Christine Martucci sounds a lot like other pop-rock singers of an earlier era, with comparisons that can be made to individuals like Sheryl Crow and Melissa Etheridge. The hard edge of songs like “Too Late†are good, as they give Martucci a different sound than the aforementioned artists. “Too Late†is a track that can make it onto pop stations without anything in the way of changes. The slower tempo…
To be honest, this CD is not what I expect to be hearing from Asian Man Records. This album was recorded on a walkman, and still really is full of bouncy reggae music that brings me back to an era in which I was not even born in. “Switchblade to Soul” has virtually no connection to the current, sounding as if it was dug out of the vaults at some…
“The Sacred Feminine†starts out with a piano that is emotional in its output, but does not seem to give individuals much of an idea what Choose to Find ultimately sounds like. Will the band come into a more indie approach, a classical approach, or something resembling the feminist-pop of individuals like Dar Williams, Tori Amos, and Ani DiFranco. The instrumentation continues without any vocal cues, but by the time…
After reading so much laudatory praise about this band, I was quite amazed to hear that they were just another dance act that seemed ultimately influenced by bands like Apell, Depeche Mode, Orbital, and Kraftwerk. I really was not sure what to expect from the band, but “Louden Up Now†attacks every possible corner of the dance phenomenon, instead of driving itself into a rut like Fluke’s “Puppyâ€. Instead of…
After reading so much laudatory praise about this band, I was quite amazed to hear that they were just another dance act that seemed ultimately influenced by bands like Apell, Depeche Mode, Orbital, and Kraftwerk. I really was not sure what to expect from the band, but “Louden Up Now†attacks every possible corner of the dance phenomenon, instead of driving itself into a rut like Fluke’s “Puppyâ€. Instead of…
Fairly formulaic punk in the vein of early Green Day or Less Than Jake, and the band has seemed to tame their entire sound down from “Henry Rollins is No Fun†and “Best Hung Carrot in The Fridgeâ€. The copious amounts of dope that the band consumed and smoked before this disc makes for some of the most tepid and boring music to come out (even in the over-filled pop-punk…
Cherry Suede play a brand of radio hair rock that blends together the sound of Loverboy, Def Leppard, and Bon Jovi. This means that the choruses that the band creates for this album are immediately catchy, and could be sung alike by young and old. “Not A Day Goes By†is the first track, and the band steps up confidently to the microphone even at the early reaches of the…
“One More Autumn†starts out with Cheron using a vocal inflection that sounds a lot like Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi†than anything that has came out in the last thirty years. There isn’t much in the way of extra instrumentation to “Goodnight Amelia†besides a guitar and a bass. Of course, the focal point of this track has to be Cheron’s voice, which is something that is never challenged…
A certain amount old, seventies-influenced rock starts off “Gang’s All Hereâ€; replete with the guitar fuzz present on all those old albums, the vocals really cut through the noise and provide for rock in the old style. This is not diminished during “Girl’s Roomâ€; if anything, the guitars assume the fuzz present on many a punk song while the vocals take on a Danzig/Jim Morrison type of feel. The drums…
Political Punk a la Rage Against The Machine funneled through a pop machine. This band is a mix of RATM with pop-punk (The Donnas), and when I say the Donnas, I mean a strong female presence at the vocals. The politics of the band are truly worn on their sleeve, showcasing them as direct action, anarchists, and as people that don’t force their listeners to believe in a specific dogma.…
Before 2005, I had never reviewed much in the way of non-punk world music. This year seems to be the year of world music, as both Raza and Cheb i Sabbah cutting albums. This time, we have a more restrained sound, allowing for more traditional song structures even as more-Eastern styles dominate. “La Kahena†is a light album, with the majority of instruments found on the disc creating a tinny…
I was just about ready to say that the style of music that Chas Mtn plays is very organic and reminiscent of the sound that one would hear if they were walking along a road, bordered by a forest. At some point, the majority of the music on the disc is related to an acoustic guitar. Whether it is the soulful acoustic opening to “Deep Safety†or the disjointed stylings…
Charlie Megira – the abtomatic misterzinger mambo chic Wow, a long title for such a short CD. This is total surf music, but surf music of a style that I can actually stand. When they try to put lyrics to this type of music, it almost never works, as the song writers for this style of music feel it necessary to place the stupidest lyrics to the music. Much like…
Finally, some no-bullshit punk rock to blow the cobwebs off the Lancaster music scene. With perennial punk rawkers Evan and Shawn manning vocals and bass on this disc, The Charlestons are here to fuck your daughters and sing about it in a Op Ivy/Screeching Weasel brand of vocals. While this was recorded by some in-town individuals (The Charlestons thank Kenny from S.B.C.), the recording on this disc could easily be…
First off, this disc was the one which the EP took its content from, so it would be much more informative if one would find a copy of my review of turn it up till your mommys screamin’ and your sisters dancin’ EP. Specifically, there are six songs that will be focused on in this review : “The Jerkâ€, “Don’t Like Youâ€, “Voodoo Meâ€, “Michelleâ€, “Catch My Driftâ€, and “Duane…
Much of what Ray Charles did in music had happened well before I was born, and the same thing can be said about Count Basie. However, that does not mean that I cannot appreciate the music that was cut on this disc. The creation of this disc has an interesting story behind it, that is for sure. Charles’ vocals were found on a soundboard tape from a thirty-odd year old…
Metal Blade Records is proud to announce the signing of Richard Christy’s new project, Charred Walls of the Damned! This newly formed outfit features some of the most talented musicians in metal. Their collective experience is colossal and their musical pedigrees speak louder than any verbal or written praise. Founder, Richard Christy comments: “To be a part of the Metal Blade family is such an honor. I’ve been a fan…
This is really just one woman, Regina Chellew, and her many faces, her many styles of music. The beginning of the CD spreads the idea that Chao is really just innocuous pop, which most of the CD would tend to agree with, but at times, Chao goes and places in influences from different genres of music. Although, this does nothing to make the CD very interesting. The whole CD plays…
While the first few tracks of “An Offer You Can’t Refuse†are fairly pedestrian, it is the ending of the disc’s second track “Death Do Us Part†that really show A Change of Pace’s worth as a band. The rapid-fire guitars present on the track, simple yet compelling really show listeners that the band is not all cute faces. “Every Second†is reminiscent of Simple Plan and Yellowcard, mixing a…
Chantal starts off “Love Needs You†in an interesting way; “Zindegi†really has an operatic feel to it that moves into a jazz influenced type of pop track. This bizarre mesh of styles will call listeners’ attention quickly, and even if it was only done for the shock value (this is not the case, as the track is very well-crafted and catchy), individuals are locked in for at least a…