Category: Rock (Page 122 of 241)

The Frontier Brothers: Space Punk Starlet

September 12, 2008 / Jeff Giles

No, seriously, they really mean space punk: according to their official bio, the Frontier Brothers were “born in space and raised in Texas,” and the band members – who dress in red Spandex bodysuits on stage, by the way – are led by a singer named Marshall Galactic, whose voice could occasionally be described as otherworldly. (It could just as often be described as sounding like a bag of cats in a dryer, but nobody’s perfect.) Anyway, if you’ve ever wanted to know what space punk sounds like, this is your chance – and you should think twice about passing up that chance, really, especially if you have a fondness for ragged, impassioned, tongue-in-cheek rock & roll. For the duration of Space Punk Starlet, the Frontier Brothers sound like a band on the verge of falling apart, but they also sound like they’re having a blast, and their enthusiasm is infectious – in fact, the record is so much fun that you can’t help but wish they hadn’t bothered with the dopey gimmicks, and just trusted the music to do the talking. That’s just quibbling, though; by the time the band goes roaring into the madcap closer, “T.E.S.S. You Are a Wonderful Robot, Stay With Me All the Time,” you’ll be too far gone to care. Space Punk Starlet is a sweaty mess, in the absolute best sense of the word. (self-released)

Frontier Brothers MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock

Various Artists: Ten Out of Tenn Volume 2

September 12, 2008 / Mike Farley

Singer/songwriter Trent Dabbs hails from Nashville, where you can throw a rock and hit a musical artist. But when he and his wife/manager Kristen realized that their favorite artists were Trent’s peers, and not those being touted by the media outside of Nashville, they decided to do something about it. The result was Ten Out of Tenn, a compilation featuring some of Nashville’s more under-the-radar pop/rock talent. The first volume was released in 2005, and Vol. 2 is dripping with so much talent, it may be difficult for anyone on it to remain unknown for long. Most of these artists have enjoyed film/TV placements, and some are or have been signed to labels, but the bottom line is that the Dabbs family knows how to evaluate talent. The most promising are Erin McCarley, whose “Pony (Go On)” is the first and best track, as well as Butterfly Boucher, Andy Davis and Dabbs himself. There are also a few clunkers – Griffin House sounds like he’s trying too hard to be Jason Mraz on “The Guy That Says Goodbye” and Katie Herzig’s vocal vibrato may wear on you after ten seconds – but both have been praised by critics, so feel free to form your own opinion. Overall, this is a solid compilation and a great avenue for pimping some of Nashville’s true talent. (Ready Set Records)

Ten Out of Tenn MySpace Page

Alternative, Artists, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Country, Indie Labels, Pop, Rock

White Lion: Return of the Pride

September 11, 2008 / R. David Smola

It’s been 17 years since White Lion’s last record, Mane Attraction. With only original vocalist Mike Tramp left in the fold, the Lion is back with a nice chunk of progressive anthem rock called Return of the Pride. Playing the part of original shredder extraordinaire Vito Bratta is the very capable Jamie Law, who shows a few chops of his own on this surprisingly good record. Tramp’s lyrics are heady as he questions religion on “Sangre De Cristo” and examines Custer’s last stand on “Battle of Little Big Horn.” “Dream” is a big-ass song with swagger and licks to spare. Tramp’s raspy vocals sound spot-on as you can feel the arena…well, maybe the small club rocking, but they’re still big in Belgium. (Or is that Citizen Dick from “Singles”?) Get your lighters ready for the balladry of “Never Let You Go” and the first minute of “Set Me Free” before it settles into a big rock groove.

There is nothing incredibly innovative about the album; it’s just well executed, thoughtful, and extremely well played big rock. Keyboards and acoustic guitars fill the spaces between guitar virtuosity and layered backing vocals as Tramp and co-producer and bassist Claus Langeskov know how to get the most out of their sound. It sounds like an ’80s record, but in a good way. There is enough space to hear the instruments, as opposed to just a deafening set of the higher end with no bass or drums. It is crowded inside the White Lion sound, but clear. Listen to the snarling bass line in “Battle of Little Big Horn” and try to keep your toe from tapping and your head from banging. Return is a welcome and pleasant surprise. The inclusion of live versions of their two biggest songs, “Wait” and “When the Children Cry,” are unnecessary. It should be okay for a band to evolve and move forward even if celebrating their past in the spirit of their sound, especially with a record as strong as this one. It’s okay to move forward, boys. Really. (Airline)

White Lion My Space page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, External Music, Metal, Rock

Blind Melon: For My Friends

September 8, 2008 / R. David Smola

Don’t spill the bong water. One has to be careful while dancing in a Woodstock-like manner to the incredibly pleasant and surprising For My Friends, the new record by the formerly disbanded Blind Melon. It didn’t seem likely that after the death of lead singer Shannon Hoon to an overdose, that the Melon had any more shelf life. The loss of their comrade and friend left the band rudderless and they decided to go their separate ways. This is their first studio release since 1995’s Soup. It is an excellent blend of laid back mood pieces that evoke smoke rings and late night pizza like the wonderfully subtle title track and “Sometimes,” while containing enough muscle to move the mood up a couple notches like “Wishing Well” and “So High.” None of these songs is going to get a speeding ticket but the album offers enough variety to be an excellent 50-minute listen. No one quite sounded like Shannon Hoon, but Travis Warren sure has a similar delivery. He will be able to pull off all the Hoon tracks live while not sounding like just a clone voice. The album is spectacularly produced and mixed by bassist Brad Smith and guitarist Christopher Thorn (and Blind Melon as credited in the album notes.) They layer a lot of the vocals (which serves the uniqueness of Warren’s voice well) while the mix of guitar (both electric and acoustic) and occasional Wurlitzer piano is fabulous accenting each when necessary. There may not be a career defining track like “No Rain” on the record, but this is a consistently hummable piece of work. (Rocket Science)

Blind Melon My Space page

CD Reviews, External Music, Rock

Donna the Buffalo: Silverlined

September 4, 2008 / Lee Zimmerman

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Forget the silly handle; there’s no one named Donna in Donna the Buffalo. For that matter, there’s no Buffalo involved either. Nevertheless, over the past 20 years or so, Donna the Buffalo has become a fan favorite on the festival circuit, thanks to a no-nonsense blend of breezy Americana and homespun attitude. Their latest, Silverlined, appears more streamlined than previous efforts, with the band’s three singers – Tara Nevins, Jeb Puryear and Joe Thrift – rotating the vocal chores. With a sound that recalls the latter-day Byrds and their Flying Burrito Brothers offspring, the new album finds them in affable country rock mode, complete with mid-tempo melodies, down home arrangements and a populist point of view. Nevins’ songs garner the most attention here – “Temporary Misery,” “Broken Record” and “I Don’t Need A Riddle” being the best of the bunch – and it’s her sass and swagger that gives the band its spunk. So while Silverlined doesn’t break any new ground, it still purveys plenty of back porch charm, and that’s ample reason in itself to want to run with the herd. (Sugar Hill)

Donna the Buffalo MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Country, Rock