Ripple Road Trip: Drivin' N' Cryin' Live At 3rd And Lindsley, Nashville TN 123012

How much more appropriate can it be to end the year to finally getting to see a band I have followed since 1991? Got hooked on Drivin' N' Cryin' the year Fly Me Courageous was released but for whatever reasons I never got around to catch them live until now. Better late then never huh...yes indeed because this was a magic night!

At 9pm sharp the band casually walks out on stage, plugs in their instruments and kick things into gear with a short instrumental piece. It's followed by the beautiful Honeysuckle Blue and this long-time favourite of mine sets the standard throughout the rest of the night. Whether the band goes all out rocking or seduces the crowd with slower more mellow songs they can't do wrong at all.
Hot Wheels from their current EP Songs About Cars, Space And The Ramones is next and apart from getting the crowd rocking what stands out the most to me is guitarist Sadler Vaden. He is extremely versatile and plays a blistering solo on this great song. Not only that, during the entire set whether he is playing lead, rhythm, slide or solo guitar he does it with such ease and elegance. It looks so effortlessly and easy but he is doing some very intricate things. What an addition for the band!

Another old favourite is then aired, With The People, and it's still a very current song speaking about the people having to rise and stand against the injustices made towards them. Positive change won't happen until then and that's where we are right now more than ever.

Drivin' N' Cryin' are in the midst of promoting two EPs released in 2012, Songs From The Laundromat and the aforementioned Songs About Cars, Space And The Ramones. They are parts 1 & 2 in a series of four to be released within 12 months, where part 3 is due in March 2013 and REM from Songs From The Laundromat follows With The People. It's a mid-tempo song with really nice vocal harmonies and it's a cool tribute to fellow Georgians R.E.M.

Further on Cheetah Chrome of The Dead Boys joins the band on stage for Out Here In The Middle Of Nowhere, a song from Songs About Cars, Space And The Ramones that he actual recorded with them. Fast and furious in true punk spirit it's over in about 2 minutes but man it rocks...awesome indeed!

After 27 years in the business Drivin' N' Cryin' know how to work a crowd. They know how to mix old songs with new to keep it interesting and they do it with such ease. Many a times bands barely play new songs when promoting their current album, Drivin' N' Cryin' on the other hand played 5-6 out of a total 11 on the 2 new EPs and that's great and how it should be. You couldn't really ask for more. However the icing on the cake for me occurs when they launch into Fly Me Courageous, the song that introduced me to these Georgians. It simply doesn't get any better than this!

The first hour of the show was recorded for a local radio station but as soon as that is over the band has everyone singing along in Straight To Hell. It's one of their most popular songs if you ask me and the crowd just loved it.

Cheetah Chrome returns to the stage and they go all out punk playing The Dead Boys' song Sonic Reducer. Actually from the moment the radio recording was over the band got rowdier, in every good sense of the word, with Kevn Kinney climbing speaker stacks and jumping from them! The frontman and founder of the band should consider a side career as a stand-up comedian. Because apart from being a great singer and guitarist he is extremely funny and really makes the crowd feel relaxed and at home. His interaction with co-founder and bass player Tim Nielsen is bar to none and their drive to keep Drivin' N' Cryin' rolling and still current is so visible on stage.

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and what an end it was. They launched into a Kevn solo song, Blues On Top Of Blues and are joined by guitarist Audley Freed. This guy has played with Cry Of Love, Black Crowes, Jimmy Page, Dixie Chicks amongst many others and what a fantastic string slinger he is. The band were on fire jamming real good with Vaden and Freed trading solos back and forth. Amazing!

Kevn and Tim has assembled a great band around them and I can only hope this line-up stays intact because they have something going on here. Drummer Dave V. Johnson is solid and versatile and alert to any changes/jams going on and never miss anything. And I have already spoken about new guitarist Sadler Vaden and all I can add to that is....check him out!

All in all this was a great show and subsequently a great night. I couldn't have asked for a better occasion to see Drivin' N' Cryin' for the first time and my affection for the band from listening to them all these years increased a thousandfold.

Swedebeast

Ripple Top Albums of 2012

 Racer's Top 10 of 2012 (in no particular order

The Cult - Choice of Weapon
Black Bombaim - Titans
Doctor Cyclops - Borgofondo
Orange Goblin – A Eulogy For The Damned
Baroness -  Yellow and Green
Orcus Chylde - S/T
Blood Of The Sun - Burning On The Wings Of Desire
Arkona - Slovo
Heidelvolk - Batavi
Lonely Kamel - Dust Devil


Pope's Top 10 of 2012

1.     Alcest - Les Voyages de l'Âme
Post-black metal with a poppy sensibility and charm, it’s almost toe tapping in its accessibility while remaining rooted in all that is dark and gloomy. More reminiscent to the first Les Discrets album than the follow up.

2.     Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pandora's Piñata
A hodge-podge of musical styles on full display, filled with grooving dance numbers, ultra-heavy operatic metal, and propelled into the cerebral cortex by the most violent drumming of 2012.

3.     Hypno5e – Acid Mist Tomorrow
The long-awaited follow up to the epic debut album, Des Deux L’une Est L’Autre,this French art-metal quartet brought the goods, combining the heaviest off-time metal heard since Gojira, yet extremely accessible and packed with memorable melodies.

4.     Katatonia – Dead End Kings
They could release a platter of shit and it would probably still sound good. Thankfully, Dead End Kings is a return to the form that intrigued me enough to investigate this band back on Viva Emptiness. Gothically dark, haunting and moodier than a gynecologists waiting room, and perfect in every way.

5.     Les Discrets – Ariettes Oubilees

6.     Moonspell – Apha Noir/Omega White
Dark and dastardly, these Portuguese metal mainstays return to the fray with a haunting and demonically heavy epic double LP set.

7.     Mos Generator – Nomads
A triumphant return to the fold, this Port Orchard trio delivered the goods when everyone seemed to forget they ever existed. Soul searching song craft is on full display in this 40 minute gem!

8.     Om - Advaitic Songs
Mesmerizing. Like walking through the Sahara desert with Farflung as your tour guide. Ripe with Middle Eastern tones and themes, yet heavy and accessible at the same time. A complex listen, but one of the most satisfying.

9.     Secrets of the Moon – Seven Bells
Never has evil sounded more brutally beautiful. The bands most focused release to date, clear and concise, the let us know the end is near.

10.  Wo Fat – The Black Code
Dallas, Texas trio has redefined the meaning of HEAVY with this five song marathon of blues-based doom-tinged rawk.

11.  Year of the Goat – Angels’ Necropolis
I fell in love with their 4 song EP from a couple of years ago and to have this drop at the end of 2012 tells me that someone, indeed, loves me. High quality musicianship and song craft, lyrically dark, dripping with images of séances and the Dark One, yet musically accessible enough to bop your head to.


Honorable mention:

Doctor Cyclops - Borgofondo
Dordeduh – Dar De Duh
Blood of the Sun – Burning on the Wings of Desire
Syven - Aikaintait
Xandria – Neverworld’s End
Corrosion of Conformity – S/T



 Woody's Top 10 of 2012. (Very glad this year is over, been a rough one.)

Chips & Beer #3 (magazine)
Corrosion of Conformity - Corrosion of Conformity
Cortez - Cortez
Federale - Not Your Vessel
Groan - The Divine Right of Kings
Mos Generator - Nomads
Dee Snider - Shut Up and Give Me the Mic (book)
Superchrist - Holy Shit
Ufomammut - ORO: Opus Alter
Voi Vod - To The Death



 Horn's Top 10 of 2012


10    Ufomammut, Oro: Opus Alter
9      Nachtmystium, Silencing Machine
8      Serpentine Path, Serpentine Path
7      The Sword, Apocryphon
6      Saint Vitus, Lillie:  F-65
5      Sylosis, Monolith
4      Windhand, Windhand
3      Pig Destroyer, Book Burner
2      Witchcraft, Legend
1      Cattle Decapitation, Monolith of Inhumanity


Ollie's Top 10 of 2012

Wow, Top 10…no easy task by any means…especially as I got it down to around 14 or 15 and should all be in my top 10. I couldn’t really out them in a particular order so the running is purely arbitrary. If I overthink this it could all change so I went with gut instinct!!!


1)       Mos Generator – Nomads
2)       Lord Fowl – Moon Queen
3)       Orange Goblin – A Eulogy For The Damned
4)       Doctor Cyclops – Borgofondo
5)       Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell – Don’t Fear It…Hear It
6)       C.O.C – C.O.C
7)       Imperial State Electric – Pop War
8)       Stone Axe – Captured Live! Roadburn Festival
9)       Alunah – White Hoarhound
10)    Turbonegro – Sexual Harassment


I have to give honourable mentions also to:


Mother Corona – Out Of The Dust
Black Magician – Nature Is The Devil’s Church
Mighty High – Legalise Tre Bags
Sun Gods In Exile – Thanks For The Silver

I could add a load more but it’d get silly!!!



Penfold's Top 10 of 2012

Top 10 of 2012 (in Alphabetical Order):

Alestorm – Back Through Time
Blackfoot Gypsies – On The Loose
District 97 – Trouble With Machines
Ebert, Matt - Hard Work
Gift of Gab – The Next Logical Progression
Random – Language Arts Vol. 1, 2, and 3
Royal Headache – Royal Headache
Sigh – In Somniphobia
Wilson, Jim – Jim Wilson
Wino & Conny Ochs – Heavy Kingdom


Honorable Mentions:

Atherton – No Threat
Brother Ali – Mourning In America And Dreaming In Color
Coup, The – Sorry To Bother You
Fiasco, Lupe – Food And Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1
Immortal Technique – The Martyr
Leiana – Lucky #3
Orange Goblin – A Eulogy For The Damned


Swedebeast's Top 10 of 2012

1. Pale Divine - Painted Windows Black
2. Magnum - On The 13th Day
3. Marillion - Sounds That Can't Be Made
4. Chowder - Passion Rift
5. King Giant - Dismal Hollow
6. Kontinuum - Earth, Blood, Magic
7. Blood Of The Sun - Burning On The Wings Of Desire
8. Killing Joke - MMXII
9. Monolithe - Monolithe III
10. Alunah - White Hoarhound



The Professor’s Top 10 of 2012

1.     Thrice- Anthology
One of the greatest bands of all time (and I’m not exaggerating) puts out their final and most epic piece of work they’ve done.  Anthology is a live album recorded along the final tour of their amazing careers.  It’s a fitting conclusion. 

2.    We’re Doomed- How to Destroy Something Beautiful
When I was given this band to review for The Ripple, I was stunned by the quality of the work here.  Moody, oppressive, gorgeous, sad, and professional, this crew has jumped up into “favorite band” category.   Just waiting on a full length release!

3.    Between the Buried and Me- The Parallax II: Future Sequence
What can you say about Between the Buried and Me that does them justice?  They are some of the greatest musicians in metal.  Hell, in any category.  They create beautiful arrangements that erupt into violent explosion. The Parallax II is far superior to its predecessor, and may be BtBaM’s finest album to date.  That’s saying a great deal.

4.    Deftones- Koi No Yokan
I’ll admit that I was ready to write off the Deftones new album when I heard the single Tempest.  I hate that song.  Still do.  However, the rest of the album is grade A Deftones.  It’s one of the most enjoyable albums of their career.  It’s nice and heavy with just a splash of moody electronica.  It’s great, and I highly recommend it. 

5.    Set it Off- Cinematics
I was stunned when I heard this excellent pop-punk-orchestra affair.  It’s straight up beautiful, with incredible lyrics that are easy to relate to.  It’s catchy as hell and well thought out.  There is a ton of energy involved with this band.  When my band, Cover of Afternoon opened for them, we learned that their live show was as intense and energetic as their album.  Easily the best live band I’ve seen this year.

6.    Wretched- Son of Perdition
If it wasn’t for Between the Buried and Me, this album would win my “Guitar Work of the Year” award..  if it mattered.  Or existed.  These boys can shred.  John Vail is a legendary guitarist, and he’s flanked by the equally talented Steven Funderburk.  Sick stuff. 

7.     Lower than Atlantis- Changing Tunes
It was hard for me to listen to Lower than Atlantis’s new album, because the previous outing World Record is listed as one of my all-time favorite spins.  This album didn’t disappoint.  While not as stellar as WR, It’s a compelling follow-up that has the gorgeous melodies surrounded by the punk guitar.  It’s a great album.

8.    Trioscapes- Separate Realities
Sexy sax jazz metal.  Need I say more?

9.    By the Bull-  Ghosts and Prophecies
An unheralded little band out of Columbia South Carolina, Nick Brewer and co. bring a certain style to their brand of rock.  Part Fall of Troy, part nothing I’ve ever heard, and all freaking fantastic.  The first four tracks of the album stand are amazing.  Especially the acoustic and piano driven The Push. It’s possibly my favorite song of the year.  Check these guys out. 

10.    Jowls- Cursed
I freaking love the aggressive explosion that is Jowls.  This album bleeds anger and is as brutal as any shred metal without being overbearing.  It’s all emotion. I absolutely loved it. 



Mr. Brownstone's Top 10 of 2012

Beach House- “Bloom”
Cat Power- “Sun”
Gotye- “Making Mirrors”
Grimes- “Visions”
Jack White- “Blunderbuss”
Kimbra- “Vows”
Lana Del Rey- “Born To Die”
Passion Pit- “Gossamer”
Sleigh Bells- “Reign of Terror”
The xx- “Coexist”


Old SchoolLists, Lists, Lists!
Racer is at it again.  He wants a Best Music of 2012 List.   A list of bests.  I'm supposed to judge what I've heard in the past year and tell you - in fact, more than tell you - persuade you that I know what's best.  Or, maybe it is so you can judge me and my musical tastes?

Racer, don't you see the whole list thing is what's wrong with the music world?  We all want to take the upper hand in the argument, be seen as the most, come out on top, and be able to look down on the competition.  But, when for the love of music did music appreciation become a contest?

I think it must be ingrained in us to contrast and compare all things and create a little hierarchy of like-kind items and then, to try to impose it on others as "truth". Sure, one apple may taste sweeter than another and be better in your apple hierarchy, but where do you place it in the context of all the fruit you ate this year?  The desire to elevate that which we prefer by subjecting others to our opinions is just misapplied Maslow to music with consequences as serious as misapplied Darwinism to social economics.  What you get when you impose your preferences on others is not what is best.  It may be the most publicized or top grossing, but it is not the "best."  What you get is stuff like "Gangham Style" and Justin Bieber, and I really don't want to go there.

Music is an experience that takes you on a journey. It is not a mineral, fruit or vegetable.  It breathes and moves, has structure and has rules that were made to be broken.  Whether it is The Ben Rice Band on Pour Me Some Whiskey taking you through a scathing slide guitar blues; Heavy Manic Souls' electrified power bluesrock on their self-titled album; Amy Hart's powerful blues-based vocals on Congratulations or Jon Herington showing his funky side on Time On My Hands - all 2012 releases - what do I add if I say they are some of the best blues rock releases of 2012?  Nothing, I add nothing, and it means nothing  unless you also listen and agree. Yet, even that does not mean any of it is "best".

How could it be? Is it even possible to compare releases by The Ben Rice Band, Heavy Manic Souls, Amy Hart and Jon Herington with alternative pop rock such as All The Right Moves'  release The Monster I've Become; Monte Pittman's step from behind Madonna's pointy bra on his album Pain, Love & Destiny'; or Bethpage Black's eclectic rocker Black Magic?  Contrast and compare.   Rule one effort best or better than another? Hardly.

You may hate pop, detest the blues, are non-plussed by alternative rock and only crave the harder stuff like Ripple Music's own Stone Axe's Stone Axe II; Mos Generator's Nomads; or Trucker Diablo's The Devil Rhythm.  So how is it possible with such disparate styles and sounds (and I haven't even mentioned classical, latin, reggae,  metal, country, symphonic, rap, hip hop, jazz, progressive, experimental, stoner, psychedelic, acoustic, emo, gypsy, or any one of a million other human categorizations of the sounds humans make that we call music) anyone can judge one better than another or ever come up with a list of the ten best efforts they heard this year?  It is an impossible, unnecessary and useless task.

The way I look at it we should not compare and contrast to determine which is better or best.  It is all music and, in my humble opinion, in it we should find harmony.  It is not to be placed in a pecking order. So, Racer, you go ahead and rank your aural journey. You won't get a 2012 top ten list from me.

Vanderbuyst - Flying Dutchmen

So, you've heard of Steel Panther by now, right? They're good, they're real good; but they're gimicky. Vanderbuyst is the real deal. These guys can crank out some serious tunes. First thing that caught my eye about the album was the cover. It's just the three band members against a white background with the band's name in rainbow covered angular font, true 80s class.

I gave it a listen, I gave it another listen, hell, I didn't stop. When I say this album is 80s to the core, I don't mean your stereotypical high pitched vocals loads of silky guitar, synthy drums and douchey (phonetically and characteristically) snare. Oh no, this is the down and dirty 80s. The kind of 80s rock you listen to when you're John Rider from "The Hitcher."

This band really has its own sound. Sometimes you'll hear some Megadeth, some power pop influences, but really, they do their own thing. The songs all pop, they stick in your head. The album's title track (kind of) "The Flying Dutchman" is a catchy catchy catcher of a catchy song. "Give Me One More Shot," is a power ballad, but it feels great to listen to and headbang with. The album's lead, "Frivolous Franny," almost has a Van Halen feel to it, almost. It's grindy and dirty and sleazy as hell. It's all just fun to listen to. Put your sunglasses on, roll your windows down, light one up and ride.

I've got it on shuffle a lot, and when it comes on I can always tell who it is, instantly. They have a sound, it's cohesive, and bitchin.

This band is the real deal, check them out. Oh look, this CD releases the day I'm writing this.

--Headshot


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vanderbuyst/100980883276480

Corey Koehler - Never too Late

Another album that I've had forever that somehow has never been reviewed.  Well, not forever, but well over a year.  Must have listened to this album 15 times.  It's one of my go-to albums for certain moods.  Something rootsy, bluesy, singer-songwriter-y.  You know, something harder than my normal Cat Stevens, but not heavy rock.  Something earthy and powerful, yet acoustic-based.  Real authentic, country-tinged rock.

Yes, Corey Koehler is my go-to guy.

In truth, I don't know much about this cat, but I remember exactly how I got ahold of this little treasure.  I was scouting out websites/blogs to send our own Ripple releases to for review and press.  I don't recall which site Corey ran, but when I wrote him, he told me he was done with the site to concentrate on his music.  One thing led to another and the album was downloaded into my iPhone.

Where it's been ever since.

Let me re-emphasize that last sentence.  At the Ripple we get hundreds, sometimes thousands of submissions each month.  My iPhone is only a 16G.  That means I regulate the music on my phone like crazy.  Nothing stays on my phone (except Ripple bands) because I have to constantly be clearing space to download the next group of albums I need to review.

But Corey Koehler has been there for over a year.  And I plan on keeping him there.

First, is Corey's voice.  Thick and earthy, rough and textured, yet still smooth and killer emotive.  It's a voice that caught me right away.  And after listening to this album, I still haven't found a good comparison voice.  Sometimes I think Darius Rucker from Hootie and the Blowfish.  Don't let that turn you off.  Whether you liked Hootie or not, Darius had one helluva voice.  And so does Corey.

Next is the tone.  With that acoustic guitar strumming away, these songs rock to a good, steady beat.  Slide guitar tones fill the spaces perfectly, adding that electric flavor over the strum of the acoustic.  The slide gives each song a country grounding, but this isn't country.  It's just solid, earthy rock.  No boring, maudlin acoustic slow jams here.  Even the ballad, "Take this Ring" keeps me mesmerized with it's steady acoustic strum and heart-felt pleadings for a lifetime of love. 

Finally, we got the songs.  "Change the World" is a steady-rocking call for action.  A fight against apathy.  "You wanna change the world, you can't stand by/And just so you know man, it starts inside."  Corey's voice simply floats through this rebel wake-up call.  I've played this cut for lots of folks, including Pope, and it's captured each of us.  A should-be hit. 

"On My Way" follows next with the acoustic picking and slide intro.  Another call for action, a step away from the complacency of getting stuck in life.  This time, more personal focused on Corey's own feelings of resurrection.  Another killer melody, and sing-along perfect, which leads right into the already mentioned "Take this Ring."  A song so sincere in its emotion, you can almost hear Corey's voice choking back the tears.  "Minnesota Got Colder," is an ode to a lost brother.  "One Step at a Time," is a character sketch like Jim Croce used to write.  In fact, "One Step," boogies along with such an easy groove, I bet Jim would be proud.

"Perfect Ten" and "All the Girls" bring us to an end with a wry smile.  In "Perfect Ten" Corey chuckles as he realizes that his search for the perfect girl is just a fantasy while in "All the Girls" Corey gives one final middle finger to all the women who've broken his heart over the years.  Both songs perfectly are perfectly crafted and cook along over the beat of Corey's strummed acoustic.  Easily, I can hear these played live on a hot summer day, on a deck over looking a lake.  Cold beer in hand.

I don't really know where Corey stands with his career or goals, but damn if he hasn't put together one of those earworm records I can't stop listening to.  Check out his website if you want to hear it or track me down.  Ask me to pull out my iPhone.  Corey Koehler will be there.

--Racer

Never To Arise – Hacked To Perfection

In my never humble opinion, one of the true joys of music is that no matter how many songs you’ve heard, no matter how many bands you’ve seen, no matter how much you think it’s all been done before, it never fails that you hear a new album or you see a new band perform live, and they grab you by the throat and don’t let go.  Sometimes it’s the energy of the performance, sometimes it’s the sheer brilliance of the songs, but whatever it is, it happens often enough that it makes you want to continue to seek out new music.  At least in my world.

So here we have Never To Arise, a new band out of Florida.  Actually a death metal duo, and man do these guys have the goods.  I received this promo, started listening to it, and within about 45 seconds had a stupid, shit eating grin on my face and involuntarily said, “Fuck Yeah!!”  This was, like, the same day that a buddy of mine had been lamenting all over Facebook about how “new” death metal bands just did not have it any more.  I immediately referred him to Never To Arise.

According to the press release accompanying the music, these guys are recommended if you like Death, Dying Fetus, Suffocation, and Malevolent Creation.  And let me be crystal clear, they do not sound like carbon copies of those bands, they have their own unique voice, but if you do like those bands just mentioned you too can have a giant shit eating grin on your face.

This is quality, well written music.  I’ve heard many death metal albums that just blend together, so you can’t tell one track from another, or for that matter, you forget what band you are listening to after about 3 tracks in.  Each track here is unique, has great parts that blend well with all the other parts, and are performed very well.   There really is nothing with this album about which I could complain.  I LOVE it!!  This is the kind of album that makes Odin’s shriveled black heart sing for joy.

They only bad thing about these digital promos is that you don’t get a lyric sheet, and I love me some death metal lyrics.  But take a gander at the song titles and I think you’ll know what to expect from this.  “The Femicidal Impulse”.  “Hyberbaric Torture Chamber”.  “Sloppy Surgery”.  “In Debasement”.  “Mutilation Supreme”.  “Bereft Of Conscience”.  “I Made Her Famous”.  (Probably my fave from this release).  “Snuff Film Superstar”.  “Devoured By Wolves”.  “Misogynistic Acts Of Barbaric Sadism”.  And a comment on this last track.  A death metal track that goes almost 9 minutes is usually, quite honestly, a train wreck.  But not in the hands of these lads.  Again, a very well written and performed song that doesn’t seem like it lasts 9 minutes, which is a sure sign that they did something right with it.

In case you hadn’t noticed, I cannot say enough good things about this release.  I really dig it and you should really make every attempt to get it in your sweaty, metal hands.  Bands don’t always make death metal records like this anymore, but if your tastes run to the old school and well written songs, check this one out.  Your ears will thank you, your brain will thank you, and your faith in death metal will be restored.

 - ODIN

Ojos De Brujo - Techarí

There I was - an American in Barcelona in the late 1970’s.  I paid for a small habitación off Las Ramblas.  The city was, and is, a dizzyingly strange merger of cultures.  The Romans conquered it and it is said to have been settled by the crew of one of the nine ships of Hercules and Jason and the Argonauts when they shipwrecked in search of the Golden Fleece.   The City has been run by the Christians, overrun by the Visigoths, conquered by the Muslim Moors, and tended by the French.  All that cultural clash has led to an interesting eclecticism in the architecture (just look at the Gaudi Cathedral) and in the City’s population.  Modern influences, Western European and American influences, mix with the old. 

As I walked up Las Ramblas  I was surrounded by birds in bird cages, vendors, artists, musicians, singers, acrobats and dancers, all performing simultaneously, The influences changed as I walked.  It was like the Doppler Effect of ambient sound - changing volume, timbre, tempo, style and pattern every few steps with a merger of two in the space between.  I wondered whether these amazing and seemingly disparate influences I heard - flamenco, pop, jazz, rock, gypsy, middle eastern and classical - could ever be melded together by a band of musicians to capture the feel of a modern Barcelona.

I finally found that band in Ojos De Brujo, which in English means “Eyes Of The Sorcerer.”  The band now has several albums under its belt and is marketed in North America by Six Degree Records located in San Francisco, CA.  My first experience with Ojos De Brujo was their 2006 release entitled Techarí.  It consists of a CD with fourteen tracks (all en español) and a CD-ROM of four videos, photos of the making of the album, lyric translations in 15 languages and a booklet pdf of album illustrations.

Band vocalist Marina “la Canillas” Abad has a fascinating voice that ably handles an incredible variety of musical styles - sometimes within the same song.  Maxwell Wright handles male vocal duties and plays some percussion. Panko (yes, that is his full name) plays keyboards but also scratches like a NYC Club DJ at 1a.m. on a Saturday morning.  Ramon Gimenez and Paco Lomena are flamenco guitar masters.  Javi Martin plays bass.  Xavi Turull pounds on the cajón, tabla, congas and percussion. and Sergio Ramos assists on the cajón and plays drums.

It is incredibly difficult to characterize the sound of Ojos De Brujo.  It is crisp, clean, clear - an amalgam of influences and flamenco-tinged.  It all comes together to form a fascinating and entirely enjoyable aural experience. - much like the band’s hometown of Barcelona.  There are pop, jazz, rock, hip-hop, gypsy, middle eastern and classical influences, yet the music is thoroughly modern. 

Really, though, back in 1978 I did wonder whether such a mixture of cultural musical aesthetics could ever amalgamate and synthesize.  I realized that someday they would when I walked in and sat down at a table in a small steak restaurant/bar near the Barcelona bullring.  Along with the torero clothing, bull horns, capes, hats, swords, picas and other bullfighting memorabilia that covered the walls, was a small television.  The bar patrons’ eyes were transfixed on the TV.  As I looked up I heard, “Mamacita!, Mamacita!” and saw on the screen a small girl running across a field to Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon.   A man’s voice melodically intoned over the scene.  “La casa de la pradera” - Little House On The Prairie.  Fusion had already started.

- Old School



 

The Naked and Famous - Passive Me Aggresive You

Never believe the hype unless you’re a sucker. Hype only exists for bands that are merely trendy and not necessarily talented.  They are a band of the moment and nothing else. Luckily for us, one highly publicized band doesn’t fall into that category. They are the hottest band to emerge from New Zealand since Flight of the Conchords (Okay, they are a comedy duo, but music is a huge part of their act so cut me some slack, gosh). After releasing two EPs, This Machine and No Light, The Naked and Famous released their debut album Passive Me, Aggressive You.

Even though some of their songs are extremely popular and have been featured on hit shows like The Vampire Diaries and Chuck, not too many people actually know the name The Naked and Famous. Besides possessing a cool creative name, this awesome alternative band boasts an impressive lineup dedicated to creating compelling catchy tunes. The Naked and Famous are absolutely addicting and are similar to bands like Cults, Foster the People, Grouplove, Joy Formidable, Passion Pit, Phantogram, Too Door Cinema Club, The Vaccines, and Young the Giant.

Recently, the band won several New Zealand Music Awards including Best Group, Single of the Year and Breakthrough Artist while their album Passive Me, Aggressive You won Album of the Year and Best Alternative Album. Needless to say, if that’s not worthy of your attention than you’re really missing out.

The Naked and Famous are comprised of Aaron Short (electronics), Alisa Xayalith (vocals and keyboards), David Beadle (bass), Jesse Wood (drums) and Thom Powers (vocals and guitars). Scattered throughout Passive Me, Aggressive You there are various genres represented with dance punk, shoegaze, sythnpop, pure psychedelic and alternative all making an appearance on this indie rock album. The variety of music styles featured on Passive Me, Aggressive You showcase the immense talent by this unique group.

Passive Me, Aggressive You kicks off with “All of This.” The dual vocals accompanied by the infectious drum beats are more than enough to ignite this delightful debut. The third single and second track, “Punching In A Dream” oozes dream pop with the sweet, sensual voice of Alisa Xayalith and really reminds me of MGMT. Cute, catchy lyrics set against a romantic background make this song a must listen.

The mentally anguished “Frayed” is followed up by the equally creepy and paranoid “The Sun,” which sounds similar to The xx rather than a synthpop band. However, the 80s synthpop sound comes back with the retro sounding “Eyes.”

Once “Young Blood” starts playing, the album truly hits its stride. “Young Blood” is the perfect electropop track and immediately grabs your attention. In the vein of MGMT, this uplifting magnificent and mesmerizing song captivates you from beginning to end. Xayalith’s surreal, sensual voice intensifies with each lyric only to create unforgettable vocals showcased on this song. Even casual music listeners can testify to its catchiness. Before writing this review I have listened to “Young Blood” approximately 25 times and it becomes better with each subsequent listen.

The mellower “No Way” is a 5 ½ minute sublime shoegaze song stuck between the electropop “Young Blood” and the feedback-filled “Spank.” Each of these distinct songs contains something unique that transcends genres in this mind-numbing alternative album. For example, “Spank” describes a pandemic and even possible a zombie infestation amongst other songs that could have been featured in a John Hughes movie or even heard on a 80s film soundtrack.

“Jilted Lovers” features psychotic feelings “I'm not hearing/Any other way/Shut my eyes/Head rests on my hands,” yet remains remarkable with a dazzling mix of manufactured music. The static noise somehow enhances this eerie experience. “A Wolf In Geek’s Clothing” starts off sounding like Guns N’ Roses’ “Shackler’s Revenge,” but evolves into a dreamy drum-machine, electronic and static mashup sung as a duet by Alisa Xayalith and Thom Powers. “The Ends” acts as a precursor and even uses the lyrical refrain “It's all about to end at last,” throughout as a signifier, but to be honest, I don’t want this amazing album to end.

The low key vocals of Thom Powers with a steady dubstep and post punk bassline, fuzzy background noise and the backing vocals of Xayalith is a fitting end to finish with “Girls Like You.” Needless to say if you are interested in a band that could be part Ting Tings, Sleigh Bells, Coldplay, Crowded House, MGMT and remain completely original than The Naked and Famous is an indie rock band you should know and love.

--Mr. Brownstone

Stanley Turrentine - Up at Minton's

 
 
Unlike most classic/ famous tenor sax players, I have over a dozen "setups," or mouthpiece and reed combinations; my mood changes so much, and so often (family history of mood disorders, you see) that I have a ton of different sounds I want to emulate at any given time; no one sound, is enough in and of itself.

I play tenor sax the most often (of the saxes, I mean) because to me it's the most expressive of the woodwinds; you can sound like an alto, a bari, or even a soprano if the mood strikes you; I would argue that this is not true with any of the other "primary" saxes.

Stanley Turrentine used a metal Otto Link mouthpiece (of which I have several-- you can see one in the above album cover), with a tight facing and a relatively-flexible reed; when I put a Rico 3 (soft), (or a D.C. Alexander Superial 3) on a New York Otto Link 5 (a facing  considered so narrow nowadays that I had to request it from a guy --arguably a "weirdo"-- in Texas), if I really wanna, I can sound something like an imitation of Mr. Turrentine-- who was not the most original of players, but I would say, one of the most placid and congenial: he knew what he wanted to play, and he did: easily, without any overt attempt to change the jazz world-- he was just playin,' baby.

Up at Minton's (1961) is Turrentine playing as a pretty young man (compared to, say, Turrentine favorites like Prayer Meetin' or Let It Go*).

It's a rough recording: table chatter, background noise, etc.-- i.e., it's great, daddy-O: just what they played... just how they played it....

"Later at Minton's" is the one of the most played songs on my iTunes (because it's in tenor F and is a long, great, easy, greasy blues), but still....

Opener "Broadway" bops along, as does "But Not For Me," "Stanley's Time" is a classic, as is "Yesterdays," or "Come Rain or Come Shine."

Just enjoy baby, this late- late-night live record.

--Horn

*Which BTW has a great album cover. I actually did publicity stills for a jazz album a few years ago, and gave the photographer this cover as a ideal visual template.

UFO - The Visitor

Anyone who has ever loved the sound of a crushing electric riff, a perfect melody, a rousing chorus, rough-hewn, soulful vocals, or a guitar solo so freaking fast and dynamic that it makes your eyeballs water, needs no introduction to UFO. After 40 years in the business, these crazy brits have earned their place in the honored halls of rock and roll, both for their music and their mad antics. So let's cut to the chase shall we.

The Visitor is, without a doubt, the best UFO album since the band reformed with Vinnie Moore for You Are Here, which was the best UFO album since the short-lived Schenker reunion Walk On Water, which in turn was the best UFO album since the vastly under-rated Paul "Tonka" Chapman days. You want it shorter than that? The Visitor is one great rock and roll record, and it deserves to climb right up there near the top of UFO's vast cannon of great albums. No matter how you cut it, this is the comeback, classic rock album of year.

Yep, that's saying something.

I've read in a few sites about the staggering return of "Black Sabbath," with the new Heaven and Hell album, sounding old and tired, berefit of ideas or enough muscle to power the chops they did muster. There's none of that here. Reinvigorated since the joining of Moore, UFO sound positively re-energized here, like they've somehow unlocked the code and opened the fricking rock-and-roll fountain of youth. Bustling with energy, punch, and verve. Ready to rock the shit outta you or kick your face in. You choose which.

The jump in adrenaline is evident from the very first track. "Saving Me," kicks off with some beautifully played, loose-strung swampy blues acoustic guitar, mining the same bluesy rock vibe that UFO have explored so successfully in the past on songs like "Train Train," or more recently on both of the Mogg/Way albums. Think of this song following in the same vein, and from there I promise you, I will make no more references to UFO songs of the past. It's the easiest thing to do, refer back to some song on Lights Out or Obsession for reference, but the truth is, this album is so strong it should be the point of reference for future albums. Mogg's voice layers on top of the guitar at around the 30 second mark, sounding more textured, more soulful, more plaintive than in recent memory, and when the band kicks in about one minute in. . . there's hell to pay. This is full-on charging UFO, crushing riffs held together tightly by an instantly catchy melody, all leading up to that chorus that will just lift you right outta your chair and in this case, thank God for salvation.

Moore's guitar work is dead on, instantly making you forget old "what's-his-name" who used to supply the guitar chops. Moore is a shredder in the best sense of the word, and most importantly, fully adept at melody. When he wants to bust out, he can wail into a jaw dropping solo, notes flying faster than spit flying from an auction barker's mouth. Then he can drop into a perfect acoustic passage, shoot off some harmonics or crush your cerebellum with the strength of his riffs. Moore's tone isn't so much reminiscent of Schenker as it is more indicative of the classic UFO sound, and yes, the band has been around long enough to declare that they have a sound all their own. God bless em.

UFO without Schenker was always a dicey affair (except for the previously mentioned Chapman years) because Mogg needs that guitar energy to set his songs ablaze. At the same time, Schenker showed us with his solo career that he needed Mogg's sense of craft and melody to create a memorable tune. It was that combative chemistry that always fueled the band's best work, and with Moore in place, Mogg seems once and for all to have found that perfect foil. Power and melody. Sizzling chops and structure. Perfect. Absolutely fucking perfect.

"On the Waterfront," cruises out with a mid-tempo modified blues riff with a mid-section and chorus of shear perfection. Easily on par with the best of their melodic material. Then, lest you think the boys are getting soft in their later years, "Hell Driver," tears out as fierce and mean as they've been in years. Play this one live and it woulda fit comfortably on their classic Strangers in the Night. Mogg sounds great, reminding us once and for all that he's always been one of rock's most unheralded vocalists. Moore's tone is dead-on, and I'll tell you, the return of "no neck" Andy Parker on the drums seems to be the final ingredient necessary to drive these chaps over the top. The only ingredient missing was the presence of legendary bass player, Pete Way, who had to miss the recording as he's battling liver disease. Pete, our prayers are with you, brother!

"Stop Breaking Down," follows next, absolutely classic UFO. Big chords start it off amongst the pounding of Parker's drums, slight technical flourishes embellishing the end, then the whole thing explodes into a melodic guitar solo intro that could make a grown man cry. Paul Raymond's work, always the glue that held the band together, fills in here, leading the track into perfect hard rock territory. Melodic rock for the ages, by one of the bands to first create the genre. Power and beauty all wrapped up into one track. A future classic UFO song, one that our children will one day ask us if we remember it when it first came out. "Rock Ready," jumps right back into the Mississippi swamp, while "Living Proof," nails a down-and-dirty mutated, menacing blues number. Another standout track, Mogg sounds positively charged here.

And the album continues from there all the way to "Stranger in Town," a terrorizer of a closer, sounding mean and pissed and ready to knock your teeth in. Moore comes up with a closed-fist attack of a riff, the band is tight as the glue holding Donald Trumps toupee in place, and Mogg proves once and for all that he's lost none of his fight or passion. Another brand new, fresh burst of classic UFO. Building upon their past, not revisiting it.

For all those naysayers out there who claim that UFO haven't unleashed a great album since Walk On Water, open your ears. There's some serious rock and roll happening on the UFO mothership, and fortunately for us, the boys are bringing it right on down to this planet.

Misty green and blue forever.

--Racer

Buy here: The Visitor


More good new. UFO are going to tour supporting the new album, and I'll be there. Just check out the dates below. If you want to find me, I'll be the one pressed up against the stage at the Independent in San Francisco, begging for a chance to go back and interview the band for a Ripple feature. If you are a fan of the classic UFO, or just a fan of dynamite hard rock, you won't want to miss this one either. I'll see you there.

UFO Tour Dates:

10/02/2009 Jaxx - Springfield, VA
10/03/2009 Tangiers - Akron, OH
10/07/2009 The Rex - Pittsburgh, PA
10/08/2009 The Chance - Poughkeepsie, NY
10/09/2009 Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ
10/10/2009 BB Kings - New York, NY
10/15/2009 Ameristar Casino - St. Charles, MO
10/16/2009 House Of Blues - Chicago, IL
10/17/2009 Medina Ballroom - Hamel, MN
10/21/2009 The Catalyst - Santa Cruz, CA
10/22/2009 The Brixton - Redondo Beach, CA
10/23/2009 The Coach House - San Juan Capistrano, CA
10/24/2009 Boulder Station Casino - Las Vegas, NV

10/25/2009 Majestic Ventura Theater - Ventura, CA
10/27/2009 Key Club - West Hollywood, CA
10/28/2009 The Fat Cat - Modesto, CA
10/29/2009 Aladdin Theatre - Portland, OR
10/30/2009 Neumos - Seattle, WA

11/01/2009 The Independent - San Francisco, CA

Legendary Acid Rockers, JPT Scare Band, Drop Hard Rocking New Single and Video “Long Day” to Celebrate National 420 Day. Exclusive World Premiere on The Obelisk

After more than 3 solid months of Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden, holding down a top 5 spot in CD Baby.com’s Extended Jam Category, legendary acid rockers, JPT Scare Band come roaring back with a blitzing assault on their newest single, “Long Day.”  Featuring the sizzling guitar work of Terry Swope, “Long Day,” tears through more than 7 minutes of searing guitar leads, massive bass riffs, and mammoth drum jamming, all in the definitive JPT Scare Band style.

To make things even more appropriate, JPT Scare Band and Ripple Music will release the single and world-premiere of the psychedelic video on April 20, 2011, National Weed Day.  The term 420 originated from a group of teenagers at San Rafael High School in California in 1971. The teens met after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke out at the Louis Pasteur statue.  Since then, the date has become legendary in the Stoner Rock community.  An ethos JPT Scare Band embraces whole heartedly.

After years of plying their frenzied, hard-rocking, acid blues trade in near obscurity, the love and accolades keep pouring in for JPT Scare Band.  Classic Rock Magazine honored JPT by including their last single “Not My Fault” on their November cover-mounted CD.   After previously naming JPT Scare Band one of the “lost pioneers of heavy metal,” Classic Rock continued the love fest proclaiming that “JPT Scare Band plied a terrifying form of ear-bludgeoning hard rock that was so far ahead of its time, people are still trying to catch up.”

The world premiere of the hard-rocking, definitively heavy psych video for “Long Day,” will make its debut April 20^th exclusively at The Obelisk, one of stoner rock’s premiere websites and the home of The Obelisk Forum, a watering hole for thousands of fans of hard, heavy, stoner and doom rock.  You can find the video here: The Obeliskhttp://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2011/04/19/jptvid/

 “Long Day” will be available as a digital single from CD Baby and all fine digital music emporiums.   Meanwhile, Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden is still available in limited quantities from Ripple Music in two-toned, gatefold, double-LP with two bonus tracks, Deluxe digipack CD, or digital at www.ripple-music.com

Go here to check out the world premiere video.

Ted Nugent – s/t 1975

1975 was a weird year for rock. There were new releases from behemoths like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd but overall things were getting a little soft. People were mellowing out and wearing a lot of brown corduroy. But not Ted Nugent. In 1975 he decided to put The Amboy Dukes to rest, pull up a loincloth and unleashed his self titled debut album, which stands tall as his best studio album.

Side one begins with the guitargasmic classic “Stranglehold.” This song has the power to cause Elvis Costello fans to whimper in fear as soon as the needle hits the monster groove of the opening riff. “Stranglehold” is Black Sabbath heavy mixed with pure Detroit R&B and delivers the knock out punch that the MC5 were unable to fully unleash on society. An 8 minute orgy of glorious Gibson Byrdland guitar tone, Electro Harmonix bass balls, backwards cymbals and revenge lyrics, “Stranglehold” contains everything you need when you absolutely, positively need to destroy every little thing in your room. And if there’s anything left to break when it’s over, the next song “Stormtroopin’” will guarantee that you finish the job in style. Containing another killer riff (partially lifted from Wilson Pickett’s “In The Midnight Hour” and later used by Judas Priest in “Hell Bent For Leather”), “Stormtroopin’” contains some of Ted’s best playing. The break in the middle when Ted blazes over Cliff Davies very in-the-pocket drumming is pure rock & roll guitar playing at its very best.

After the onslaught of those 2 songs, the pace relaxes a little bit with “Hey Baby,” a loose boogie with powerful vocals from Derek St.Holmes. I guess a song like this was necessary so the chicks wouldn’t get too scared when you blast it in the car on the way to a keg party in the woods. But then it’s followed up with the fiendishly intense “Just What The Doctor Ordered.” There’s not much to say about this one other than it KICKS ASS!! This has always been one of my favorite songs to play when I take command of the stereo at some lame party. The opening guitar licks are a call to arms that it’s time to start rocking hard and I’m going to play the stereo louder than hell and I don’t care who doesn’t like it. “I found a cure for my body and soul, I got me an overdose of ROCK N ROLL!” Hell yeah I do!!

Side two is also great, but no real match for the perfection of side one. “Snakeskin Cowboys,” “Where Have You Been All My Life” and “Queen of the Forest” all rock pretty hard and the ballad “You Make Me Feel Right At Home” is decent. But the jewel of the side is without a doubt “Motor City Madhouse.” Derek does most of the singing on this album, but Ted’s the only one who could deliver the lyrics on this one. Yet another classic riff and steamhammer groove reminiscent of the MC5’s almighty “Skunk,” this a brain damage inducing noggin rocker. Somehow it sounds incomplete without the sound of breaking glass and M-80’s but not everything in life can be perfect. The 1999 CD remaster contains BLISTERING live versions of "Stormtroopin,'" "Just What the Doctor Ordered" and "Motor City Madhouse" from a show in London and a really lame studio song called “Magic Party” that should have remained unreleased.

Ted’s big mouth is a turn off for a lot of people, but most die hard rockers agree that his 1970’s output contains some of the most high octane music you will ever hear on this planet. In the mid-90’s I had the great pleasure of being invited to a conference room at Atlantic Records where Ted was going to play some of his new songs for the staff. It was after hours and most people were unenthusiastic so a friend asked me to be there because he knew I would be thrilled to meet him. Ted did not disappoint. He came running into the conference room screaming, waving an acoustic guitar around and called the hip NYC staffers “a bunch of pastrami eating motherfuckers.” In rapid fire succession he claimed to have invented the middle finger and short skirts. I believe him. The proof is right here on this album. PLAY LOUD.

 --Woody

Buy here: Ted Nugent

Ripple News - Exploding In Sound Unveils Latest Compilation WAX UNWOUND Featuring Black Mountain, Twilight Singers, Monotonix + More

WAX UNWOUND is the brand new snarling monster of a compilation from Exploding In Sound. While little introduction is necessary for volume eight of the taste-making website’s promotional compilation series, the good folks over at EIS honestly couldn't be happier with the end results. This is the collection the rock world has been waiting for, the one that will tear the paint from the walls with pure brilliant fury and infinitely enjoyable music from some of the best active bands.  Ladies and gentlemen, Exploding In Sound is honored to announce WAX UNWOUND and it's unbelievably amazing line-up including Zach Hill, Pulled Apart By Horses, Black Mountain, The Twilight Singers, Young Widows, Monotonix, Ty Segall, Sky Larkin, Alain Johannes, Grandfather, Shapes, and many more [full tracklist below]. Waste no more time, DOWNLOAD NOW. Please play this compilation at a high volume for maximum results.  You just may find your next favorite band.

DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE COMPILATION FOR FREE via FileDropper.com or Exploding In Sound's official BandCamp page. As always, the compilation is a 100% FREE digital download, containing artwork from the amazing TinyLittleHammers.com, band descriptions, links for further enjoyment, and more. The staff at EIS want to reach out and thank everyone who has helped put this collection together, especially the bands, their labels, and management. Without the help, interest, and cooperation of these incredible artists none of this would be possible, because after all this is about their music and artistic vision.

Sharing of the download link is HIGHLY recommended and encouraged to anyone and everyone.  As this is a FREE compilation, the goal is to gain the maximum audience, and word of mouth is always appreciated. PLEASE DOWNLOAD, SHARE, POST, and SPREAD the word to everyone you know. Great music is being made, and it’s up to the fans to deliver it to as many listeners as possible. ENJOY!

DOWNLOAD LINKS:

*Exploding In Sound: http://www.explodinginsound.com/2010/12/exploding-in-sound-presents-wax-unwound.html

*File Dropper: http://www.filedropper.com/explodinginsoundpresentswaxunwound

*Bandcamp: http://explodinginsound.bandcamp.com/album/wax-unwound


 “WAX UNWOUND” TRACK LIST:



1.       Zach Hill – Total Recall

2.       Pulled Apart By Horses – Get Off My Ghost Train

3.       Pile – Don’t Touch Anything

4.       Grandfather – Tremors

5.       Black Mountain – Old Fangs

6.       Alain Johannes – Endless Eyes

7.       She Keeps Bees – Gimmie

8.       Ty Segall – Caesar

9.       Monotonix – Give Me More

10.   Young Widows – Feelers

11.   Shapes – The Escapologist

12.   Young Adults – Impression

13.   Tweak Bird – Lights In Lines

14.   &U&I – Chancer’s Paradise

15.   Nassy – Paul Michael Alexander

16.   Sky Larkin – Kaleide

17.   The Twilight Singers – Blackbird & The Fox

18.   Capsula – Sun Shaking

19.   Shark? – Tiny Violin

20.   Dupec – MMIX

21.   Ladder Devils – Common Dogs

22.   Two Inch Astronaut – Spume

MODERN DAY MOONSHINE BEGINS FREE "BOOTLEGGERS" CLUB FOR FANS

With the release of their new studio album Refuge (Ripple Music) just weeks away, blues/soul/rock trio Modern Day Moonshine announce the launch of their free fan interactive  "MDM Bootleggers” Club

Spread across the bands' newly redesigned website and social media, the project allows "MDM Bootleggers" to access a new song every Tuesday. With a catalogue of songs reaching well into the hundreds,  the streaming mp3's will range from demos and live performances to previously unreleased studio tracks, and will feature exclusive photos and updates from the band.  Fans will be polled each month to choose their favorite tracks, with the winners being compiled into a special edition “Bootlegger Album”  that will be available as a download only.

Offered free to all MDM fans, the only “cost” to join is their word of mouth.  Operated much like the charity candy display at a gas station cash register, MDM is using the honor system of holding fans accountable to helping spread the word.  In return for their efforts, MDM Bootleggers will have access to all new material as well as contests, giveaways and free tickets to upcoming shows. 

Commented drummer David Burrows "These tunes need to be heard, and we want the fans to determine a unique album.  This is the quickest way to get them out.  We're really looking forward to hooking up our fans for helping spread the Modern Day Moonshine name."
 
Modern Day Moonshine's Refuge will see a November 23rd release through Ripple Music.

www.moderndaymoonshine.com

Jet Black Berries - Postmodern Ghosts

I remember the light the most.

There I was, late night, burning the midnight oil in the Ripple office.  Reviews to write, press releases to ready, new releases to schedule.  Sofi, as always, took her place in her bed to my right, snuggled in amongst the brimming stack of vinyl.  But I had no time to dig into that enticing vinyl buffet.  Ripple work called to me.  An eerie silence tingled my neck.

And then the light came.

Consciousness lost in a second, I awoke, no longer at my desk.  The room looked vaguely familiar to me, a place from a distant memory. Rising from my desk, I spun, disoriented, searching for a clue.  The familiar call letters KSPC FM blazoned on the wall across, separated from me by a thick layer of glass.  Lights flashed in chaotic rhythms, engulfing the switches, knobs and buttons on the mixing board at my hands.  A vinyl record spun to my right, pumping the room with moody, atmospheric, neo-gothic psychedelia.  Somehow, in some unspeakable way, I’d been transported through time.  Inexplicably, it was 1984 again.

And the record spinning was the Jet Black Berries.

Bursting onto the scene in the mid-eighties, the Jet Black Berries were part of the amazing stable of artists attached to the Enigma/Restless label.  The Cramps, TSOL, Tex and the Horseheads, 45 Grave, Green on Red, The Leaving Trains, The Pandoras, Redd Cross, Get Smart.  Talk about a label that had tapped into a sound, Enigma produced some of the all-time best American dark psychedelia ever released.  One band after another, there seemed to be no end to their talent.  And on that essential Enigma Variations volume I album, The Jet Black Berries ranked with the best. 

Blending a river of never-ending hooks to their blackened atmosphere and a touch of cowboy/western punk, the JBB released three albums in the mid-late 80’s, and contributed a standout track to the classic horror shtick sound track, Return of the Living Dead.  Then, like their zombie brethren, they disappeared.

Until now.

As I rose from the desk in my 1984 radio station, I noticed something was different. The JBB spinning wasn’t Sundown on Venus or the soon to be released underground classic, Desperate Fires.  The sound was familiar, but different.  Hauntingly pulling at a memory, but inspiring in entirely new ways.  Ringing of the past, but powered by the energy of the future.

This wasn’t 1984; it was present day and the Jet Black Berries were back and better than ever with a brand new album,Postmodern Ghosts.  Reuniting four original members of the band with newcomer singer/guitarist, Johnny Cummings, the JBB had risen from the ether, back to lurk amongst the living.  And what an album they’ve put out!

You don’t have to be familiar with JBB’s original incarnation to jump right in with the start of this album.  Following a haunting synth and church bell opening, “God with A Gun,” literally erupts from the speakers in searing post-punk psychedelic glory.  Riding a guitar passage reminiscent of The Chameleons, “Don’t Fall,” this just may be my track of the year.  An outburst decrying people who use religion as an excuse to commit acts of barbarism, “God with a Gun,” isn’t just a great pop song, it’s potent.  “Are you sure this is a song you’re ready to sing/if God with a Gun is love, let’s make him king” Johnny sings over a rampaging, bass-heavy, chiming soundscape.  Guitars swirl and churn in glittering rivers of texture.  Dig that mid-song bass breakdown, the maniacal run across the toms in the post-chorus bridge, the layered harmony vocals, the subtle escalation of pace until the song explodes into that raise-your-hands-in-the-air-and-sing-along-at-the-top-of-your-lungs chorus.  I mean seriously, talk about a chorus that can elevate you to that place.  That special place where the world around you dissipates and the music enveloping you is all that remains.

But Postmodern Ghosts is no one song wonder.  “Ominous” tells the tale of the odd things that happen, the murder and mayhem, that somehow is still a part of the human psyche . . . unstoppable . . . always ready to re-emerge . . . an ominous presence.   Now take that message and wrap it up in a post-Church or later day Echo and the Bunnymen vibe of pulsating bass, rising and falling, swirling guitars and you’ll find one of the catchier songs to penetrate your consciousness in sometime.   “Pipes of Pan,” takes this Church influence one step further in a rousing, keyboard swept pumper.   Johnny even sounds a touch like Steven Kilbey here, singing deep in his range.

Throughout, the sound of the original JBB’s is as refreshing as that breath of yesterday.  Roy Stein’s drumming is solid and penetrating, Chris Yockel’s guitar shimmers and sparkles, Mark Schwartz’s keyboards lay down the atmosphere, and Gary Trainer, the main songwriter, drives the whole thing from the back of the bus with his unrelenting, swooping bass.  And the new kid, Johnny Cummings is a revelation, fitting into the mix seamlessly.  “Welcome to My World,” is another dark psych masterpiece, slow and inviting at times, vicious and intoxicating the next.  “Psychic Children of Doom” shows these cats haven’t lost the tongue-in-cheek horror attitude that landed them on the Living Dead soundtrack, and they attach this “postmodern ghosts on the radio,” vibe to a jaunty, muscular rocker.  “Invocation” rides an Echo and Bunnymen bass line through swirling mists of tension and mood.   “Garden of Delight,” has to be the next single off the album, so effectively mining the still-sparkling Paisley Underground-vibe of yore, married to a hyped-up sound of crashing guitars and smashing drums.  Catchy as fuck.

Then there’s “They Walk Among You,” a remade classic from the Sundown on Venus bonus album.  Digging into their quasi-cowpunk roots, “They Walk Among You,” is without a doubt the greatest zombie-epic ever penned and performed in song.  How this song has avoided being used in a zombie film soundtrack defies all logic and thought.  With zombies as hot as vampires these days, I will make it my personal mission to get this song included on some major motion picture.  Somewhere.

With the final pulse of the closing punkish rocker, “American Survival” still ringing in my ears, I watched as the radio control panel before me faded away.  I re-emerged in 2010, the new JBB album still spinning in my player.

The past is gone, the present is here, the future awaits.  And it’s all good.


--Racer

Buy here:  Postmodern Ghosts


http://www.myspace.com/jetblackberries

Trout Fishing In America - Lookin’ At Lucky

This summer was unusual.  The past fifteen or twenty Aprils through Octobers I have spent almost all of my leisure time pursuing trout.  I became addicted to fly fishing in the mid-1980’s.  Even prior to then, I would gather my spinning rod and gear and head to a river, stream, lake or pond to stalk Oncorhynchus mykiss, Salmo trutta, Salvelinus fontinalis and Oncorhynchus aguabonita - rainbow, brown, brook and golden trout.  I have pursued the fish from the Arizona desert through the Sierra Nevada, Rocky and Cascade Mountains onto the plains of Saskatchewan. 

This year, until last weekend, I had not gone fishing - not once. I did not even buy a California fishing license.  I had purchased a yearly California fishing license since I was 16 years old.  It was a hard year. I stuck close to home.  One of my best fishing buddies received a diagnosis of cancer and was now unable to camp or fish.  As the summer wore on he got worse. One of my daughters was having difficulty finding a job after college. The other one was subsidized by us at college out of state. I did not often get to see her. I lost interest in camping and fishing.

So, for the first time this year last weekend I went trout fishing. My wife and I arranged a camping trip with friends and I volunteered to teach them to fly fish.  We bought two-day fishing licenses and headed off for Mount Lassen. I waded into the creek, caught a few fish, sat around the fire and remembered why I had done this for the past 30 years.  I came home tired, dirty but refreshed.

On Monday I went outside to get the mail and there it was inside a small padded manila envelope - Lookin’ At Lucky by Trout Fishing In America. Coincidence?

Trout Fishing In America has been around since I tied my first fly to tippet. This release, on their own label called Trout Records, is their first album for grown-ups in eleven years.  The band is Keith Grimwood on bass and vocals and Ezra Idlet singing along and playing almost every folk instrument known to man - the guitar, ukelele, banjo and bouzouki, as well as percussion. From 1999 until this release Trout Fishing In America was for kids.  They received the children’s music industry’s highest awards - National Parent Publication and Parent’s Choice Awards. They have also garnered four Grammy nominations for “Best Musical Album for Children.” 

Long before Trout Fishing In America there was St. Elmo’s Fire, the adult folk rock band where Grimwood and Idlet met.  Soon they played side gigs together and, in the late 1970’s as St. Elmo’s Fire dissolved,  they played a side gig at a grade school that led to their dedication to kids.

Boy, have those kids been lucky.  Yet, I bet if you ask Trout Fishing In America they would tell you that you are “Lookin’ At Lucky.”  I have not heard original folk music that is as tight, well-written and beautifully performed since neoprene waders were popular.

The first song on the album is “Lookin’ At Lucky,” a country bluegrass march, with a great fiddle part, that tells the story of how a man feels when they’re with someone they love.  I fell for it hook, line and sinker.  It is followed by a country two-step square dance called “She’s The Only Smile,” a song about casting one’s eyes on the most interesting girl at the dance. The tune flows quickly as it dives below the surface.

A fantastic country blues called “Bettin’ That It Won’t” recounts those instances when one hopes for a certain good result but is almost positive it won’t end well - like casting after clumsily tripping over your felt-sole shoes in a quiet pool.  You might hook a fish, but I wouldn’t count on it.

The ballad “Home” is a well-performed melancholy country song about wandering and yearning for home.  I could hear echos of the early Band, the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Little River Band. The song is designed to make you sad - like when you hook a big fish but end up losing it before you even had a chance to see it.   One of the cutest songs on the album is a talking blues, called “Safer Haven,” where the singer goes from location to location and keeps being hit by natural disasters. The song owes a lot to Arlo Guthrie, John Denver and Harry Chapin.  It made me reflect back on those times on the river when a thunderstorm would come in and I’d be standing hip deep in water waving the equivalent of a carbon fibre lightning rod. The track “Drivin’ Rain” is a little country blues funk number. Idlet plays the banjo like it was a rhythm guitar. The lyrics and rhythm brought to mind the swish-swish of the wipers on an old Montana fishing guide’s truck during a mountain storm on the way back from a river fishing float trip.

An odd tune, “Who Knows What He Might Do,” is a driving rant about growing old and acting your age.  I could empathize.  Years ago I could climb over boulders, log jams, rapids and waterfalls in search of prey.  Now, find me a deep pool with easy access.  I still have that same desire to aggressively wade up stream, but at my age I learned that  I just don’t have the same ability. The song “Not Every Dream” is a slow ballad that reminds me of an old Celtic folk song and carries onabout still feeling the same way you did when you were younger.  Counterpoint is provided by violin and acoustic guitar.  It brought to mind all those nights with fishing buddies around the campfire passing the bottle of Maker’s Mark and reminiscing.

A wonderful blues-based number, “The Car’s Running,” recounts “senior moments” such as losing your glasses on your forehead, misplacing the keys, etc.  It made me recall when I hiked two miles upstream to a favorite pool and discovered I’d left my fly boxes back in the car.  “How Many Times A Fool,” a banjo folk tune, explores all the stupid things we do that hurt the ones we love. Sparsely produced and performed, it is as emotive as an early Bob Dylan song, but done with a much better singing voice.  It brought to mind a time one of my fishing buddies on a fishing trip stopped for a drink at a bar in Sierra City on the way back from the river to camp.  There, on a bar stool in the corner, was his first ex-wife.  We didn’t see him back in camp the entire weekend.  In fact, he made his own way back to the Bay Area days later as we all avoided phone calls from his wife.

The last two songs on the album are “I Pretend To Understand” and “My Baby Loves Sudoku.”  The former is a slow country blues about being unable to remember or understand, but, acting like you do.  The latter is a tongue-in-cheek novelty bluegrass epistle on how Sudoku ruins marriages.  It is the closest song on the album to a kid’s song.  Both are a bit silly - like when a fishing partner’s wading shoes soles fell apart in the river and I watched pieces of leather and felt float by while he stood in the river in neoprene stocking feet.  He then knew there was a two mile walk in bare feet out of the canyon ahead of him.  He just went back to fishing for trout until it turned dark.

All in all “Lookin’ At Lucky” is a clever, light, well-performed and well-written first attempt to venture into the world of adult music.  The cuteness and cleverness of Trout Fishing In America’s children’s songs remain.  The musicianship makes each song fun.  The album is like wet-wading - pulling on the old felt-soled boots and leaving the waders behind.  You’re not going in deep or traveling far, but, it sure is damn refreshing. especially if you have a great cast.

- Old School