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After Midnight Project
2008-05-06 07:37:00
From California – After Midnight Project ! They might, indeed, be the real thing. This group does have a song by that title. "The Real Thing" (The Becoming EP) is nice music. It’s quality rock and roll with a philosophy that grabs for an understanding of the universe. The question is: Where are they? According to their ...
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Zack Hexum
2008-05-03 07:32:00
This young L.A. musician is putting out some unusual sounds, in that there is country-rock in "Beyond My Means" (Open To Close 2007 What Have You), along with some straightforward country and just a nice piece of folk. What is surprising with this one tune is that Hexum lists The Beatles, Wilco, The Police, Wayne ...
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The Spinto Band
2008-05-02 07:28:00
Music from Delaware! That’s a good start, because we just don’t see too many musicians/artists from this oft-forgotten state. There doesn’t seem to be a solid reason for this, but it is true. Perhaps the residents of that area of the United States might argue, or at least strongly suggest, that there are more talented ...
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The Panic Division
2008-05-01 07:14:00
Being greeted by a flying insect and the electronic atmosphere of "Intro" (Songs From the Glasshouse) puts the listener right where he/she needs to be to enjoy some of the "rock, ambient, electronica" of The Panic Division . New listeners can samle "Here We Go" or "Day You Left" to get some idea of how this works. ...
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Sunday Morning Coming Down
2008-04-30 07:11:00
What do you get when you tie Sunday morning and alternative rock together, in a Web search or in real life? It may be your fate to get some words and phrases such as "The Velvet Underground" and "ska" thrown your way. The questions are: What is appropriate for "alternative seekers" on a Sunday morning ? What ...
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Sarah
2008-04-29 06:59:00
So, how does a girl sing and sound so much like Sheryl Crowe? It has to be coincidence with Sarah Hethcoat. Probably nothing more. "Everybody Wants" is a good beginning pop tune, certainly not a heavyweight contribution to modern music, but this girl will probably move on to become a major entertainer (with the right help). ...
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Midnight Movies
2008-04-26 06:41:00
Well, isn’t that special! It takes confidence, and talent, to try a cover of one of rock’s legendary, high-quality rock bands – The Moody Blues. Midnight Movies takes a stab at "Nights In White Satin" (Nights EP 2008 New Line Records). The chorus vocals are fine, the flute is just about as good as the original. ...
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Laura Cheadle
2008-04-25 06:33:00
The audiences in Greenwich Village (The Big Apple) should enjoy the smoothness of Laura Cheadle’s presentation. She starts a string of six engagements at The Baggot Inn and also plays select spots in Jersey and Pennsylvania. Cheadle, who lives and works in the Philadelphia area, is a soulful singer whose current work is collected on the ...
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John Ralston
2008-04-24 06:26:00
What is it with the soft, clear voices of these young "solo" artists? John Ralston, Andy Davis, and so on…these guys are a pleasure to listen to, if for no other reason than their voices remind some older dogs of what their vocals once sounded like. That is, if those old dogs could do more ...
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Griffin House
2008-04-23 06:19:00
If the labels on Web sites are to be believed, this musical effort is rock, folk and punk. In the past that would have been an interesting combination at least, if not an impossible one. But Griffin House certainly puts folk music on the table with "Better Than Love" (Flying Upside Down 20007 Nettwerk). This, dear ...
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Four Year Strong
2008-04-22 06:19:00
If this is hardcore, then it ain’t so bad. This listener has heard screamo/growl bands, especially the five-band lineup at 2 Cents Plain in downtown St. Louis. Not a big fan! But Four Year Strong is slightly softer than hardcore. The boys can sing, for one thing. Then there is the youthful energy that brings to ...
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De Capulet
2008-04-19 07:37:00
Don’t look for anything new from this corner. De Capulet is, according to myspace.com, "resting in peace." It’s been a couple of years since De Capulet fans and those with a general interest in indie music started blogging about the demise of this musical effort from Jakob Johnson and Benn Mendelsohn. But you can still hear ...
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We The Kings
2008-04-18 07:30:00
Florida rock, from We The Kings . This band has put together the self-titled CD that includes "Check Yes Juliet," a song that gives her the choice. Solid musicianship benefits from good production. The vocals are highlighted in just the right way with this tune. While, musically, the song isn’t overly complex, it does justice to the ...
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Therefore I Am
2008-04-17 07:22:00
This is a Boston-based group of young musicians throwing their lack of hats in the ring. The first impression one gets from listening to the music of Therefore I Am is lack of pretension. This group seems to combine a knack for writing lyrics with the ability to play hard rock. The new EP, Escape isn’t ...
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Canon
2008-04-16 07:16:00
Not too many current musical groups cite King Crimson as a musical influence. Actually, none have, until Canon . This may be because the current crop of young musicians wasn’t around when In The Court of the Crimson King was a favorite. If mom and dad didn’t keep those vinyls around, it would difficult to truly ...
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Andy Davis
2008-04-15 07:02:00
This writer should probably pass this performer on to someone else, but we will try to be objective about Andy Davis , a young keyboardist/songwriter/singer. Not everyone will fall in line with what appears to be an uncomplicated love-song style or the soft, easy-listening ballads. But the music is considerably more complex than it first seems. ...
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The Walkmen
2008-04-12 06:35:00
All right, folks. This is different! If you, the listener, are expecting some straight up rock and roll, or even something close to jazz/blues such as some of the new young bands are incorporating into indie music, you will be surprised when you fire up "Lemon Hill" (Lemon Hill Marcata Records 2007). This sound experience has one ...
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The Stills
2008-04-11 06:27:00
"Animals and Insects" from (Logic Will Break Your Heart) could be called a haunting ballad. In fact, it probably has been called that. The Stills certainly have found a way to put musical pieces together, but this tune is a bit more than the every day ballad. When the listener gets to the last third ...
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The Stiletto Formal
2008-04-10 06:19:00
Eccentric. Experimental. Necessarily independent. To write that The Stiletto Formal is unusual, would be writing the easy way. It may be more to the point to state that this desert country group (Phoenix) is eclectic. The band members do indeed choose from a number of different styles and influences. In fact, The Stiletto Formal does so ...
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The Hanks
2008-04-09 06:11:00
Maybe this group should be called the Traveling Hanks. But that would be too much like some other collection of good musicians. However, this California group is starting on an extended, and we mean extended, tour that kicks off in Florida with half a dozen gigs, and moves on to Georgia – Athens, Atlanta etc.  (That’s ...
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The Fully Down
2008-04-08 06:01:00
First impression? The Fully Down is a fine young band, with clear vocals, youthful energy and fast-moving fingers on the guitar that mark so many groups of the 1990s and the new century. To be honest, there is some extra musical treatment on "Are You Listening" a demo that tops the sample songs for this ...
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Mindy Smith
2008-04-04 09:01:00
This singer/crooner is supported by a lot of different musicians, and it seems this occurs for good reason. First-time listeners may have some difficulty "placing" Mindy Smith in a category, though there may not be too many "first-time listeners." Smith has been around for nearly a decade and caught the attention of music industry stars ...
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House of the Heroes
2008-04-03 08:53:00
Wait, there is something different here. There are, for this writer’s money, a lot of young bands searching and getting close, but not quite hitting the mark. Of course, it’s all personal preference. However, House of the Heroes has found something, especially with "Code Name Raven" (The End Is Not The End Gotee 2008). Even "Leave You ...
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Bob Schneider
2008-04-02 08:39:00
Somebody tell the world to listen to Bob Schneider ’s folk and acoustic music – this simple, poetic music that is so well represented by his tune "the king of the world," performed live at Saxon Pub. (It is important that the titles of his songs are not capitalized. This writer hopes that is intended. It would be nice touch.) Schneider provides the vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica, banjo, melodica, xylophone, tenor guitar and ukelele for his music and does it well. Then, with all of this real folk, Schneider tries his hand at rap with "flavours too strong." OK!! The whistling is excellent. The message is solid. It actually works! For another flavor from the Schneder menu, listeners might try "changing your mind" (snocap shockorama 2007). The English language contains a good word – "plaintive," which means "expressing sorrow; mournful or melancholy." The overall sound of this tune fits that definition. There will ...

The Forecast
2008-04-01 08:21:00
The music of this Illinois group has the distinct flavor of several other area bands. The sound of "May You One Day Carry Me Home" (In The Shadow of Two Gunmen) reminds this listener of such central Illinois music makers as Junior Varsity (now defunct) and some of the Carolina youth groups. "One Hundred Percent" from ...
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Perspective 3
2008-03-31 08:19:00
Does it really matter that there are three chords used in a song, or four, or six (including a surprising A minor?) Not really. Other musicians might appreciate this. Some listeners might actually notice, though this often happens during a quiet listen at home rather than at a concert. Rock critics who are often “want to ...
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Permanent ME
2008-03-29 06:21:00
Brian Kapler and Joseph Guccione are keeping the candle burning for this interesting band. The “former members” list is getting longer, as the band has employed and lost Adam Aviles, Chris Leonard and Dan McCabe on guitar (though with different band names). Gone too are bassists Artie Fleischmann, Justin Morrell and Jon Bulzomi. Drummer Mike ...
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Perspective 2
2008-03-28 05:24:00
In some sense, it’s all just been a loud, long F…You! Trying to isolate eras or seminal events and bands might be somewhat productive. But in the long run, it will be a study in frustration. Maybe the rock historians can do us a service by patching together a “people’s history of rock and roll” that ...
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My Former Self
2008-03-27 06:05:00
This San Jose, California band captured attention with its independently recorded tune "Like A Drug" (2006). There is some fine guitar work in this song, perfect sound for the glam/emo sticker that has been put on this group. Good ending to the song by a group of guys in their early 20s. Originally unreleased and equally ...
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Perspective 1
2008-03-26 05:11:00
Let’s look at the current music scene and try to give it some perspective. It’s sort of like looking at a mountain range in the distance, while mentally comparing it to a small stone at your feet. Rock and roll in the 1950s was red, was black, and was white. Actually, there were numerous other colors, ...
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