Al Jarreau – Love Songs / 2008 Rhino / 14 Tracks / http://www.aljarreau.com / http://www.rhino.com / Al Jarreau has been around for a long period of time. While individuals that are in to contemporary music may remember eir duet with Paris Bennett during the 5th season of American Idol, Jarreau made a name for eirself through eir 1981 hit “We’re in this Love Together†as well as being a major…
William Hart Strecker – Smoke and Clouds / 2008 WHS / 13 Tracks / http://www.williamhartstrecker.com / Strecker’s “Smoke and Clouds†is the third foray into Americana music by this individual, who was previously known for touring with individuals as diverse as Dizzy Gillespie, George Duke, and Mariah Carey. If eir contributions to the works and live shows of those individuals has not rang a bell, Strecker is also well known…
Demeanor – Shoulders Full of Nazis / 2008 Mayday Mayday Records / 5 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/demeanorgrind Franklin Kentucky’s Demeanor brings a lot to the table. The two piece toured the country for nearly a year under the moniker Meandmyfriendcoty before changing their name to Demeanor and releasing “Shoulders Full of Nazis†on Mayday Mayday Records. My only complaint with “Shoulders full of Nazis†is that there isn’t more for me…
Chili Jackson – S/T / 2007 Conscious / 3 Tracks / http://www.consciousrecordsmusic.com / The soulful, slow style of rock that Chili Jackson plays does not have an easy set of influences to decipher. The style of music that Jackson opens up this self-titled disc, during “Whyâ€, is something that individuals have heard before but cannot pin down. The track is catchy and even sounds a little on the happy side…
Steve Lieberman – Shake The Missile Base / 2007 Self / 22 Tracks / http://www.gangstarabbi.com / Despite the fact that I already know most of the ongs that Lieberman puts on eir “cover†albums, I rather prefer the albums that have a large amount of unique material on them. This gives me more of a sense of what Lieberman wants to do with music, rather than having eir constrained by…
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…