Brandon Schott - 13 Satellites

Brandon Schott - 13 Satellites
2011, Golden State Music

California-based singer/songwriter Brandon Schott is a prisoner to his own passions.  The Berklee College of Music grad has never wanted to do anything other than listen to, create and perform great music.  Even a diagnosis of Stage 3 cancer couldn’t stop Schott, who continues to make deliciously child-like pop music with an intellectual edge.  Schott’s latest effort, 13 Satellites, features some of his most evolved songwriting to date.

13 Satellites opens with "Annie", a brief orchestral rock instrumental with non-lyric vocals that calls to mind The Beatles, The Beach Boys and baroque classical styles. The marriage of styles sounds uncomfortable, but Schott makes it work. "Early Morning Night" is an intriguing blend of singer/songwriter pastiche and British melodic rock. "Full Circle Round" heads out to a gentle gallop. The mildly catchy number reinforces Schott's deep Beatles influences and is quite an enjoyable listen. "This Is Home" is a love song with an easy feel and a great vibe. The gentle happiness in both the arrangement and the vocal line are palpable.

"A Daydream (...or a 2 AM Serenade)" is lovely; composed of a gently weeping arrangement and gorgeous vocal harmonies. You could add lullaby to the potential titles as well, as the rocking feel of the song has a calming effect. "Satellite" is wonderful catchy, if reserved. The arrangement offered here could easily have come out of a Beatles recording session, the melody sublime. "Exploding Angel" steps things up a notch, going slightly more upbeat with a vibrant, yet still reserved melody.

"All The Way Down" has a wonderfully dark undercurrent that runs throughout. The sense of melancholy here is ever-present, and the piano work speaks more or Rachmaninoff than of pop music instrumentation. Schott's vision is at once depressing, stirring and beautiful here. "My Love Won't Let Me Down" is a solid ballad with an eerily familiar melody that will stick to the inside of your skull and stay there for days. 13 Satellites closes with the rhythmic "Fading (Outro)", a sonic aperitif that includes drums, ethereal instrumentation and harmony vocals that fill in the spaces between. It's an aptly offbeat, primitive and lovely close to an album that quite lets the listener settle into one groove for too long.

Brandon Schott intrigues with 13 Satellites. His sense of melody is sublime, and his lo-fi perfectionism, distinctive compositional style and general sound smacks of mid- to late-career Beatles music, tempered with elements of Paul Simon. 13 Satellites deserves to be recognized as one of the most compelling releases of 2011, to date, and is certain to grace some top-10 lists at the end of the year. Don't miss out on Schott and 13 Satellites.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.brandonschott.com or www.myspace.com/brandonschott. 

            CD                  Download                   iTunes


Please note that the Amazon.com prices listed above are as of the posting date, and may have changed. Wildy's World is not responsible for price changes instituted by Amazon.com.

Never Shout Never - Time Travel

Never Shout Never - Time Travel
2011, Loveway/Reprise

Joplin, Missouri rockers Never ShoutNever leap forth in 2009 with their first self-produced album, Time Travel.After several efforts at conforming their sound to the wishes of others, NeverShout Never speak fully in their own voices on Time Travel. The seismicshift in sound and style is a far cry from their previous effort, Harmony.Fans will either love or hate the new sound, but the change also opens the doorto an entire demographic of new fans who enjoy modern rock deeply influenced bythe sounds of the psychedelic 60's.

"Time Travel" is ethereal,synth-based anti-pop that sounds like a blend of Alan Parsons and Coldplay. Thesound is intriguing, if a bit discommoding, "Awful" isanachronistically catchy, like a blend of The Beatles and ELO dressed indiatonics and fleshed out on the shared borderlands of Brit Rock and Prog."Simplistic Trance-Like Getaway" is something of a love song, builtfrom a subdued yet incessant melody and wrapped in full-bodied sound. "ComplexHeart" sounds like an attempt to blend Adult Contemporary Pop and Emostyles in a fractious marriage that's overwrought and overdone. Imagine Queenmeets Air Supply and you're in the ballpark. "Lost At Sea" plays tothe prog and psychedelic image that Never Shout Never seems intent to craft.The modal vocal harmonies add cool effect, but the run on chorus contrastspoorly against the point-by-point quarter-note rhythms of the verse.

When a band takes back the reins onits sound for the first time after years of depending on other producers, theresult is bound to be a bit messy at first. So it is with Never Shout Never on TimeTravel. It's not a bad record, but Time Travel suffers fromself-guidance by a band suddenly free to do what it wants, but uncertain abouttheir chosen direction. It will take at least one more album, and some time onthe road, for Never Shout Never to become fully comfortable steering their ownship musically, and the next album will be much more instructive about thedirection of the band than is Time Travel. Nevertheless, this is acompelling document of a band in transition, with some almost brilliant momentsto be found in the search.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Never Shout Neverat www.nevershoutnever.com or www.facebook.com/nevershoutnever.

             CD                  Download
       iTunes

Please note that the Amazon.com prices listed above are as of the posting date, and may have changed. Wildy's World is not responsible for price changes instituted by Amazon.com.

John Paul Keith - The Man That Time Forgot

John Paul Keith - The Man That Time Forgot
2011, Big Legal Mess Records

John Paul Keith has walked the true Indie path, choosing integrity to his musical vision over the sort of compromises that tend to breed success in the traditional music business.  Walking away from The Viceroys over concerns over the band's musical direction, Keith lived something of a nomadic musical life over a number of years before finding a home in Memphis.  The fiercely independent music scene there embrace Keith at a point when he was ready to give it all up, and has resulted in a resurgence in Keith's songwriting that is stunning.  John Paul Keith shows the fruits of his labors on his latest album, The Man That Time Forgot.

The Man That Time Forgot opens with "Never Could Say No", sounding like an alchemic compound derived from the Traveling Wilburys and Jimmy Buffett.  It's a fun, catchy tune with a definite 1960's aesthetic.  "You Devil You" is a honky-tonk number tied together with impressive piano fills.  This is a catchy, fun and danceable number that will stick with you.  "Anyone Can Do It" heads into the realm of 1960's garage pop.  "Afraid To Look" stays with that aesthetic, using a catchy arrangement to explore living life out of control and the constant fear that something is sneaking up on you. 

"The Man That Time Forget" is a melancholy, Roy Orbison-esque number built on a strong melody and a world-weary sense that is palpable.  A bit of Beatles influence shows through on the catchy "I Think I Fell In Love Today", splitting that catchy British-style melodicism with the garage, alt-country sound Keith seems to be comfortable with.  Rock N Roll presides on "Dry County", a catchy little number that could turn into a roof-raiser in concert.  "Somebody Ought To Write A Song About You" is a sweet and sentimental 1970's-style AM radio ballad that may play well to traditional Adult Contemporary formats.  Keith revs things up with the rockin' rhythm and blues of "I Work At Night" before closing with a classic-style drinking tune, "The Last Last Call".  This last is buoyed by a sort of happy communal desolation that can only be found in the collective brotherhood of a neighborhood watering hole, where dreams and regrets are lined up on the bar and knocked down as easily as shots at happy hour.

John Paul Keith sings with a quiet charisma on The Man That Time Forgot, using an easy delivery to explore songs that themselves flow like water.  Keith's integrity to his own musical vision is impressive; a breath of fresh air in the music business.  The Man That Time Forgot is definitely worth remembering.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about John Paul Keith at www.johnpaulkeith.net or www.myspace.com/johnpaulkeith.  The Man That That Time Forgot is available from Amazon.com as a CD, on Vinyl, or as a Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Paul McCartney - McCartney / McCartney II

Paul McCartney - McCartney and McCartney II
2011, MPL/Concord Music Group

The Paul McCartney Archive Collection got two more entries last month with the long-awaited re-release of McCartney (1970) and McCartney II (1980), the two albums that bookended his career phase with Wings.  McCartney followed close on the heels of the breakup of The Beatles, and featured three fan favorites, including what might be the pinnacle of McCartney's love songs, "Maybe I'm Amazed".  McCartney II was a #1 album in the UK and #3 in the US, and signaled McCartney's continued relevance in the pop world with such tracks as "Coming Up" and "Waterfalls".  Both albums are presented fully re-mastered by the same team that recently re-mastered the Beatles catalog, with Paul McCartney supervising the project.

The real treat for each collection, however, are in the expanded editions.  Each CD is available as a 2-CD "Special Edition" set with bonus tracks.  McCartney is also available as a 2 CD/1 DVD "Deluxe Edition" with rare footage, a 128-page hard-bound book and high-resolution downloads of the original album and bonus tracks.  McCartney II gets even more expansive, with a 3 CD/1 DVD "Deluxe Edition" featuring seven additional audio tracks and unreleased footage, including a video for the unreleased song "Blue Sway".    Like the first album, this special expanded set includes high resolution downloads and a 128 page hard bound book.  180gm audiophile vinyl recordings of both albums will also be released.

For the truly hard core Beatles/McCartney collector, nothing but the Deluxe Editions of each album will do.  For most, the single-disc versions will be fine, but the two-disc versions of McCartney and McCartney II probably provide the most bang for your buck.  McCartney's early solo material was uneven, prone to bizarre flights of fancy that sometimes turned to genius, and sometimes to stone.  But both albums are offered up in pristine sound quality, and there are versions available to please all levels of McCartney fandom.  On the whole, these are solid collections that add to the collectible material available from McCartney, but are more about re-packaging a proven product that truly offering something new.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

 Learn more about Paul McCartney at http://www.paulmccartney.com/. 

McCartney is available from Amazon.com as a Special Edition CD, Deluxe Edition CD, on Vinyl or as a Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

McCartney II is available from Amazon.com as a Special Edition CD, Deluxe Edition CD, on Vinyl or as a Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Tally Hall - Good & Evil

Tally Hall - Good & Evil
2011, Quack! Media

Tally Hall had it all in 2008.  A major record deal to release their 2005 Indie smash, Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum had been signed with Atlantic Records.  Expectations were for Tally Hall to catch fire throughout the Western Hemisphere the way they had in the Upper Midwest of the United States.   Atlantic seemingly signed Tally Hall with the expectation of quick profit from a regional powerhouse with a ready fan base and a proven album.  Consequently, little or no push ever materialized, and the major label release essentially tanked.  This is no reflection on the album, which remains one of the most creative and original musical creations of its decade. Tally Hall recently emerged with their second full-length album, Good & Evil.  Produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Depeche Mode, Belle & Sebastian) and originally funded by Atlantic Records, Good & Evil finds Tally Hall stepping back into the Indie world.

Tally Hall's mix of Beatles-esque melodies and arrangements, humor, and unusual perspective enhanced their distinctive blend of pop, classic rock and rap and helped make them one of the best known bands in Middle America over the past five years.  Those elements remain on Good & Evil, but with a bit more subtlety and maturity than in the past.  "Never Meant To Know" opens Good & Evil with a quasi-spiritual perspective on the wider world.  It's an acknowledgement of place for humanity, trimmed in a wonderfully compact pop/rock arrangement built on melody that will stay with you.  "&" is classic Tally Hall, a story song that starts somewhere in the middle and challenges the listener to catch up.  Big vocal harmonies and a quietly irresistible melody will grab and hold your attention across multiple repeats. 

The first single from Good & Evil, "You & Me", builds its chorus piece by piece, into a deliciously catchy and simple construction with 1970's AM pop influences.  This has real commercial potential, particularly in the licensing realm, and serves as a solid reminder that for Tally Hall, melody is always a distinct consideration.  "Cannibal" uses melody and harmony as a weapon, buttressing one of the catchiest tunes to cross this desk in 2011.  Release this as a single, and you'll have a moderate hit at the very least.  Given the right timing and backup, "Cannibal" could garner Tally Hall all of the recognition they deserve.

"Sacred Beast" is a catchy, off-the-wall pop tune with an infectious melody.  The combination of quirky pop structure, gentle humor and a tune you simply can't get out of your head might deceive you into thinking this is pure fluff, but there's actually some fairly insightful allusions to human behavior and imperfection woven deep within.  "A Hymn For A Scarecrow" has an almost epic pop feel to it, exploring a quirky spiritualistic embodiment of the song's subject in a beautifully constructed number that takes liberties with traditional pop song structure ala The Beatles.  "The Trap" is a meandering musical exploration of the powerful nature of expectations to hem us in.  Playing almost like a run-on thought, Tally Hall builds in sonic surprises along the way to keep it fresh.

"Turn The Lights Off" is a driven, quirky pop number with an unforgettable chorus.  Kudos if you can sit/stand still through this number, which gives "Cannibal" a run for its money, and fits in sonically with latter day Barenaked Ladies material.  "Misery Fell" is built on the sort of melody and simple pop arrangement that made McCartney such a success with the Beatles and afterward.  After all that, it's also a song that will make you think, particularly in light of the difficulties the world faces in the present day.  "Out In The Twilight" would have been a major hit in the late 1970's or early 1980's, showing a bit of Alan Parsons influence in the songwriting and sound.  The vocal triads layered over the arrangement create a glorious sound that is an aural treat.  "You" shows the band's contemplative side, an almost melancholy song of devotion that stands out for its utter singularity on the album.  "Fate Of The Stars" is a sonically gorgeous song written in non-traditional structure.  This is Tally Hall at their most creative, stitching together musical ideas into a sonic quilt that is both surprising and refreshing in its originality and continuity.

Good & Evil took six years to make, and shows both the distinctive musical and compositional talents Tally Hall showed on Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum and a growing maturity and subtlety that is the sign of artists growing in the confidence of their craft.  Both more and less than their previous work, Good & Evil will continue to build the Tally Hall mystique, on a road that seems destined to have Tally Hall one day headlining tours in major amphitheatres and stadiums across the country.  While perhaps a reflection of the current state of Tally Hall's collective muse, the rap components infused in their prior work served to broaden the band's sonic appeal, and the absence here is notable.  Nevertheless, Good & Evil shows that Tally Hall has managed to bypass the dreaded sophomore slump.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Tally Hall at www.tallyhall.com, where you can also watch all ten episodes of  Tally Hall's Internet Show.  Good & Evil is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

The Ray Renzi Project - Oldzkool

The Ray Renzi Project – Oldzkool
2011, Oldzkool Records

In an age of genre hyphens, there are acts out there that blend so many styles they make the word genre practically obsolete.  Rhode Island's The Ray Renzi Project is one such act, blending jazz, rock, blues, country, R&B, Celtic, folk and more than a little Jimmy Buffet into an ever shifting musical patois that is as unpredictable as it is appealing.  All of this is evident on The Ray Renzi Project's album Oldzkool, a solidly appealing conglomeration of anything and everything you ever could have wanted out of the pop music era.

Oldzkool opens with "As Simple As", a catchy, straightforward rocker with Americana and blues in its ancestry.  It's philosophical and mellow song of love with a philosophical bent, supported by some impressive guitar fills.  "How Strong Is My Love" is a straight-ahead rockin' blues tune that is more entertaining musically than lyrically.  Renzi and his band have an ear for catchy blues/roots based rock n roll, with nods to both Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton for style.  "Love Will Find It's Way" is a 1960's-style pop ballad with a memorable melody and a classic feel.  The song may sound a bit bland up against the material that precedes it, but is refreshing in its melodicism and pure pop sensibility. 

Renzi channels Jimmy Buffett on "A Cold Margarita" while working in references to artists such as Buffett, Alan Jackson and Bertie Higgins, amongst others.  It's a bit of kitschy fun that's part tribute and part parody, but very well played.  "Jazzette" is a brief instrumental diversion that makes the most of saxophone and guitar in a convincing jazz turn.  It's a solid change of pace that highlights the range and depth of the band.  "Come On Over" is 1950's rock/R&B with a walking bass line.  Catchy and enjoyable, the song features some of the best vocal work on the album, both in the lead and in harmonies.  "I Don't Know Why" moves forward into the mid-1960's with a roots-rocker built on a post-Beatles melodicism and a catchy beat.

Renzi goes for the heart on the Orbison-esque "So Alone Tonight", a song of sadness underscored by the mournful steel guitar that fills space between vocal lines.  Beautiful in its dark emotion and shading, the song is a time-machine moment that will bring you back to the days when artists such as Orbison were regulars on the Billboard charts.  "Flanagan's Shannon View" is a dose of pure Irish-Caribbean stew, a Jimmy Buffett-style number played with country instrumentation and deep Celtic influences, it's certainly an aural experience you won't forget.  It's actually not bad, although so many steps off the beaten path it might be something of an acquired taste.  Oldzkool goes out in a blaze of surf guitar, on the Dick Dale-styled "Surfette".  It's a solid, guitar-led instrumental rant that is so out of flow with the album it belongs.

The Ray Renzi Project has but one focus on Oldzkool, crafting original tunes inspired by some of the great artists and styles of the 1950's, 1960's and early 1970's.  The band is very competent, with Renzi solid on vocals and guitar, and the rest of the crew backing him note-for-note through an extremely varied set of songs and styles.    The Ray Renzi is the ultimate cover band playing songs you've never heard before, but which sound suspiciously familiar the first time you listen.  This is done with an amiable presence that shines through even from the recording studio; a care free attitude that could only be born of the golden age of rock n roll.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Ray Renzi on his website.  Additional information about the Oldzkool project is available here.  Oldzkool is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available on iTunes.

The Cocksure Lads - The Greatest Hits Of The Cocksure Lads: 1963-1968

The Cocksure Lads - The Greatest Hits Of The Cocksure Lads: 1963-1968
2010, The Cocksure Lads

Somewhere in the annals of British Pop history, someone once uttered the words "We should name our band The Cocksure Lads".  This individual was most likely beaten, sacked or traded to another band for a tube amp.  Nevertheless, the name sifted its way through the wormholes of time and settled itself in Southern Ontario in the first decade of the third millennium CE, waiting to be found.  Along came Moxy Fruvous alums Mike Ford and Murray Foster, who unexpectedly tripped into the name and a collection of virulent songs that would redefine pop history.  After bringing fellow Fruvous alum David Matheson into the fold, Ford and Foster added            to complete the rebirth of The Cocksure Lads.  Somewhere between The Beatles, The Rutles and The Monkees lives the memory and sound of The Cocksure Lads.  The lads are immortalized for the first time on The Greatest Hits Of The Cocksure Lads: 1963-1968.

If you're a fan of British Pop born of the 1960's, and don't mind a bit of Python-esque (or Fruvous-esque) humor, then The Cocksure Lads are for you.  Opening with "You're A Cocksure Lad", the band makes a startlingly authentic impression.  The music is insanely good, full of the sort of arching melodies British Pop is renowned for, and even capturing some of the grittiness of recordings done in the early 1960's.  The Cocksure Lads manage to take the music seriously even as they lace it with freshly dated wit.  "A Case Of The Dropsies" is highly danceable rockabilly with a memorable melody line.  You'll want to dance so bad you'll grab the next person who walks through the door.  "Ships Ahoy!" is part Paul McCartney silly little love and part sea shanty.  It's an amazing musical conglomeration with a pirate fixation that involves a love affair, a trip around the world and highly questionable seasonings.  The Fruvous lads always had a knack for high value entertainment and tunes, and those qualities bloom here.  Try as you might, you won't be able to get this one out of your head.

"Umbrella Girl" sounds like an authentic 1960's ballad, but is in fact an old FruSong that has never appeared on an official release before.  If you're not familiar with FruSongs, they are tunes written about hard core Fruvous fans who had attended a significant number of shows.  This mock up of the song works exceedingly well.  "Ticky Boo (Look Though My Window)" leans a bit more to the Monkees side of the equation; a delightful bit of 1960's fluff pop that's indescribably, infectiously catchy.  The energy and pizzazz continue on "That's Any Good".   If you had to pick just one song from the album to drop into rotation circa 1965 and get a hit, it would probably be this one.  With a killer melody, positive outlook, and just a hint of Austin Powers-style cheese ball humor, "That's Any Good" would be a can't miss single.

"You Gotta Stay Cocksure" is stereotypical of the songwriting styles of the time, when record labels pushed artists to re-use ideas that worked previously to max out capitalization of the label's profit.  Accordingly, such songs often had a re-tread air.  The Cocksure Lads manage to avoid any such feel with a brilliant pop tune that stands on its own.  Things get a bit strange on "The Car Boot Light That Never Quite Shuts Off", as the title might suggest.  It's an exploration of self sung over funeral-style organ.  Drawn in its own apparent contradictions, the tune is funny in a slightly disturbing manner.  Mike Ford contrives a singing voice here that's part Ringo Starr and part Wakko from The Animaniacs.  "Admiral Trafalgar" is a fun, historical nod to Admiral Nelson, the British Commander at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.  This one is done in the style of Ford's Canada In Song series, but dressed up in a 1960's pop arrangement that's fun. 

"Mushy Peas" celebrates home, wrapping up the singer's affections in the symbolism of a meal of mushy peas and spam.  There's really nothing else to say.  "I've Already Been Loved, Love", is pure Beatles pop with an R&B backbeat; a treatise on not getting to the buffet table of love too late.  The faux-bass lead vocal line is perhaps the funniest part of the song.  The Cocksure Lads close with "Wellies In The Bath", an amusingly jaunty little tune about one man's predilection for wearing knee-high waterproof boots while bathing.  It's an odd close, but amusing nonetheless.

The Greatest Hits Of The Cocksure Lads: 1963-1968 is one wild ride.  Humor born of both intelligence and kitsch abounds, dancing its way amidst melodies that would make the Queen Mother proud.  These sorts of concept albums often fail and fail horribly, if for no other reason than the idea behind them usually sounds better in discussion than it does playing out across a full length album.  The Cocksure Lads will make you believe that the British Invasion isn't over.  The reunion of 3/4 of the Moxy Fruvous lineup features hints of that band's musical and comedic prowess, but builds on the individual members continued growth to create something wholly memorable and fun.  The Greatest Hits Of The Cocksure Lads: 1963 - 1968 is essential listening.  You won't be able to get The Cocksure Lads out of your head.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The Cocksure Lads at www.facebook.com/cocksurelads.  The Greatest Hits Of The Cocksure Lads: 1963-1968 is available digitally from Amazon.com and iTunes.  Those of you who prefer your music dizzy can pick up the CD at MapleMusic.com.

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.

Epigene – A Wall Street Odyssey

Epigene – A Wall Street Odyssey
2011, Amammi Music

Upstate New York rockers Epigene have made a name for themselves over the past decade by writing outside of the box rock n roll songs.  Epigene’s latest work, A Wall Street Odyssey, may be their most ambitious work to date.  Primary songwriter Sean Bigler attempts to capture the fall and rebirth of Wall Street and her denizens over the past few years in an art-rock concept album with pretentions to being a rock musical. 

A Wall Street Odyssey follows the life and times of the fictional Yossarian, an investment banker living the high life on Wall Street who comes to a crisis of conscience through the crash of 2008.  Yossarian moves out of the city and finds a life he never dreamed of, and then returns as an advocate for less money, ala Jerry Maguire.  The album is steeped in rock influences including The Who, The Kinks, Green Day and even a touch of Andrew Lloyd Webber (from his rock musical phase in the 1970’s).  All Wall Street Odyssey starts strong on “Looks Like I Made It”, which sounds like the Beatles jamming alternately with Rick Wakeman and Dennis DeYoung on keyboards.  It’s a great opener for an album or a musical, with all of the energy and urgency you might expect.    Big scale pop and electro rock are the name of the game on “Money Master” and “The Catch 22”, showing the big sale and the beginning of the downward spiral.  “Take My Head Off” is the beginning of the downfall, both for Yossarian and for the album as a whole.  The struggle to overcome the cognitive dissonance of a life lived in essential conflict is reflected in the mild dissonance of the angular composition.

Unfortunately, things go quickly downhill from there.  Yossarian’s breakdown is reflected by a breakdown in cohesion of the songwriting that isn’t recovers until ¾ of the way through the 25-track album.  In the meantime it’s a self-referential bland pop experience that runs the gamut of 1970’s music, from AM radio easy listening music to smarmy pop.  Interestingly enough, it’s when Yossarian returns to Wall Street to see the scene of his crimes that the energy and panache returns.  “Stranger In A Strange Land” may remind listeners of 1980’s rockers Men At Work in sonic style.  The album gets preachy on “Colonization & Globalization” and stays there for much of the rest of the way.

A Wall Street Odyssey starts with tremendous potential, but quickly fizzles into a narcissistic political diorama of bland musical compositions and pretentious political motivations.  Epigene does show flashes of great songwriting on A Wall Street Odyssey, but this is an example where the intended message hijacks the music.  If you’re into overly preachy, mellow-art rock that dances into the edges of psychedelia from time to time, then A Wall Street Odyssey will be right up your alley.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Epigene at www.epigenemusic.com or www.myspace.com/epigenemusic.  Keep checking Epigene's sites for availability.

Sherman Ewing – Single Room Saloon

Sherman Ewing – Single Room Saloon
2011, Okindalia Records

Sherman Ewing walked through hell and lives to tell the tale.  Tell it he does on his latest album, Single Room Saloon.  The Columbia University grad, who once played in a band called Sherman And The Bureaucrats with John “Jojo” Hermann of Widespread Panic, grew up in British boarding schools during the birth of the punk movement.  His songwriting evokes some of that attitude infused into a blend of pop, rock and country.  With an all-star band at his back (members have worked with Bob Dylan, Spin Doctors, Hank Williams, Jr., Phish, Keith Richards and Widespread Panic), Ewing opens an emotional vein for all the world to hear.

Single Room Saloon opens with “Heaven Waits”, an intriguing commentary on materialism and the corruption it breeds.  Ewing points to a light in the distance in a delicious blend of country guitars and sophisticated rock n roll.  “Single Room Saloon” has a distinctly urgent feel; imagine the Beatles playing in an Americana style.  The result is an edgy sound that will stay with you.  “Grey Skies Blue” is catchy, but its Ewing’s guitar work that most stands out.  It’s a tune about that one person who makes even the darkest day bright, and brings to mind some of the better works of Wilco.  “Flatlands” is a dreamy Americana blend that’s as pleasing to the ear as it is pointed in message.

“Walk On” is all about making your way in the world and finding your place.  It’s a delicious bit of soulful, buzzy rock and roll.  Things slow down for a couple of songs, but Ewing gets back on track with “Bye Bye America”.  Ewing laments those who would stand by and watch America’s decline as long as they get what they feel is coming to them.  Ewing keeps up the social commentary on “The Mission”, delving into the growing gap between rich and poor and the inability of the latter to keep up.   Ewing closes with “Marilyn”, an inconspicuous final track that plays like an epilogic vector.

Sherman Ewing shows a distinctive ability in the crafting of songs on Single Room Saloon.  The material presented here is, for the most part, cogently written and melodically sound.  Ewing’s special talent is in the musical details, which he wraps around the melodic core in layers both distinctive and refined.  Not all of the songs here work on all levels, but there’s more than enough here to make Single Room Saloon worth your time.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Sherman Ewing at www.shermanewing.com.  Single Room Saloon is available digitally from Amazon.com or iTunes.

Paul McCartney & Wings – Band On The Run

Paul McCartney & Wings – Band On The Run (Special Edition)
2010, MPL Communications/Concord Music Group

When you talk about legends of the rock n roll era, Paul McCartney’s name floats to the top almost immediately.  One of the driving creative forces behind The Beatles, McCartney has gone on to have a lucrative second career with Wings and as a solo artist.  In 1973, Paul McCartney & Wings released their iconic album Band On The Run, earning seven-times platinum designation from the RIAA and three separate stints at #1 on the Billboard charts.  In November of this year, MPL Communications and Concord Music Group re-released Band On The Run in multiple versions just in time for the holidays.

If you’re already familiar with Band On The Run then you know what you’re getting.  If you’re not, you have the opportunity to hear for the first time one of the seminal albums of the 1970’s.  You don’t have to like The Beatles to get McCartney & Wings.  Band On The Run finds McCartney taking his brand of melodic genius – the one that lay at the core of all those Beatles hits of the previous decade – and turning it loose unfettered by other voices.  The album is brilliant as has been remarked many times before by more august publications than ours.    The bonus disc includes the tracks “Helen Wheels”, “Country Dreamer” and “Zoo Gang”, as well as six tracks from the unreleased documentary One Hand Clapping. 

Also included in the package is a DVD full of bonus materials that will turn McCartney fans green with envy.  Includes are music videos for “Band On The Run”, “Mamunia” and “Helen Wheels”.  An album promo is included, as well as short films “Wings In Lagos”, “Osterly Park” and the aforementioned documentary One Hand Clapping.   A deluxe edition adds a third CD plus a 120-page hard-bound book.

A healthy level of cynicism is always warranted with such re-issues.  Record labels and artists are motivated to sell you something you already have by packaging it with something you do not.  It really becomes a question of whether the bonus materials are worth dropping the money for.  In the case of Band On The Run it really comes down to your level of fanaticism for Paul McCartney and his music.  Hard core McCartney fans will love the bonus disc and DVD.  The sound quality on the original album doesn’t seriously differentiate itself from prior releases, so this one is all about the bonus materials.  For the true McCartney fan, this one is gold.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Paul McCartney at http://www.paulmccartney.com/ or www.myspace.com/paulmccartney.  Band On The Run is available from Amazon.com as a Standard CD, Special Edition 2-CD/1 DVD set, Deluxe Edition 3-CD/1 DVD set, 2-CD and 2-DVD Limited Special Edition,  LP or Digital Download.

Terry Holley - Acoustic Covers

Terry Holley - Acoustic Covers

2010, The Standard Electrical Record Company

Terry Holley is a man living his dream.  Over the course of three months Holley recorded eleven covers of classic tunes in his home.  Mixed in a Florida studio with limited compression, the album Acoustic Covers gives life to Holley’s straightforward style of acoustic guitar play, mixing in organic and synthesized instruments.  Holley will be giving away one hundred copies of the album as Christmas gifts to family and friends this holiday season, and will also be offering Acoustic Covers for sale online in the near future.  Holley expects to lose money on Acoustic Covers, but is proceeding purely on his love for music.

Acoustic Covers is literally titled.  There isn’t much original or surprising in the eleven tracks offered here, but Holley offers consistent and loving renditions of classic rock songs one might assume were among his personal favorites.  Holley keeps the arrangements simply drawn, offering up just enough instrumental support to build a sufficient canvas to backlight his guitar-based melodies.  The results are generally very solid; while Holley never quite sets the night on fire with his guitar style, he manages to move from song to song with a bit of spirit and panache in spite of the middle-of-the-road arrangements.

Holley opens with The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Daydream”, a straight-up instrumental read with a playful feel.  You can almost hear Holley’s smirk throughout the song.  “Splish Splash” is similarly arranged, adding light percussion this time around.  Musically solid, there’s a somewhat canned feel to this one – like slightly upbeat Muzak.  Holley shows some real bounce on Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth”, working some jazzy life into the transitions.  Holley keeps upping the ante here, getting some real bounce into the act as the song progresses.  Holley takes The Beatles to the music box on “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” with a faithful instrumental that keeps things simple.

Holley has some fun with Pure Prairie League’s “Amie”, a sweet cover that captures the melodic heart of the song in a tight and well-played cover.  Holley then steps out on a bit of a limb with The Left Banke’s “Walk Away Renee”, incorporating flute and strings in a solid rendition that seems a bit more ambitious than what has come before.  The Doobie Brothers’ “Black Water” is up next in a sufficiently intricate rendition that is aurally appealing.    Holley captures the snarky feel of Eric Idle’s “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life”, offering up a light and airy reading that will leave a smile on your face.  “Obladi, Oblada” gets back to the music box Beatles feel noted earlier in a straight-up, enjoyable rendition.  Procol Harum’s “Whiter Shade Of Pale” is eminently reverent to the original arrangement even if it seems a bit dissociated from the emotional heart of the song.  Holley closes with Gioachino Rossini’s “William Tell Overture” in a technically splendid performance.

Terry Holley certainly chases the dream on Acoustic Covers.  In this regard the album is a huge success, as Holley manages to perfect a dream long held.  Acoustic Covers is a pleasant listen that is certain to please the ears and provide for hours of solid background music.  Holley is proficient with the guitar; technically consistent and able to display the occasional spark that turns a mediocre album into an above-average one.  Acoustic Covers does tend to be a bit too straightforward at times.  It would be nice to hear Holley actually interpret the songs offered up here rather than just playing straight melody lines.  But for what it is, Acoustic Covers is worth spending a bit of time on.  And as a dream come true, you could do worse.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

 Acoustic Covers is available as a digital download from Amazon.com, CDBaby and iTunes.