballad of uncommon power.  “Running Water,” is pure on jazz-inflected, jam band nirvana of the sort that the Renegade Saints would drool over.   The acoustic guitar work throughout the whole album is mind-bending. 

So much to love here.

buy here: Behind the Sun

--Racer