The Von Ehrics - Two Foot Stomp

The Von Ehrics - Two Foot Stomp
2011, Lucky Buck Records

Dallas punktry band The Von Ehrics, named after the prominent ECW wrestling family, are back with their fourth album, Two Foot Stomp.  With an irrepressible sound and a can-do attitude, The Von Ehrics took seven months to write and rehearse Two Foot Stomp before stepping into a studio with producer Dave Willingham (Polyphonic Spree, Earl Harvin Trio).  The result is a blend of punk and country displaying the melodic sensibility of Bob Mould (Husker Du, Sugar). Suffice it to say The Von Ehrics will grab your attention quickly and simply won't let go.

Two Foot Stomp opens with a working class hero anthem entitled "Last Of The Working Slobs".  Set in a society that has moved on and forgotten the working class that built it, the song is full of great energy and unfettered angst, and houses a chorus you won't be able to get out of your head.  "Gone" is a catchy outsider's anthem that sounds like a cross between the Gin Blossoms and The Refreshments with a bit of outlaw country thrown into the mix.  It's an intriguing blend that you'll keep coming back to.  "Smokewagon" is a high energy tribute to the band's touring van, likely to target them for being pulled over in most states. 

"Lord, I Pray" is an entertaining blend of punkabilly and gospel that's unforgettable.  The Von Ehrics obviously had fun in recording this number, as it oozes from every pore of the song.  "Rock And Roll" is a catchy song, written for those times when nothing less than rock n roll will do.  In spite of the low-fi approach, The Von Ehrics prove to be very musically competent, a fact that is highlighted here.  The effort to capture a classic country motif on "Goodbye/The Ride" falls flat, however.  It is a sign of things to come, as Two Foot Stomp levels off into solid but unremarkable songs for the rest of the trip.  The closing track, "Texas (When I Die)" shows a brief revival of the energy and chutzpah of the first half of the album, but can't save the second half of the album from a somewhat ho-hum assessment in light of what it followed.

The Von Ehrics turn a brilliant and essential 6-song EP into a solid 12-song album with distinctive highlights on Two Foot Stomp.  Considering a lot of what is put on the market these days, that's not a knock on the band.  It's simply that the first half of the album is so good that the second half stands little chance.  There's really not a bad song on the album, which might aptly be called "The Two Sides of The Von Ehrics", but don't be surprised if the first half of the album gets significantly more spins than the second.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The Von Ehrics at www.vonehrics.com or www.myspace.com/thevonehrics.  Two Foot Stomp is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Skyler - Take You Away

Skyler - Take You Away
2011, SkyHi Records

York, Maine singer/songwriter Skyler returns in 2011 with his sophomore EP, Take You Away.  The follow-up to 2010’s Long Gone, which placed in Wildy’s World’s Top-10 albums of 2010, follows a similar path to success.  Skyler’s brand of catchy pop music is ripe with memorable melodies and clever turns of phrase.

Skyler gets things started with melodic alternapop you can't get out of your head.  "Empty Rooms" laments a life on the sidelines in a highly danceable folk/pop arrangement with strong guitar fills.  Skyler has a fine voice that rings clear in the middle.  "Hold On (Pray)" is an easy going number with a solid chorus.  Skyler manages to build the song in intensity and accent with splendid vocal harmonies, while advising listeners to not be complacent but grab life by the horns.  "Take You Away" looks forward at how things might be in a prospective relationship.  The song is built on a strong hook, and is a great listen in spite of getting too repetitive for its own good at the end.  "It Kills Me" is a circular, angst-filled rumination on unrequited love from a distance.  Well written and mildly catchy, the song conveys hope that is compelling in its apparent hopelessness.  Skyler closes with "Sentimental", one side of an argument over emotions and what is, and is not, real.  The energy is great, and the chorus will get stuck and recur in your head.  Skyler manages to sound like an affable cross between the Gin Blossoms and Dog's Eye View. 

Skyler continues to finesse his considerable talent for crafting catchy folk/pop/rock numbers that make listeners want to get on their feet and dance.  Take You Away perhaps steps back a tad from last year's Long Gone, but only in that Skyler is continuing to grow as an artist and expand his sonic territory.  Skyler shows the same energy and zest as in the past, but is also exploring the edges of his sound to see where he might go next.  The result is positive, and promises to bear much fruit down the road.  For now, you could do worse than to let Skyler Take You Away for a little while.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Skyler at www.myspace.com/skylertunes.  Take You Away is available digitally from Amazon.com and iTunes.

P.J. Pacifico - Outlet

P.J. Pacifico - Outlet
2011, Viper Records

P.J. Pacifico has been wowing crowds around the US for several years now.  His sophomore album, Always & Everywhere, found Pacifico beginning to amass the sort of critical acclaim and exposure that fans have expected for some time.  Pacifico has spent the past couple of years on the road, playing live and perfecting new material.  In that time he became engaged and then married to his girlfriend of a decade.  On June 7, 2011, P.J. Pacifico releases his third album, Outlet.  Born of well-seasoned numbers and songs inspired by the love of his life, Outlet finds P.J. Pacifico truly coming into his own as a grounded singer/songwriter.  Long compared to Matthew Sweet, James Taylor and the Gin Blossoms, Pacifico has finally settled into his own distinctive sound that has its roots in all of the above but has seasoned with time.

Outlet opens with "Fold Up Your Heart", a song about picking up the pieces after heartbreak.  Pacifico's lightly gravelly voice is exceedingly pleasant to listen to, and the chorus is absolutely memorable.  The catchy country/rock arrangement is likely to have wide appeal.  "Heads Up" sounds like a blend of Rob Thomas and Alan Parsons, a kiss-off song to a friend who goes to the well one too many times.  Pacifico dresses it up in an Americana sound with deluxe vocal harmonies.  "Home With Me" takes a ten year relationship and compresses it into less than five minutes.  It's a mature love song, sweet but realistic.  Pacifico touches on both the highs and lows of getting to someplace good, in the process creating one of his most commercial viable songs to date.  This is a potential hit, but would probably need the help of getting attached to a big movie soundtrack to get the attention it deserves.

"Lakeshore Drive" is an edgy, low-key rocker that represents Pacifico's first composition not written in A-440 tuning.  The Chicago reference is obvious, but Pacifico is mysterious on the specifics of inspiration.  No matter, the unusual sound and style here will keep listeners glued to their speakers.  "As Soon As I Can" is a tribute to Pacifico's wife.  It's a song that any working and travelling artist with a supportive spouse at home can understand.  There's a melancholy here born of the dual pull of needing to be on the road and wanting to be at home that is touchingly real.  "Waiting" is about two friends falling slowly in love, while being the only two in the world oblivious to the fact.  Pacifico's writing is artful and sweet, taking a fictional scenario and breathing life into it with fitful glances and false starts that come across in the music.  This one definitely has licensing potential.

"New Song" is self-referential and fun, a song about the song itself, ala Jason Plumb's "Protest Song".  It's catchy and fun bit of fluff that's a treat for the ear.  "Where Can I Be" has a Paul Simon-gone-country feel to it, both in the songwriting and the subject matter.  Pacifico ruminates on new paths going forward, and the human collateral incurred by changes in direction.  The song is a general message that just because he's off on his own that old doors aren't necessarily closed.  Pacifico wrote the song with the idea of collaboration while recording only one vocal track, suggesting perhaps musical stories not yet complete.  "Ships In The Night" is a song about what might have been; near misses and the moments of contemplation that surround them.  There's a palpable quality to the song that cannot be ignored, and Pacifico breathes life into the moment.  Outlet closes with "Targets", an ode to being on the road and the sights seen as a traveling musician.  The arrangement is Pacifico on voice and guitar, and a galloping backbeat born of the early days of rock n roll. 

P.J. Pacifico has always shown a distinctive voice as a songwriter, and his singing voice is nothing to sneeze at either, but on Outlets it all comes together.  Just as the pieces of his life have fallen into place over the past few years, Pacifico's musical gifts have fallen into place to create his best work to date.  Full of heart, class and spirit, Outlet is the sort of singer/songwriter effort critics have been predicting Pacifico would one day create.  There's still room to grow (there always is), but Pacifico has finally found the comfort to let everything flow into song.  Outlet is breakout waiting to happen.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about P.J. Pacifico at http://www.pjpacifico.com/ or www.myspace.com/pjpacifico.  Outlet drops on June 7, 2011.  Keep checking Pacifico's website for availability.

The Trews - Hope & Ruin

The Trews - Hope & Ruin
2011, The Trews Records

Toronto rock quartet The Trews have ten Top-10 singles and 2 gold records to show for their first three albums, yet the band chooses to break new ground on their fourth album, Hope & Ruin.  Colin MacDonald (vocals); John Angus (guitar); Sean Dalton (drums) and Jack Syperek (bass) have been one of Canada's top live acts for a few years now, becoming known for a heavy, guitar-driven sound.  This time around the Trews created music live in the studio.  Hope & Ruin consequently features flashes of the sound that have made The Trews crowd favorites, but also displays the band in greater depth than their prior works.

The Trews begin in familiar territory, with the guitar-driven pop/rock of "Misery Loves Company".  The song is built on a wonderfully catchy hook, with vocal harmonies wound around MacDonald's lead like aural gift wrapping.  Muscle aside, "Misery Love Company" could vie for recognition as the mythical perfect three-minute pop song.  "One By One" is catchy Americana/rock with rapid-fire lyrics and a memorable chorus.  The song is built on a pervasive riff that takes on a life of its own.  "People Of The Deer" is high energy, melodic hard-rock with seething pop sensibilities.  MacDonald's voice drives this one, but ambitious guitar work and a killer chorus complete the effect nicely. 

"Stay With Me" is a bit maudlin for a love ballad, falling into a sound that's part Counting Crows and part Gin Blossoms.  Similarly, "Hope & Ruin" is catchy at first listen but gets a bit bland beyond the pacing of the song.  The Trews fall into a bit of a rut with "The World I Know" and "Dreaming Man", but turn it over with "I'll Find Someone Who Will".  In spite being a bit heavy on repetition, the song is a solid pop-oriented rocker about the need for dysfunction in a relationship.  It's a solid arrangement; MacDonald and The Trews may make you think of Bob Seger singing with the Gin Blossoms here.  "Love Is The Real Thing" is a solid and catchy acoustic rocker, and sets up the closer, "Burned" quite nicely.  "Burned" stays with the Seger/Gin Blossoms sound, with MacDonald adding a soulful blues feel to the vocal line that is appealing.

The Trews stepped outside of their usual template to create the surprisingly effective Hope & Ruin.  Like any band that evolves over time, The Trews may find some of their fan base who have a hard time with the adjustment, but there's enough appealing change here to bring in a host of new fans as well.  Hope & Ruin is an evocative change of pace for The Trews without abandoning their heritage as a band.  Perhaps the biggest surprise here is that The Trews haven't been heavily courted south of the proverbial 54-40 before now.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The Trews at www.thetrewsmusic.com or www.myspace.com/thetrews.  Hope & Ruin is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Fun With Atoms - Smart

Fun With Atoms - Smart
2010, Blurb Records

Green Bay, Wisconsin's Fun With Atoms bring their edgy Americana pop sound wherever they go.  Inspired by their mid-western, working class roots, Fun With Atoms inject a pop sensibility into everything they touch.  Rick Smith (vox/guitars/keys); Dan Collins (vox/bass/keys) and Curt Lefevre (drums/percussion/vox) have crafted a sound that takes in a wealth of influences but matures as a sound that doesn't really sound like anyone.  There third album, Smart, captures the energy and angst have gained Fun With Atoms so much attention from their first two efforts.

Smart opens with "Walking The Razor's Edge", an Americana country/rock blend that is reminiscent of Blue Rodeo or Wilco with a Gin Blossoms chaser.  It's a catchy tune about the dangers of falling in love when your life keeps you on the road.  The lead vocals are serviceable, but sound better in the context of the vocal harmonies offered here.  "Really Happy" evokes Peter Case with a catchy, distinctive pop feel.  The chorus is highly memorable and the song is well-paced throughout.  It's a bit light in the lyrics department; more of a stream of conscious style than anything else, but solidly entertaining.  Things slow down significantly mid-album, but Fun With Atoms recovers in time to deliver some jangly country/rock on "Mystery".  This time it's as if the Gin Blossoms and The Beatles are battling it out, and for a change the bridge makes the song.  "Ringing In My Ears" sounds a bit more like garage Americana, as if the Skydiggers seriously electrified their sound.  It's entertaining, but serves as a sort of last gasp for Fun With Atoms and Smart.

Smart starts well, but Fun With Atoms seem to have had a hard time compiling enough material for a full length album.  The filler here, while not bad, doesn't measure up to the four or so songs that really make Smart worth checking out.  A four or five song EP may have been a wiser move, but Fun With Atoms show definite potential on Smart.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Fun With Atoms at www.funwithatoms.com or www.myspace.com/funwithatoms.  Smart is available digitally from Amazon.com and iTunes.

Morning Fame - Blinded

Morning Fame – Blinded
2011, Morning Fame

Morning Fame is a Toronto-based Americana/rock quartet that sounds like a cross between Blue Rodeo and The Gin Blossoms.  Led by vocalist Vik Kapur and guitar Joe Liranzo, Morning Fame recently recorded their debut single, “Blinded”, at Metalworks Studio in Toronto.  “Blinded” has a vaguely spiritual feel to it.  The search that Kapur sings about might be a secular one, but the references to the creation of souls and sin offer clues to the intent.  Musically it’s a more-than-competent arrangement; a smooth sounding song with real commercial potential and strong guitar work.  This is the first offering from Morning Fame, but would seem to suggest a lot of promise.  It’s certainly enough to make us, and you, want to see what comes next from Morning Fame.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Morning Fame at www.myspace.com/morningfame or www.morningfame.com, where you can stream or download “Blinded” for free.

The Alternate Routes - Lately

The Alternate Routes - Lately

2010, Soundwave

The Alternate Routes return on October 12th with their latest album, Lately.  Going for a more vibrant and raw sound than on past albums, The Alternate Routes have managed to create a collection of songs that plays more like a concert than an album.  Produced by Teddy Morgan at The Barrio East in Nashville, Lately captures the energy that Tim Warren (vox/acoustic guitar) and Eric Donnelly (lead guitar) have brought to The Alternative Routes since the band's birth in 2004.

Lately opens with the noisy, guitar-driven mood-setter "Intro", a brief warm up that rolls into the ethereal "Carry Me Home".  The song is an airy rock tune full of longing with a nice melodic arc in the chorus; a promising start.  "Rocking Chair" sets things straight in an upbeat rock song about wanting to be an answer to romantic problems rather than just a rebound man or Mr. Right Now.  The Alternate Routes walk the melodic and sonic byways between The Gin Blossoms and Del Amitri on this one.  "Stay" is mildly influenced by the Beatles; a prospective love song with a great melody and nicely layered instrumentation and vocals.  "Still Can't Get Enough" is opaque about specifics but is full of tempered yet voracious enthusiasm that occurs where doing something you love and having the wisdom to enjoy it intersect.

"Kiss Me" is catchy but repetitive and will wear on listeners after a bit.  "Lollapalooza" is dreamy, bluesy folk; an interesting musical sidebar that's very low-key and serene.  "Two Of A Kind" is a song of perspective, written about life experiences and how they help us to see the world for what it really is.  "Is It True" is a great example of pop/Americana songwriting.  The Alternate Routes explore what happens when love falls apart in a tune that seems ripe for both adult contemporary and country formats.  It's a great closer and the song that seems most likely to break for the band.

The Alternate Routes set an easy-going pace on Lately, offering up low-key, out of the ordinary pop songs with country, folk and Americana spirit.  Lately is not an album that will bowl you over, but hours of solid listening await those who give it a try.

 Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

 Learn more about The Alternate Routes at www.thealternateroutes.com or www.myspace.com/alternateroutes.  Lately is available through The Alternate Routes' website and Amazon.com on CD.  Keep checking the band's website for digital availability.