Steve Lieberman – Last of the Jewish Pirates / 2007 Self / 24 Tracks / http://www.gangstarabbi.com / Steve Lieberman has been cutting albums, one per year or more, for quite a while now. “Last of the Jewish Pirates†is the one of the latest albums from Lieberman, and ey places eir own spin on the tracks that have been the most influential in the creation of Lieberman’s own sound. This…
Teedo – You Are My Girl / 2007 ICBM / 4 Tracks / http://www.teedomusic.com / “You Are My Girl†is an EP that sets the stage for the band’s upcoming full length, which should be out before the end of 2008. The title track blends together a very “China Girlâ€-era Bowie with a set of instruments that call together a rich array of influences. These influences include early nineties alternative…
Lil Devious – You Control Me / 2007 Gung Ho / 5 Tracks / http://www.lildevious.com / http://www.gung-horecordings.com / This is the latest single from Lil’ Devious, Mark Baker and Gary Little, called “You Control Meâ€. “You Control Me†starts with little more than a back and forth drum beat, taking a good half minute before adding a little bit of atmospheric elements to the mix. The inclusion of synthesizer lines…
Diane Schuur – Some Other Time / 2008 Concord / 13 Tracks / http://www.dianeschuur.com / http://www.concordmusicgroup.com / Diane Schuur hit it big when Stan Getz had eir sing “Amazing Grace†at the 1979 version of the Monterey Jazz Festival. Schuuz was invited back in 1988 and 1991, but by that time, eir career had started to take off. To say that Schuur has a voluminous discography would be an understatement;…
Chick Corea & Gary Burton – The New Crystal Silence / 2008 Concord / 13 Tracks / http://www.concordmusicgroup.com / Individuals that have been around the jazz world for an extended period of time will likely remember that thirty-five years ago that Corea and Burton had united to craft some ground-breaking music. “The New Crystal Silence†builds off of that, as it showcases the duo’s performances at two different locations: Syndey,…
Merle Haggard – Working Man’s Journey / 2007 Cracker Barrel / 12 Tracks / http://www.merlehaggard.com / Before I had a chance to read up on Merle Haggard, I had no clue that ey broke out of prison over 17 times before making a career for eirself as a country star. Haggard has came to complete a 180 in regards to working with and against the system. Where it was breaking…
Billy Vera – Hopeless Romantic / 2007 Shout Factory / 14 Tracks / http://www.shoutfactory.com / When I first received “Hopeless Romanticâ€, I really thought that Billy Vera was Billy Ocean. Imagine my surprise when I put the disc on and hear a very funky, soulful brand of rock instead of “Caribbean Queenâ€. For those individuals that do not know who Billy Vera is, ey has had a career in music…
Johnny Bennett – Red Light Room / 2007 Self / 5 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/johnnybennett / The first track on “Red Light Room†is “Chance Meetingâ€, which starts out in an interesting way. This is due to the fact that Bennett’s vocals start out in a speaking role. It is only when the instrumentation kicks in that Bennett starts to craft eir own style of music. Bennett’s unique style links together…
The Jaguar Club – Ceci N’est Pas Le Club De Jaguar / 2007 Self / 6 Tracks / http://www.jaguarclubofnyc.net / Judging from the band’s web site title, there are more than one jaguar clubs in existence in the world. Anyways, this New York City band starts out “Ceci N’est†with a very angular type of rock. The disc’s first track, “Beat of My Heartâ€, takes a lot from the eighties…
Wild Sweet Orange – The Whale EP / 2007 Self / 5 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/wildsweetorange / I guess Wild Sweet Orange is an act that has been making a name for themselves over the last few years. Through February and March they are going on a tour through the United States, so individuals have to be at least somewhat familiar with this indie-rock style. The disc’s first track is “Wrestle…
Torpedo Boyz – Cum On Feel The Boyz / 2007 Rooftop / 11 Tracks / http://www.torpedo-boyz.com / For the longest time that I had this disc in my possession, I could swear that the Torpedo Boyz were the Boomtang Boys, who (if all you can remember from 1999) had hits such as “Squeeze Toys†and “Picturesâ€. What the Torpedo Boyz come up with is similar in the sense that it…
Monork To Die – Speed Of Light / 2007 Self / 3 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/monorktodie / “Saturday Night Shannon†is the first track on “Speed Of Lightâ€. Monork To Die is really trying to come forth with a track that could be accepted during the fifties, when all the boy-rock bands were present. Aside from a little too much in the way of distortion on the guitars, Monork To Die…
Greg Laswell – How the Day Sounds / 2007 Vanguard / 6 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/greglaswell / The name Greg Laswell may not ring any bells in listener’s brains, but there is a good chance that you have heard one of eir songs in the past. This is due ot the fact that Laswell’s music has been present on shows like One Tree Hill, The Hills, and Smallville. Furthermore, Laswell has…
Action Painters – Chubby Dancer / 2007 Self / 7 Tracks / http://www.actionpaintersband.com / This version of the Action Painters is from Brooklyn. The original action painters were individuals that included painters like Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Franz Kline. I consider myself lucky that the music on “Chubby Dancer†is nothing like the work of the early action painters. This means that the opening track, “Absolutely Clear†is…
The Billionaires – Really Real For Forever / 2007 Self / 10 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/billionairesband / Anyone that knows me knows that I usually just get rid of about 99% of the CDs that I review for the zine. We just get way too many, and I have no room for a vast majority of the ones we receive (also, most of them suck). However, The Billionaires make an album…
The Exit Strategy – City of Microphones / 2008 One Percent / 12 Tracks / http://www.onepercentpress.com / The Exit Strategy have not been around for too terribly long; they formed in 2004. Considering that they were working on this album likely in 2006 and 2007, that does not give them all that much time to perfect their sound. However, individuals just need to listen to a track like “X-Rays†and…
Bayard Russell – Selftitled / 2006 Self / 11 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/bayardrussell Individuals that concern themselves with the indie NYC scene may know Bayard Russell. This is due to the fact that ey is the lead vocalist and bassist for the seminal NYC act Negative Ken. If you have went to a show at places such as Arlene’s Grocery, Snitch, or the Orange Bear, there is a good chance you…
Blackmore’s Night – Paris Moon / 2007 Steamhammer / http://www.blackmoresnight.com / Individuals that are unsure exactly who the eponymous “Blackmore†is in Blackmore’s Night, it is Ritchie Blackmore, who may be more well known for eir stints in both Deep Purple and Rainbow. While the seeds for Blackmore’s Night were first laid in 1990, the act did not come up with a full length album until 1997. However, since 1997,…
Putumayo Presents Latin Reggae / 2008 Putumayo / 11.Tracks / http://www.putumayo.com / This is another one in the compilation of different world music CDs that Putumayo has put out in the last few years. For those individuals that are not in the know, what Putumayo does is pick a specific set of musicians, whether they be Middle Eastern, Eastern European, or the like, and then find a strong set of…
The Berzerker- Animosity / 2007 Earache Records / 10 Tracks / www.theberzerker.com The Berzerker used to wear masks and dress up as demons. Now they don’t do that. They’re from Australia; headquarters to some of the most brutal and unrelenting Grindcore bands in the world. The Berzerker is no exception. It is fast, It sounds like a Nintendo game and it is very mean. Its very true to the origins…