Ravishers - Ravishers

The Ravishers - The Ravishers

2011, Timber Carnival Records

Portland, Oregon rockers TheRavishers are about to invade your ear space. Catchy tunes, well-honedsongwriting and an acute attention to detail help The Ravishers grab yourattention; the energy of their lives shows maintains that attention and turnsit into ardor. It's no surprise that some of that energy should carry over intoThe Ravishers, the band's full-length debut album. Comprised ofwriter/vocalist Dominic Castillo, guitarist Jonathan Barker and a rotating castof characters, The Ravishers appear ready to turn the Pacific Northwest upsidedown and head out to conquer America.

The Ravishers set out with "I'm Him"; a song sounds like itcould have been co-written by Lyle Lovett and Elvis Costello. Low key butcatchy, the song mixes a vague Americana sound with distinctive popsensibility. "You Have It" mixes a quiet, singer/songwriter stylewith wonderfully jangly guitar-rock sounds. Don't expect to escape this songfor the rest of the day once it's entered your brain. "The Chase"gets caught up in its own repetition, while "Cruel Love" is a bedrockalbum track dealing with the cycle of being lost in unrequited love."Underachievers" is an intriguing musical allegory of itself. Thearrangement is almost haphazard and messy; not ambitious enough to be calledGarage Rock but certainly showing the intent.

"Keep You Around" is ahalf-enthused love song, with an intriguing alto voice joining the mix. The mixof voices works well over the minimalist rock arrangement. "My Thoughts OfKillers" are a catchy, yet low-key bit of anti-pop madness. The guitarpart becomes more and more disconnected as the song progresses, with the entiresong deconstructing into disparate parts at the end. "Lesson InLeaving" features an anachronistic arrangement that intrigues with strongguitar work. The Ravishers plod their way through "How I Feel AboutYou", but recover with the impressive pop song craft of "Nobody FallsIn Love Anymore". The chorus here is absolutely amazing, and the melody ofthis hidden gem shines. The Ravishers close solidly with "Happening",an intensely driven yet reserved rocker that's big on energy but constrained indelivery.

Mainstream media and pop outletstend to ignore Indie pop and rock acts in favor of the canned drivel that isoften the result of major label recording contracts, but The Ravishers aregoing to be hard to ignore. The Ravishers put a bit of the fun back into rockand roll, and as musical talents they are definitely on the map. TheRavishers has its moments of musical pleasure and pain, but this is thesort of debut that builds anticipation for the future.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.ravisherstheband.com or www.myspace.com/ravishers. 

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Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... Season 2

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... - Season Two
2011, MVD Entertainment Group

Music fans unaware of Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... are missing out on one of the best music oriented shows on television.  Currently shown in Canada, Spectacle has consistently drawn big name artists to the small screen for sit down chats and memorable performances, both solo and with Elvis Costello and the Imposters.  MVD Entertainment Group recently released Season Two of Spectacle in the form of a 2-DVD set.  Season Two features interviews with and performances by such artists as Bono and The Edge, Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen, Lyle Lovett, Richard Thompson, Nick Lowe, Ray LaMontagne, Neko Case and Mary-Louise Parker.

Spectacle has been honored with an EMMY nomination and a Gemini award as the Best Talk Series, and it's no surprise.  The artists who appear on Spectacle let down their guard speaking with Costello in a way that rarely happens on traditional talk television, and the musical performances are a real treat for fans.  Season Two features a special double episode Bruce Springsteen.  Special features include a special behind the scenes feature entitled Elvis Costello With... Inside Notes, and four bonus performances from Elvis Costello and his guests.  Costello is an engaging host throughout season two, keeping the format fresh with offbeat conversations and some truly wonderful musical moments.  Costello has managed to create a near-perfect television forum for music makers and music fans.  This is the rare television series you might find yourself actually watching again and again.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Spectacle at www.spectacletv.com.  Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...  Season 2 is available from Amazon.com on DVD and Blu-ray.

Zak Smith - Haunted Feet

Zak Smith - Haunted Feet
2010, Zak Smith

On one hand you could argue that there are few original voices in popular music anymore.  Everyone is influenced by one or more artists of the past, and with a mere 8 notes it is difficult to do something truly original.  Yet it is the blending of styles and sounds that marks originality; not the similarities but the choices of division.  In one of these finely honed musical crevices grew the art and creativity of Zak Smith.  Other writers have compared Smith to Elvis Costello, Leonard Cohen, Kings Of Leon and The Killers.  Fair comparisons all, but Smith's proclivities as a songwriter run a bit deeper.  Check out Smith's debut EP, Haunted Feet, and you'll understand.

Haunted Feet opens with "Under Your Possession", a catchy and affable blues/rock/Americana blend that grows a bit more infectious every time you hear it.  Smith's pleasantly raspy voice perhaps doesn't have a great deal of range, but Smith makes the most of what he has, pouring his personality into each vocal performance.  "Suffer Like A Ghost" is a solid pop/rock number full of layered sounds.  The unpolished sound here seems more an artistic choice than a liability.  "The Ones That Got Away Will Bury Me" is an intriguing number based on a somewhat morbid concept.  Smith sounds like a cross Tom Petty and Marc Cohn here.  "The House You Haunt" features an understated approach and a catchy, compact rock n roll number.  Smith's personality oozes out of this song in omnipresent waves.  The EP closes with "Faith But Waiting", a catchy number with great sonic atmosphere.  The keys/guitar mix here is righteous, fleshing out the songs hooks in lifelike fashion.

Zak Smith is the guy you don't see coming.  The music on Haunted Feet will seem nice and appealing to you the first time you hear it.  You might even be forgiven if you don't back to Smith right away; but the more you listen something interesting happens.  Zak Smith sucks you in to his songs slowly, over time.  Haunted Feet is a slow burn, but one well worth waiting for.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Zak Smith at www.zaksmithband.com or www.facebook.com/zaksmithband.  Haunted Feet is available digitally from Amazon.com and iTunes.

Ron Sexsmith - Long Player Late Bloomer

Ron Sexsmith - Long Player Late Bloomer
2011, Ronboy Rhymes

Ron Sexsmith was known early in his career as a one-man jukebox due to his amazing inability to play most any song requested while playing out live.  But in 1984 Sexsmith turned his attention to writing his own material.  Sexsmith’s brand of melancholic pop with British style melodies has become a staple of Canadian content and has even seen Sexsmith gain serious attention south of the proverbial 54-40.  Sexsmith’s latest album, Long Player Late Bloomer continues his sonic maturation through songs of love and loss.

Long Player Late Bloomer opens with "Get In Line" a straightforward pop/rock tune with an almost McCartney-esque feel.  There's an upbeat brand of melancholy that's pervasive here, making for an intriguing start.  "The Reason Why" falls more into the Americana bucket with a sound that will appeal to fans of Blue Rodeo.  Aside from the pure sonic aesthetics of the tune, it's a great bit of songwriting.  "Believe It When I See It" opens with a piano-driven verse then falls into an ethereal, orchestral rock chorus.  Sexsmith has crafted a pretty melody that waxes and wanes with wave-like intensity while building into the chorus like an on-coming tide.  The song reflects hope for the future tempered with healthy doses of skepticism. 

"Miracles" continues the orchestral pop/rock flavor.  This one is subtle and sublime; a gorgeous arrangement that celebrates the small miracles of everyday existence.  "No Help At All" resurrects the McCartney melodic influence in a song that reflects either a winsome melancholy or a mildly upbeat brand of fatalism.  "Late Bloomer" can have more general applications, but at heart it's a quiet anthem for anyone who has ever picked up a musical instrument with the dream of making it big.  It's an underdog's theme with a positive ending, even if it's not the outcome one might have wished starting out.  "Heavenly" is a smooth and sweet country/folk/pop ballad.  Sexsmith is at his vocal best here, with a sound so smooth it's practically theoretical.

"Michael And His Dad" is a heartfelt story-song capturing a moment between father and son at the playground, as the complexities of the life outside dance on the edge of their enjoyment of the day.  It's an incredibly human and poetic portrayal of the perfect moments we discover amongst our imperfections.  "Middle Of Love" is a catchy, middle-of-the-road Adult Contemporary rock number celebrating the moment of falling/being in love.  "Everytime I Follow" continues the penchant for lush sound that Sexsmith has displayed throughout Long Player Late Bloomer, while "Eye Candy" brings a gently swaying cadence in the form of a healthy, energetic Americana arrangement.  "Love Shines" revives the McCartney comparisons once again in a tune that embraces the simple things in life.  It's a pretty tune with a muted pop sensibility that's infectious.  Sexsmith closes with "Nowadays", an acoustic ballad that's subtly beautiful; exploring the depths of love and how it wraps itself around our hearts when we're not looking.

 Ron Sexsmith is incredibly smooth throughout Long Player Late Bloomer, working in a vocal style that’s ultra cool.  His voice is wonderfully soft and warm, and he caresses each vocal line like he’s in love with the music.  Long Player Late Bloomer shows the continued maturation and growth of Sexsmith as a songwriter, and is among his best work to date.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Ron Sexsmith at www.ronsexsmith.com or www.myspace.com/ronsexsmith.  Long Player Late Bloomer is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

John Shipe - Villain

John Shipe - Villain
2010, Involushun Records

Villain opens with "Lion", an interesting reflection on culpability, responsibility and choices.  Delivered in a folk style, Villain displays a story-teller's flair and an aurally pleasing voice that calls to mind thoughts of Paul Simon and Elvis Costello.  "Villain" finds Shipe exploring the human tendency to root for the bad guy, whether in romance, movies or real world events.  It's a cute bit of songwriting, displaying a sense of wit that will appeal to fans of Lyle Lovett and Randy Newman.  "Love Belongs To Everyone" invokes images of a melancholy Elvis Costello, as Shipe engages in a good old fashioned dose of mutual self-pity.

Shipe entertains guest, and 2010 Wildy's World Artist of the Year Halie Loren in a duet on "Hard To Believe", an intriguingly sad love song.  Shipe sticks to his easy-going vocal style, while Loren offers a gorgeous husky alto sound to the mix.  The best moments come when Shipe and Loren blend their voices in harmony; the dichotomy of their respective sounds blends almost in spite of their distinct differences.  "What Right Do We Have To Fall In Love?" finds Shipe exploring the dysfunctions of love from the other side of the looking glass.  It's a unique perspective that works well.  Shipe deeps dig into romantic dysfunction with "Another Disaster", creating an incredibly catchy pop song in the process.  The comparisons to Costello are never stronger than they are here, and never more well deserved.  You'll be hearing this one in your head at inopportune times for days.

"No Use Crying Over A Spilt Life" blends apt, intelligent, lyrical prose with a thoughtful singer/songwriter arrangement that waxes and wanes with the emotional angst of the song.  This might be Shipe's finest songwriting to date.  "Dead Kite" is an emotional still life, a musical monologue written from the edge of a relationship's abyss.  Shipe examines the carnage from outside for the first time, waxing poetic on what drew him and what finally drove him away.  Villain closes with "Feel Good Song", a subtly cynical exploration of humanity's ability to make themselves feel better by burying themselves in ideas and reminiscences of the past and using them as an excuse for inaction in the present.  Shipe's focus here is religion, but may not be an outright attack on faith so much as an attack on people's desire to hide behind it.

John Shipe attacks social constructs with shadows and light on Villain, exploring the human weaknesses that drive mankind to do bad things rather than berating humanity for being anything other than it's cut out to be.  Shipe mixes cynicism and hope in unlikely measures while invoking thoughts of Paul Simon, Randy Newman, Lyle Lovett and Elvis Costello across the eleven songs presented on Villain.  The album is somehow more than the sum of its parts.  While Shipe's songwriting and musicianship are worthy of note, he possesses a quiet cult of personality that occasionally raises his performances to sublime.  There are certainly some quiet moments on Villain, but those quiet moments fade with successive listens.  This is one Villain that will grow on you.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about John Shipe at www.johnshipe.com or www.myspace.com/johnshipemusic.  Villain is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available from iTunes.

Skyler - Long Gone

Skyler - Long Gone

2010, SkyHi Records

In a day and age where celebrity seems to be the most desirable goal for many, the world abounds with self-proclaimed prodigies.  Nevertheless you'll occasionally come across a young artist who doesn't need the label.  York, Maine's Skyler is a prime example; as early as third grade kids were clamoring in the playground to hear Skyler play.  By 6th grade he'd mastered multiple instruments and a year later the recording studio in his bedroom reduced Skyler to sleeping on the couch.  Four albums, twenty professional and repertory theatre productions and several hundred gigs later, Skyler has a year at Berklee College of Music under his belt and a loyal following that's admirable.  With the release of his fifth album/EP, Long Gone, Skyler brings together the distinctive pop sensibility that's been drawing crowds since grammar school with a highly refined but non-constricting polish that's rare. 

Long Gone opens with "Hold My Hand", an incredibly catchy pop/rock number in the style of Elvis Costello.  "Hold My Hand" has the sort of melody that lives in your brain for years and continues to surface long after you've forgotten where it came from.  This tune has hit written all over it.  "This Dream (Nashville)" is irresistibly danceable rock n roll about coming home to his baby after time on the road.  Most any musician whose spent time on the road with a love at home has written some form of this song, but few have done it as well as Skyler has here.  "Stephanie" is a song of infatuation that's cute and catchy with serious vocal harmonies.  The acoustic country arrangement is a pleasant listen, but electrify it and polish it up and it's as close to a sure-fire hit as you can get.  "Any Stupid Thing" is a catchy love song, brilliant as in Beatles brilliant.  By the way, it's probably the weakest overall song on the EP.  Long Gone closes with "It's Just The Night", a true rock n roll 'wow' moment.  You'll have a hard time remembering the last time an album or EP was this much pure joy to listen to. 

Skyler practices the KISS principle as a songwriter, keeping the constructions simple with amazing melodies, strong harmonies, dynamic vocals and an ingenious pop sensibility.  In a perfect world Skyler would already own the pop charts.  In the real world, if there is one artist you need to turn your attention to in 2010, it's Skyler.  Long Gone is pure pop/rock that's not snarky, contrived or cynical in any way.  Skyler appears to be making music for the simple joy of it, and that energy is abundantly contagious on Long Gone.  If there is any justice in the world of music, Skyler will be the breakout artist of 2010/2011.  Long Gone is a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.  Don't miss it.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Skyler at www.facebook.com/skylertunes or www.myspace.com/skylertunes.    Long Gone is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  Digital versions are also available via iTunes. 

Redstone Hall - Elephant [EP]

Redstone Hall - Elephant [EP]

2010, Redstone Hall

Los Angeles quartet Redstone Hall debut today with their debut EP, Elephant, a six-song effort ensconced in the sort of fuzzy 1960’s pop/rock that grew into the garage rock movement.  Steven Rothstein (vocals/keys/rhythm guitar); Zack Hall (guitar/vox); Mac Hadar (bass/vox) and Mike Nussbaum (drums) have developed a reputation for their jam-filled live shows as well as for a distinctive pop sensibility.  Redstone Hall opens a national tour to support Elephant in November of 2010.

Elephant opens with “Rain”, a splendid example of 1960’s pop/rock.  There’s some serious instrumental work going on behind the scenes here, and the songwriting’s none too shabby either.  “Allison” sounds like something Elvis Costello might have written if he’d started out in the 1960’s.  Even the messy garage-rock sound fails to disguise the distinct melodicism inherent in the song.  “Get Back Jack” is catchy; a decent turn before Redstone Hall launches into the Moody Blues-like “Ready Set Go”.  This classical/pop/new age blend is catchy synth pop, early 1970’s style, and has a melody you won’t be able to shake. “Cold Black Cloud” is soulful, repetitive and desperate.  This is one of those songs where a lot of good elements are involved but as a whole it doesn’t mesh well.  Elephant closes with “Oh, Celia”, a catchy bit of 1960’s-style folk/pop that seems likely to be licensed for the movies or television.  It’s a great close to the album, a catchy but somewhat refined pop tune with a life of its own.

Elephant displays a young band with serious intentions toward the future even while having roots firmly entrenched in the history of rock n roll.  Retro enough to cross generations but fresh enough to catch the ear of modern radio programmers, Redstone Hall has the tools to do big things.  There’s a primitive nature to the songs presented on Elephant, a quality that will bear out well live, yet serves here to give the album a live and un-retouched feel.  There’s a lot to like about Redstone Hall.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Redstone Hall at www.redstonehall.com or www.myspace.com/redstonehall.  Elephant is available digitally from Amazon.com or iTunes.

JP Den Tex - American Tune

JP Den Tex - American Tune
2009, Commes Les Chansons

JP Den Tex is Dutch born and sings like an Englishman, but some part of his heart has always been reserved for America. Den Tex took his own American odyssey and documented it in song on American Tune. Steeped in the deep richness of Americana, Den Tex sings and writes in the vein of Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe but finds a voice that’s uniquely his own.

American Tune opens with "The Dreamer", a solid Americana composition informed by blues, country and rock influences. Den Tex' guitar style is a mix of Knopfler's quiet intricacy and Clapton's innate mellowness. The song has a solid melody that's catchy but not ostentatious; a great opener. "Love So Helpless" is about the futility we feel at times when tragedy befalls those we love and occasionally the unseen consequences. "When I'm Down" is danceable and catchy with a chorus you'll be humming for days; truly one of the highlights of the album. "Mon Desir Noir" is a continuation of the story begun in "Love So Helpless", exploring how the shock and shame of tragedy can drive people who otherwise love each other apart. "Down And Out In Phoenix" examines the aftermath of such a relationship, where broken dreams abound and the future looks as barren as the desert that surrounds the narrator.

A new chapter opens in American Tune with "Un Amour Fou A San Francisco", a french/English take on new beginnings, new cities and new love. "Bowbow" turns out to be one of the most enjoyable turns on the album; very entertaining with a dirty blues feel. "Bowbow" is extremely catchy even if the meaning is at times opaque. Den Tex shows deep insight into the creation process with "True Art Is Lonely", portraying the striving for perfection as a solitary pursuit. "Vagabond Heart" is an acoustic, early-rock arrangement complete with doo-wop style backing vocals. Catchy and fun, it’s an ode to all of those who don't quite fit in. Answers come on "Hero" with the realization that victory often comes in the form of facing up to our own baggage, and the rewards seem to come quickly once we face ourselves. Den Tex closes with a brilliant cover of "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes", a Joyce Allsup-penned tune recorded by Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris among others. Den Tex duets with Vera van den Poel providing a unique aperture into the camaraderie of loneliness and the moments when its boundaries are shared.

JP Den Tex spins a tale of love, loss, grief and renewal on American Tune. The fall from grace is hard, but rebirth the more difficult task in a quietly competent collection of songs that won't wash over you but quietly insinuate themselves into your mind. Den Tex is a deft story-teller, changing pace and perspective enough to keep the story vibrant. In an age where concept albums have lost their luster, Den Tex offers a shining example of what's right with the form.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about JP Den Tex at http://www.jp-den-tex.com/ or www.myspace.com/jpdentex.  American Tune is available from Amazon.com as both a CD and Download.  The album is also available through iTunes.