Author: R. David Smola (Page 1 of 7)

Cake: Showroom of Compassion

February 1, 2011 / R. David Smola

RIYL: The Presidents of The United States of America, Ween, Cracker

John McCrea’s deadpan vocals in combination with catchy bass lines and economical but effective horn work make Cake a very unique-sounding band. When you hear a Cake song, you know it’s Cake – there is no hesitation on determining the artist. They flirt with making dance music because the songs are, well, very danceable in a fraternity kegger party way. Showroom of Compassion is the band’s latest and the first Number One (on the Billboard Album charts) of their career. It’s textured and they play with the Cake sound formula and shade it differently, but in the end they build a very solid Cake-like effort.

“Teenage Pregnancy” starts off with some earnest piano recital work before giving way to a deep bass line. Some interesting keyboard work gives off a calliope vibe to create an instrumental that’s equal alternative gem as it is circus music. That track is followed by their latest hit, “Sick of You,” which like “The Distance,” “Never There” or “Short Skirt/Long Jacket,” gets stuck in your head and absolutely won’t work its way out. It has that thump and a repetitive but fun chorus that traps you. “Easy to Crash” pushes Cake as far as they are going to go in the rocking direction, which is then followed by the country folk of “Bound Away.” Essentially, that is the beauty of the band; they weave in and out of different combinations of styles but never ever sound like anyone other than themselves. They sound familiar but never boring. “The Winter” features a supporting vocal track that is reminiscent of 10cc, while some excellent Spanish influenced brass is thrown in for good measure. The record tracks in at about 40 minutes and gives you enough. It’s satiating, but leaves you wondering what interesting tweaks and catchy song they will come up with for their next effort. (Upbeat Records 2011)

Cake MySpace page

Alternative, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

Cake Cake CD review Headlines John McCrea Showroom of Compassion Showroom of Compassion CD review

The Macrodots: The Other Side

November 19, 2010 / R. David Smola

RIYL: Tears for Fears, Scandal, Matthew Sweet

When was the last time you heard a really good power pop record? When the last time recorded music compulsively dictated your feet to tap from the beginning of track one to the end of the last song? When was the last time you heard a disk that sounded fun, nearly flawless and still had enough of a left hook to knock you out? Boys and girls, that record has arrived and it is the brainchild of two music vets who absolutely and unapologetically have made a tremendous pop record.

Zack Smith is the founder of Scandal, which launched several tracks into the collective consciousness of the ’80s, including “Goodbye to You,” “Love’s Got a Line on You” and “The Warrior.” Cathy Richardson has released five studio discs, including the masterpieces Road To Bliss (2003), Delusions of Grandeur (2006) and Jefferson’s Tree of Liberty (2008) as part of Jefferson Starship. The collaboration here is nothing short of magically delicious (well, it may not be Lucky Charms but it is one hell of a record). Vocally, Richardson has always shifted in and out of styles gracefully with tremendous command and presence. The Other Side features her staying in the power pop realm from beginning to end. This is demanding material and she is up for the challenge. This statement is one that is difficult to make considering her tremendous reputation, but it needs to be said; this is her best vocal performance to date.

“Beautiful Girl” mixes two parts Beach Boys with two parts late-period Beatles with just a splash of Tears for Fears to create a powerful ambiance and a brilliant canvass for Richardson to blast out the dreamy lyrics. Much like the rest of the record, Smith and Richardson create arrangements that are devoured by the ear. “Everything” begins with a dreamy effects laced introduction before building into an arena-sized chorus and features some very clever guitar work. It is such a perfectly crafted song that it begs to be placed on permanent repeat status. The power ballad “If I Could” caresses your heart and kicks you in the gut at the same time. Studio vets Michael Lockwood and Jude Gold, along with Smith and Richardson, create enough guitar crunch to give the record the kick that provide the perfect complement to Richardson’s monstrous vocal talent. I am hoping that this is not a onetime project. This is a record that begs for a sequel. (Cash Rich 2010)

The Macrodots Website

CD Reviews, Pop, Power Pop, Rock

Cathy Richardson The Macrodots The Macrodots CD review The Other Side CD review Zack Smith

Queensryche: Empire (20th Anniversary Edition)

November 10, 2010 / R. David Smola

RIYL: Dream Theatre, King’s X, Judas Priest

Operation: Mindcrime might have been the record that established Queensryche, but Empire was the record that blew them through the artistic and commercial ceiling. There is some excellent work that follows this period, and the band still churns out very good records to this day; it’s just that Empire is nearly perfect. The lyrics as always challenged the listener to think, the guitar work is stellar, singer Geoff Tate’s voice is monstrous, but the entire record was full of hooks. The sound is enormous, filling your ears with almost more than they can handle. The tracks blasted out of your speakers and into the back of your consciousness forever. “The Thin Line,” “Jet City Woman,” and “Another Rainy Night Without You” were built for arena audiences to sing back to the band. “Silent Lucidity” became their one and only number one single (on the rock charts, anyway). Twenty years later, it still sounds terrific.

What does the 20th anniversary package contain that may make it tempting to grab? Three bonus tracks that have appeared elsewhere are tacked on to the end of Empire. The second disc contains a terrifically loud and monstrous live show recorded in 1990 at London’s Hammersmith Odeon and features seven tracks from Empire. This performance doesn’t always have the perfect mix (Tate’s voice isn’t loud enough on opening track “Resistance”) and there are moments where you can hear feedback, like during the opening seconds of “Silent Lucidity.” It is these imperfections that make this such a terrific complementary piece. Queensryche is a machine. To hear those tiny miscues as the band pounds out this terrific material is a reminder of the raw energy underneath those fabulously professional musicians. If you don’t have the record, what the hell is the matter with you, seriously? If you don’t own any live Ryche, this is a real cool recording. (Capitol/EMI 2010)

Queensryche official site

CD Reviews, Progressive, Rock

Empire Empire 20th Anniversary Edition Geoff Tate Headlines Jet City Woman Queensryche Queensryche CD review Silent Lucidity

Filter: The Trouble with Angels

September 22, 2010 / R. David Smola

RIYL: Nine Inch Nails, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice Cooper’s Brutal Planet and Dragontown

Filter is Richard Patrick. It’s his toy and he is going to steer it, hire the rest of the band and collaborate with who he thinks will make the best record. Mind you, it is going to sound like a Filter record. There will be those trademark Patrick screams contrasted against his solid singing voice; there will be crunchy industrial guitar riffs, chugging bass lines, at least one ballad and Patrick will be wrestling lyrically with subjects like addiction and the ills of organized religion. For The Trouble with Angels, Patrick works with Bob Marlette (Iommi, Alice Cooper, Atreyu among others) to re-sharpen the fangs of Filter. Marlette produces and engineers the record while co-writing nine of the ten songs.

Consistently, this is a heavier effort throughout the 41 minutes then the last several records and is much more akin to the debut Filter release, Short Bus then anything released since. Interestingly enough, Patrick brings back original Filter co-conspirator Brian Liesagang (who left the band in 1997) to add “Sound Design and Programming” to the project. The first three tracks (“The Inevitable Relapse,” “Drug Boy,” and “Absentee Father”) roll over you like a locomotive. Patrick’s intentions are loud and clear. The fourth track, “No Love,” slows the train down but features a thumping chorus and Patrick singing at the edge of his range.

There are two songs where things slow down and the record produces “Take a Picture”-like moments with the ballads “No Re-entry” and the gorgeous album closer “Fades Like a Photograph (Dead Angel).” The latter features some of Patrick’s most poetic and moving lyrics to date. Other than those two songs, Marlette is inspiring Patrick to be heavy. Marlette got great work out of Alice Cooper on Dragontown and Brutal Planet, moving Alice into industrial metal territory for two records. Here he gets a good record out of Patrick’, who has been busy the last couple of years re-energizing the brand name. Filter has released two albums, a greatest hits package and a remix album of 2008’s Anthems for the Damned in the last four years. Sobriety has treated Richard Patrick well and his fans have reaped the rewards of his re-energized work ethic. (Rocket Science Ventures, 2010)

Filter MySpace page

Alternative, CD Reviews, Industrial, Rock

Filter Filter CD review Richard Patrick The Trouble with Angels The Trouble with Angels CD review

Jeff Beck: Emotion & Commotion

September 20, 2010 / R. David Smola

RIYL: The Jeff Beck Group, Robert Fripp, Joe Satriani

Emotion & Commotion is a misleading title. One would assume with “Commotion” in the title, Beck would be ripping and shredding away throughout this 10-track recording. Instead, the enigmatic and talented Beck puts together a record of beauty and subtlety. He is reserved, melodic and letting the subtleties and nuances of his playing center the record. There is beauty throughout, like “Corpus Cristi Carol,” a Middle English Hymn which was re-interpreted by Jeff Buckley in 1994. Beck, inspired by Buckley, starts the record with his guitar accompanied quietly by an orchestra. The piece is two minutes and 40 seconds of peace and sadness. Irish Singer Imelda May is featured on another song Buckley recorded, “Lilac Wine,” and like “Carol” this song features a beautifully understated orchestra in the background and Beck’s emotive and deliberate playing.

Joss Stone contributes her ridiculously talented vocals to two tracks including a riveting reading of the classic, “I Put a Spell on You.” I am convinced she could sing the menu from a Chinese restaurant and make it intense and enjoyable. While Stone vamps it up, Beck and the rest of the folks play it straight to deliver a terrific new interpretation of a classic. The record never really comes close to chaos. It features clean production – every note, every instrument has its own space to breathe. The liner notes are good, with Beck sharing his motivations for picking the tracks. It has a very relaxing and laid back tone consistently demonstrating that less is more. Again, Beck puts something out that you might not have expected. Clapton is the popular guitarist, consistently producing music that sells by melding his influences into the pop structure. Beck never quite had a consistent vision or production schedule. Beck is a brilliant guitarist who, when he does work, usually makes something you wouldn’t expect. Emotion & Commotion might be mislabeled, but it is an excellent addition to the Beck catalog. (Atco 2010)

Jeff Beck on MySpace