Review: Paul McCartney - Good Evening New York City

Label: Hear Music

Released: November 17, 2009

In this decade, Paul McCartney has released as many live albums as he has studio albums. Even packaged with a DVD, Good Evening New York City, his third live release since 2002's Back in the US, begs the question, "Why another live album?" It doesn't take the album long to answer though.

Despite McCartney's late-career studio renaissance, his live albums have remained lackluster. Good Evening New York City finally rights that wrong with a live document as fresh as his recent material and as new as the venue itself (this was Citi Field's first concert). The set is very Beatles-heavy (nearly two-thirds of the material comes from the Fab Four days), but also includes a fair helping of recent material (including "Sing the Changes" from his Fireman side-project). What's happily missing is the saccharine sap that made up much of Macca's career from the mid-70s through the late 80s. You got it, no "Silly Love Songs," no "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," no "Coming Up." (Okay, "My Love" made the cut, but nothing's perfect, right?) Though the Beatles' classics need no overhaul, McCartney re-energizes them with fresh arrangements and youthful enthusiasm. That makes all the difference being playing old songs and playing songs like an old man. McCartney chooses the former and all these years later, both he and the songs can still get me excited. Fantastic!

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 9/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

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Review: WASP - Babylon

Label: Demolition Records

Released: October 13, 2009

Are you sick of the 80s? I certainly am. Having the synthpop of my youth sold back to me as if it's a new thing is bad enough, but the more egregious offenders are the old hair metal dinosaurs who not only want to resell their corporate sound, but also the mindless, superficial party mentality of the Reagan years. While that stuff was a musical mixed bag, it was, with few exceptions, an emotional void.

So, one would think that perhaps the latest offering from Blackie Lawless and WASP, the band who gave us the deep and heavy "Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)" as well as a drunken Chris Holmes monologue in Decline of Western Civilization Part 2, would be no different, but closer examination of the band's career says otherwise. Even the stupidity of songs like "Animal" had a darkness that WASP's peers only pretended to understand and it wasn't long before WASP began expanding on that. By 1992's The Crimson Idol, Lawless, who essentially is WASP, began using his music to take an introspective journey. By 2004, he offered up the social commentary of the Neon God two part concept album. The point is that there's a little bit more to WASP than perhaps meets the eye and to lump them in with the other nonsense that's been held over from the 80s hard rock scene is unfair.

That brings us to WASP's latest release, Babylon. Musically, it isn't a real musical departure from their sound two decades ago. Some tracks lean toward hook-heavy hard rock. They're memorable and easy to fall into, but also suffer from that sense that there isn't much behind the veneer and that's where Lawless' sense of searching that underscores the album really helps out, providing substance rather than just smoke and mirrors. Much of the album leans more toward the heavier 80s metal sound and while these tracks benefit from the album's spiritual/emotional undercurrent, they don't require it. Babylon is solid today, but would have held up back in the genre's prime as well.

Overall, if you can't take 80s hard rock and heavy metal, Babylon won't change that. However, if the music is basically up your alley, but you've grown sick of its stagnation and stupidity, this might be the album that restores your faith that someone is playing your song without playing in your past. If you still wish it was 1988, you'll love Babylon and hopefully its sense of growth will rub off on you, because you need it.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) - What It Takes to Move Forward

Label: Count Your Lucky Stars Records

Released: September 29, 2009

Empire! Empire!'s previous release, last year's Year of the Rabbit 7", had some interesting musical moments that were drowned in a sea of emo drama. Their latest, What It Takes to Move Forward, still has its fair share of the dramatic and sometimes it still supersedes the adventurous nature of the music. However, unlike last year's EP, this set of songs is just leaps and bounds stronger and, where the EP took some subtle musical chances, this time those chances are bold, bold enough, in fact, to make a now tired genre exciting again. While a few songs do fall into the same humdrum of Empire! Empire!'s earlier work, polyrhythms and swelling layers dominate most of these new songs. While the point of it all hasn't changed, it is now communicated much more effectively. It seems odd that, at this late stage of the emo game, someone has just made what may be one of the genre's best records, but Empire! Empire! has done just that.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Incite - The Slaughter

Label: I Scream Records

Released: October 20, 2009

Considering they're fronted by Max Cavalera's stepson Richie, there's probably no way that Incite can avoid comparisons to Sepultura. That has to be a bit daunting for a young band on their debut album. After all, they're going to measured against one of metal's most intense and creative bands.

Incite, however, doesn't seem to be all that intimidated. On The Slaughter, they unleash 12 tracks of untempered intensity. Overflowing with the blast beats, lightning riffs and waves of heaviness, the album never holds back. It's rhythmically dynamic, but whether the pace is explosive and blistering or slow and churning, the music's potency is undeniable.

Does Incite live up to the inevitable comparison to Sepultura? Well, no. However, their debut has the raw passion of a hungry young band. That coupled with their abundant technical skill, still makes for a fantastic record. It also makes it clear that what is now an unfair comparison may be much more equitable in the near future.

Ratings
Satriani: 9/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Kiss - Sonic Boom

Label: KISS Records

Released: October 5, 2009

Before even listening, Sonic Boom suffers from some degree of disingenuousness just because they dressed Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer up as Ace and Peter. C'mon guys, at least Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent got their own Kiss persona. And gee, the cover art looks a little familiar too.

Sonic Boom does look back fondly on the band's classic years, particularly the loose, more distilled rock n roll of their first three albums. On the surface, that probably makes it their best album in a long, long time. Even their better albums of the last 30 years have generally been nods to current musical trends, so at least now they're giving a nod to their own success. Granted, "Stand" suffers a bit much from the late 80s in the chorus and "All for the Glory" is horribly generic, but overall, Gene, Paul and their hired guns make a pretty decent Kiss cover band. Sure, even the best songs on Sonic Boom aren't quite what they wrote 30 to 35 years ago and they don't have the fire that once fueled their drive to the top, but other hard rock bands have done worse. Much worse. Still, the cover is a better rip-off of Rock and Roll Over than the music is.

The package comes with a second CD collecting 15 old tunes, mostly from their first decade. It isn't clear what purpose it serves other than to point out the band's current shortcomings. There's also a DVD from a show earlier this year in Buenos Aires, but the performance finds them going through the motions of trying to be the Kiss of old when those days are long gone. They do shoot an impressive amount of confetti into the crowd though. It kinda makes one wonder what they're trying to cover up.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 5/10
Aretha: 4/10
Overall: 5/10

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Review: Creedence Clearwater Revival-The Singles Collection

Label: Concord Music

Released: November 3, 2009

Of the 30 tracks that make up the two CDs of CCR's The Singles Collection, over half are songs we all know like the back of our hands. However, unlike a traditional greatest hits collection, this one includes all the b-sides as well. Sure, some had two sides that were popular enough to be more like a double a-side single, but there are still plenty of lesser know gems here.

The liner notes, a crucial part of any anthology release, have some interesting material, but the more narrative style puts readability over information. The best part of the package though, music aside, is the poster showing all the single covers. It's not anything that hasn't been done before, but it's always great to see the original covers. The four videos on the DVD are a nice bonus as well.

In addition to the double CD, Concord Music is releasing a 7" set that includes all 15 singles with the original artwork in a deluxe box. If that doesn't sound like a winner, I don't know what does.

You can check out the whole thing at AOL Music.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 10/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10



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Review: Mighty High - Drops a Deuce

Label: self-released

Released: October 12, 2009

True to the form they set with last year's full-length, In Drug City, Mighty High's new EP is nothing if not unabashedly fun. This 7" EP features two songs that waste nothing (except perhaps brain cells). "Cable TV Eye" is full-on stoner paranoia propelled by riffs they learned from hard rock leaning punk bands like Gang Green or the Circle Jerks in the mid-to-late 80s. It's thick and chunky and full of good things for your rock and roll appetite. "Hands Up!" is like a pep rally at a Texas high school if pot was the football team. It's recorded live and, to the band's credit, there is little distinction between this and the studio track. Their energy can't be contained no matter where it's being recorded. So, it's two sides, one studio, one live, and both rock uncontrollably. No pretensions, no cleverness, no tricks, no fakes, just rock and roll you can get high off of whether you smoke pot or not.

Top it all off with some fantastic R. Crumb-style artwork (seriously, it's almost as fun as the Cheap Thrills cover) and sweet baby blue marble vinyl and it's a package that can't be beat!

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Elin Palmer - Postcards

Label: Suburban Home

Released: October 23, 2009

When I think of an album that tells a story, I tend to think of concept albums where the story often takes precedence over the music, resulting in weak, but often needed filler. Elin Palmer's Postcard has a very narrative nature to it, but in a far different way than a concept album or a rock opera. Instead of imposing narrative conventions on the music, Palmer's music itself seems to be a story.

Postcard wanders between folk and post-rock, visiting chamber music and jazz and dabbling in polka, cabaret and even twee pop along the way. Palmer draws on these traditions almost like sub plots that are interwoven throughout, peering out subtly at times and taking center stage at others. Like any good story, this one has many pulses that at times are in sync and at others run counter to each other and Palmer's ability to both sensual and vaguely eerie leave the meaning of this work ultimately in the ears of the listener. She facilitates this by letting the songs, and the album as a whole, follow their own muse. Even the final track, which seems at first to be the album's dénouement, ultimately runs its own course and becomes the climax.

Even an album with an explicit story often fails to really tell it well. Music is simply more engaging when the listener participates in the art. Few albums do that as successfully as Elin Palmer's Postcard.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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Elin Palmer: Swedish folk by a Denver rockstar from Matthew Roberts on Vimeo.

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Review: Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats - Meet the Meatbats

Label: Warrior Records

Released: September 15, 2009

Fans of Chad Smith's other endeavors, the funk/punk of Red Hot Chili Peppers and the generic hard rock of Chickenfoot, will find his Bombastic Meatbats project to be a surprise to say the least. It owes more to 70s fusion artists John McLaughlin and Herbie Hancock and jazz-oriented prog than it does to any mainstream rock influence.

At times, it really nails things. "Oh! I Spilled My Beer" builds on its funky groove, really freeing a wild, fun madness by the end. The mellow melding of soul and prog on "Tops Off" moves nicely, giving both sides of its nature space to breathe. The trouble is, though, that there are also tracks, like "The Battle for Ventura Blvd" and, to lesser extent, "Night Sweats," which wander too far into smooth jazz and light fusion to feel much better than cheap. In fact, much of the album has at least small bits of real badness, but as on "Death Match," it is saved by a combination of both fire and fun, often in the form of Smith's drumming and Jeff Kollman's guitar licks. Smith's group isn't going through an exercise in soul by any means, but they do manage to find enough life to keep things from becoming stagnant or completely self-indulgent.

By its nature, an album like Meet the Meatbats will suffer from too much noodling and too little soul and in some ways it's no exception to that rule. It does, at times, devolve into session-band-like fluff. However, despite playing an awful lot of notes, this one remains fun overall and that makes all the difference. The Meatbats also have the distinct advantage of not involving the ridiculously overindulgent and soulless Joe Satriani, so this is a much better diversion from the Chili Peppers for Chad Smith than Chickenfoot.

Ratings
Satriani: 9/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 5/10
Aretha: 5/10
Overall: 6/10

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Review: Balance and Composure - Only Boundaries

Label: No Sleep Records

Released: August 11, 2009

I love when a record is really busy, but doesn't get lost in the busyness. On the four song Only Boundaries, Balance and Composure fully live up to their name, balancing intricacies with listenable sensibility and remaining composed while the music swirls. "I Can't Do This Alone" combines a tribal rhythm with echoey guitar and yearning vocals into a song that pleads its case with both calm and determination . "Show Your Face" is reminiscent of Peter Cortner-era Dag Nasty, coupling earnest honesty with a desire to push the music beyond traditional limits. They accomplish the latter with considerable success, not just on this song, but throughout the record. Only Boundaries meets the challenges of exploration while leaving enough that's familiar to embrace.

No Sleep Records pressed 500 of these on black vinyl and the first 100 have a silk-screened b-side. It's a nice cover worthy of all of its 12 inches. For convenience, they throw in a CD copy as well.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Victor! Fix The Sun - Person Place or Thing

Label: Friction Records

Released: October 20, 2009

Albums that rely heavily on noisy dissonance and angular rhythms as a means of expression seldom even dabble in accessibility, but Person Place or Thing, the latest from Michigan's mathy post-punkers Victor! Fix the Sun, is clear evidence of what's missing from that narrow view.

From the ringing guitar and wild, frantic drumming that opens the album, it's obvious that this isn't just another post-punk exercise. The album constantly soars on one hand while grounding itself at the same time and this tension is its energy. "We Come from the Northwoods" breaks free of its simple, agitated roots into an amazing progressive flight. Early on, "Blind Man's Bluff" gives a nod to CCR before turning the corner into a wild punk tune. The title track's hard rock groove tugs firmly on its frenetic undercurrent. The laid back bass line and mellow hooky guitar part on "Paperthin Feather Fuck" is in direct contrast to the raw emotion that drops in and out with masterful aplomb. "Infested, Mother Approved" has gentle layering and airy, trippy passages while the rhythm wraps it as tight as a straight-jacket.

Throughout, Victor! Fix the Sun shows an innate sense of where the songs themselves want to go and they follow that rather than leading and overthinking. Person Place or Thing follows a fine tradition of bands that use style and genre in the way other bands use instruments. Rather than taking the narrow road, they explore the broad vistas that view music without limits.

Don't miss this one on vinyl. It comes in either amber or maroon (the maroon is beautiful) and the album art looks great in its full 12 inches. A free download offers the best of both worlds, so you can't go wrong.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

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Victor! Fix the Sun at the VFW (April 24th, 2009)
by lexen1

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Review: Admiral Browning - Magic Elixir

Label: Dancing Sasquatch Records

Released: April 2009

So much stoner and doom rock tends to be an exercise in heaviness alone. While that certainly has its place, few people can take the steady bludgeoning that it offers even as it fills that need in all who really love heavy metal for the mind-numbing weight of slow, trudging riffs that take Tony Iommi to the extreme. Sometimes, however, a band offers such crushing power in a more dynamic form that respects the song as well as pushing the limits of the heavy in metal.

Like Kyuss and Clutch before them, Maryland's Admiral Browning is just such band. The five tunes that make up Magic Elixir are quite a ride. Sure, there's the standard downtuned sludgy riffs, but, unlike most of their peers, that's only a small part of what Admiral Browning has in their heavy bad of tricks. Instead of going on ad infinitum, songs will suddenly take off with wild, frenetic energy or slip into spacey, psychedelic ramblings. They even through in some brighter, more colorful progressive hard rock, à la Rush, and it fits with strange perfection in the same song with hard rock freakouts.

The whole album really builds up to "Speaking in Tones," the 13 minute opus that closes the album proper. All the parts, stoner rock, psychedelia, prog, come together into Admiral Browning's unique vision of what heavy metal can and should be when its limits evaporate in the ground zero where they split musical atoms.

The untitled coda is a less structured jam that lets Magic Elixir down easy after an exhilarating ride into what can be. Its vaguely incomplete nature just begs the question, "What's next?"

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Grant Hart - Hot Wax

Label:

Released: October 6, 2009

The progression of an artist from a seminal band to a solo career usually tells us more about the artist now that they're freed from the shackles of band unity (in whatever form it existed). What's interesting about Grant Hart's Hot Wax is that it tells us some things about him, but more of where he came from and how that fit into his own art, both in Hüsker Dü and on his own.

The album opens with "You're Not the Moon," perhaps the best psych garage piece I've ever heard. The mix of pop, psychelelia and proto-punk creates a wall of sound that prefigures Hüsker Dü's oh-so-listenable noise. The baroque pop of "Barbara," along with the strangely innocent darkness of the words, isolates a quality that he's incorporated into much of his music over the years. He dabbles in Bowie and Mott the Hoople-era glam ("School Buses are for Children" and "Narcissus, Narcissus") and fuzzy 60s pop ("Sailor Jack"). "California Zephyr" has the pop bombast of Neil Diamond without crossing the line into corny sentimentality. The understated cacophony and strong melodies of the soaring "My Regrets," a bit the inverse of Hüsker Dü, is not only a bold closer, but also a segue from this "prequel," so to speak, into what Hart has already done in his long career.

While Hot Wax is a view into Grant Hart's musical origins, it is not simply reliving the past, à la John Lennon's Rock N Roll. Hart employs the help of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and A Silver Mt Zion, two of rock's most forward thinking outfits. This isn't Hart replaying his younger days, but rather distilling his own music into its component parts. Not only does this illustrate where Hart's music came from, but also demonstrates both a love and deep understanding of his influences, such that he can make a record that returns to the past and pushes boldly into the future simultaneously.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

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Review: The Family Curse - White Medicine

Label: Fainting Room Collective

Released: October 2009

There's no doubt that the Family Curse really like noise in general and the Butthole Surfers in particular. The opening track certainly makes no bones about it, but also shows that they don't quite get it. It's random and pointless and they miss that even the wild abandon of the Buttholes and the better of their ilk had direction even when it wasn't particularly discernible. There was always the notion, swimming around in the music somewhere, that there was some point. By "Laughing My Way to the Bank," it seems quite clear that that's what this band would be doing if this record took off. However, "Back in the Water" begins to turn the corner. It's every bit as crazy as the first two tracks, but it has purpose and that purpose gives it form. It begins to break down as it meanders through what amount to two other songs within it, but at least the album looks like it's going somewhere. Much of the album continues to struggle as it wanders through their contrived stabs at shallow darkness.

All hope is not lost however. On the album's second to last tune (though tune seems like such a stretch for these exercises in dissonance), "Exodus from Birds in the Night," they draw on a higher school of noise - John Zorn. While they're still nowhere near joining his league (well, who is?), the song's subtleties are more moving and deep and its excellence not only saves the album, but sheds some light on the rest of the music, making all but their worst moments at least a little more interesting.

White Medicine spends too much time trying and too little time being and that's i's serious flaw. However, dismissing it entirely or dismissing the Family Curse would be a mistake. There's something there if only they can simply allow that to happen. Aside from one fantastic track, this record isn't very good, but this a band that clearly has a good record in them.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 4/10
Dylan: 4/10
Aretha: 5/10
Overall: 4/10

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Review: Flying Machines

Label: Meteor 17

Released: September 22, 2009

Flying Machines recently won Converse's "Get Out of the Garage" nationwide battle of the bands contest. Their music has been featured on TV's Psych. They're a band on the way up. So, what's the hype? Well, their guitar driven pop rock (a la the Killers) fits in nicely with the current mood of the mass consumer music market. The well-crafted songs have solid hooks, yet don't get overwhelmed by their own catchiness. Sound good? Well, don't jump in too soon.

They churn out some solid arena rock on "Talk About It" and driving guitar pop on "I Can't Stop." Hints of ELO-slick Beatlemania haunt "On a Whim," while "I Don't Remember Why" is piano-less Elton John in its best moments (and Phil Collins-ish in its worst). When Flying Machines works Queen into the mix, it seems like things are taking a turn for the better...until it becomes clear that their Queen lacks the flamboyance and intense creativity of the original. "Gina Don't Call Me" does take off in places, boding well for there being a better band lurking under these thinly veiled stabs at commercial success, but their heads quickly wrest control of the album back from their hearts. The Queen-meets-power-pop finish on "Hopelessly Alone" and "Clearing the Boards" is almost catchy enough for willful suspension of disbelief to finally kick in, but it's too little, too late. Every song is technically very good, but poking holes in their paper-thin veneer isn't all that difficult.

Flying Machines' first offering dots all of its i's and crosses all of its t's. Every box on the checklist is checked off. What they don't realize though is that the things that make a great rock record aren't on any checklist and it's those things that are missing. Identity, intensity, soul. There's no formula for that and, thus far, Flying Machines hasn't found it on their own. They're okay as a short term fix, but, like their older peers, they won't take long to wear thin.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 4/10
Overall: 5/10

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Review: Ace Frehley - Anomaly

Label: Bronx Born Records

Released: September 15, 2009

Anomaly is the latest release from Ace Frehley, but it's also a good description of Space Ace himself in a sense. After all, he's the only member of Kiss to make any good records on his own. So, score one for Ace. On the other hand, it's been 20 years since he's released a studio album. A long layoff from recording alone raises questions, so it's hard to predict what we'll get.

Early on, the album is a much heavier hard rock offering than I expected. If anything, Ace has developed a chunkier, meatier and somewhat darker sound over the last two decades. It's not until his cover of Sweet's pop-glam classic, "Fox on the Run," that things lighten up a bit. At that point the album becomes a bit of a mixed bag. "Genghis Khan" dabbles in mild trippiness with some success. At the same time, the well-meaning "Change the World" is lyrically and musically inarticulate (even by the standards of Kiss alumni). The instumental "Space Bear" has some solid parts that would have worked well in regular songs, but is inconsistent at best on its own. Even so, there are enough songs here like "Foxy & Free," "Pain in the Neck" and "Sister" that mix a heavier approach with the glammy swagger that always influenced Ace's playing. Heavy-handed production does rob the guitar of some of that sound that always made Ace fun to hear even though he wasn't techincally a great guitar player, but it's not entirely absent.

As it stands, the album is better than expected (and better than his former band mates' latest). There's enough solid hard rock here to satisfy fans, but probably not enough songwriting to win over anyone new. At this point though, I doubt expanding his fan base was at the front of his mind anyway. The lyrical references in "Outer Space" make it quite clear that he's in no mood to break with his past. It's not a great offering, but also doesn't leave the door open for any current or former Kiss members to usurp him as that band's best solo artist. To be fair, Ace plays with some heart in a genre that is often sorely short of it and, in the end, delivers well on his past promise.

On rare occasions, CD packaging is actually pretty cool. This is one of them. While I would never steer anyone away from buying vinyl, I will say that the pyramid foldout on the CD is very cool and packaging does matter. It isn't a substitute for crappy tunes, but here it doesn't have to be, because the album wouldn't disappoint Ace's fans even if it came in a jewel case.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 5/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

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Review: Girl in a Coma - Trio BC

Label: Blackheart Records

Released: June 2, 2009

Coming two years after their promising debut, Trio BC shows a young band that has done some significant maturing as musicians. The album maintains their early punkish edge, but expands the sound well beyond that. Nina Diaz elevates herself to a rough-around-the-edges Patsy Cline, particularly on the yearning, tender melancholy of "El Monte." They dabble a bit in T Rex's glammy boogie on "Slaughter Lane" before moving into more straightforward punk. "Joanie in the City" dips deep into the well of the Buzzcocks and the Jam so successfully that vocal help from Joan Jett herself doesn't overpower the band's sound. They even find interesting common ground between the Shangri-Las and the Smashing Pumpkins on "Trail". All of this is mixed with explorations of their own Mexican-American background that will surely draw comparisons to Los Lobos and the Plugz. But don't be fooled, because GIAC are paving their own road to the destinations previously visited by those bands.

The end result is a very good, comprehensive rock n roll album that draws from many things, but maintains a strong identity. It stems from growth in both songwriting and musicianship that doesn't compromise on the heart and soul that is the basis of the band. Girl in a Coma has adapted well to this musical growth, making Trio BC a sophomore album that's really good in the moment and also leaves open great possibilities for the future.

It's probably best to pick this one up on LP, because it'll be easier for the tattoo artist to copy it onto your body after you spend some time listening. Seriously though, the tattoo style artwork looks great on the 12" LP.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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GIAC has also made two really cool videos from this album, so check 'em out:





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Review: Rapid Cities - Machinery Saints

Label: Love/Hate Records

Released: May 2009

In some cases, albums where a band knows exactly where they're going and how they'll get there deliver a level of perfection that earlier albums hadn't. However, there is an urgency that blossoms from the creative free-for-all of a band finding their way as they go. There's a visceral energy that perfection just can't achieve. Rapid Cities may not be conscious of this fact, simply because they're in the thick of it.

Machinery Saints flows with the wild abandon of creativity that can't be restrained. They travel the roads of post-hardcore without regard for safety, attacking the sharp angles and starts and stops and stutters with more rage than plan. Oddly enough though, they remained focused, probably by sheer inertia, and their creativity delivers even as it evolves. While there is more than a hint of math rock throughout the album, the band does their math in their heart, not just their head. Feeling their way rather than planning it doesn't dispel their confidence, but rather bolsters it by simple force of will. Amazing.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: The Slits - Trapped Animal

Label: Narnack Records

Released: October 20, 2009

Trapped Animal is the first studio album from the Slits since 1981 and comes 30 years after the seminal punk/reggae fusion of their debut, 1979's Cut. The passage of time and only returning with two-thirds of the band's core (Ari Up and Tessa Pollitt) certainly give reason to be skeptical of a new album in 2009.

Even going in with doubts, the new album quickly establishes a winning presence. It retains the Slits' natural mix of punk and reggae, but this time the former is a bit more angular and the latter closer to dub, giving things a tighter, more agitated energy. Occasional electro-pop and R&B infusions expand the album beyond the earlier albums' limitations, few as they seemed to be at the time, yet Trapped Animal is possibly their most cohesive record. Most importantly though, the Slits maintain the straightforward lyrical honesty that has always made their songs easy to hold onto.

Worst case scenario would surely have been to simply go through the motions of rehashing their past. Not much better would have been to completely overhaul their sound, producing something that, while new, had little connection to their own roots. What the Slits have produced, however, is an album that shows that they hadn't reached the end of the road when they broke up in 1982. In fact, Trapped Animal is very much on par with the now-acclaimed Cut and one of the best reunion albums I've heard.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

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Review: Saint Bernadette - Word to the Lourdes

Label: Exotic Records

Released: April 14, 2009

The band name and album title here present a question. Is this band serious or tongue-in-cheek? After all, they've named themselves after the saint whose visions of the Blessed Mother continue to provide awe and inspiration to the faithful 150 years later. While their name could clearly be taken seriously, the title's less-than-reverent allusion to the place of Saint Bernadette's visions could also be read, as the band itself suggests, as a reference to pop icon Madonna's child. This duality goes beyond the surface though and permeates the music.

The tunes draw on punk, 70s glam and straightforward rock n roll backing a strong vocal performance from singer Meredith DiMenna. She plays it sultry and sexy, but strong and really cultivates an atmosphere that is both dark and hopeful, serious and fun. The music is not merely a vehicle for her voice though as the songs still take precedence. They're catchy without being overtly hooky, allowing them to hold onto what they catch. Solid production capitalizes on the band's tightness without loosing the looser, glammy feel. More than anything though, it is the co-existence of sensual seediness and upbeat positivity that makes Word to the Lourdes not simply a fine rock record, but also a real reflection of life.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Thieves and Liars - American Rock n Roll

Label: Dreamt

Released: September 1, 2009

Thieves & Liars debut, last year's When Dreams Become Reality, was a bold, expansive album. If it had a noticeable fault, it was that it didn't always turn its breadth into a cohesive whole. American Rock n Roll doesn't suffer that same ill though. It's a much more straight forward hard rock album. While nothing here is as ambitious as their debut, this album is much more even, relying more on raw passion and conviction than innovation. From the blistering rock n roll of "Walking by My Side" to the aggressive blues of "Killed a Man," Thieves & Liars successfully rein in innovation in favor of flat out rocking. While "Till the Walls Fall Down" and "Promised Land" are a little thin and lose the richness of 70s hard rock in favor of the synthetic riffs of the following decade, the album as a whole has far too much soul to be written off for a couple near misses. Overall, these songs of struggle and salvation, a hard rock gospel if you will, prove that rock n roll is anything but the devil's music.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Latin for Truth - We Are Sick of Not Having The Courage To Be Absolute Nobodies

Label: Pitfall Records

Released: Summer 2009

Some bands can get by on simply having big, open, honest hearts to fuel their music. They don't have to be particularly creative as their appeal lies more in soul than songwriting. Latin For Truth is like that...except, despite having more than enough in their hearts to make just about anything compelling, they don't rely on that alone. Instead, they fill (and I do mean fill) this three song EP with melodies that wrap their arms around you and proceed blast them out with a wild rhythmic ride beneath. We Are Sick of Not Having The Courage To Be Absolute Nobodies rolls laughter, tears, anger and every other human emotion into what is ultimately the joy of being alive.

You can download the EP for free here.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 10/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: The Treat - Audio Verité/Deceptive Blends

Label: Rockular Recordings, Ltd.

Released: June 15, 2009

One of the best things about the Treat's last album, 2007's Phonography, was its ability to really move around through rock's past. It was the movement from influence to influence that gave the album a lot of its life and that's why their new approach is a little bit disappointing. The double CD Audio Verité/Deceptive Blends is organized more like a double LP with four sides, each with its own direction, and that makes the whole affair more of a sterile exercise than a celebration. While it's a significant hit to the album's overall energy, there are still some good fine songs here even if not displayed as well as in the past.

The first "side," Side Rock, takes a straightforward approach, dealing mostly in 70s hard rock (with the exception of the rather pop-oriented "On the Waterfront"). I could have done without the opener's bow to AC/DC, but things kick into gear with the bombastic "Showtime." Whether tapping blues rock or glam or something in between, the Treat show clearly that they can rock in a way that brings the past alive.

Side Acoustic is broader than the name suggests, dabbling in acoustic psychedelia as much as folk or blues. Syd Barrett and Led Zeppelin make their mark on the side's best cuts, which far outshine the weak, meandering "Sweet Jasmine."

On Side Electric, they take another stab at hard rock with the heavier "Massive Attack" and the edgier, bluesier "Anger Management." With the exception of the psyche trippiness of "Silent Voices," this is ground largely covered by Side Rock, only amped up a bit.

Side Experiment is a bit of a misnomer as experiemntation isn't really what the Treat is about. These "experiments" are more about reliving the experimental music of the late 60s rather than reliving its experimental spirit. Still, there are some fine detours into psyche, funk and early prog even if nothing really goes out on a limb.

The Treat essentially attack their music in detail on Audio Verité/Deceptive Blends and that does a better job of illustrating their skill than it does of making a great album. Even if they prove their point on all four counts, which is questionable at times, my head understands it better than my heart...and that is the album's principle flaw.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 5/10
Overall: 6/10

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Review: Rachel Taylor Brown - Susan Storm's Ugly Sister and Other Saints and Superheroes

Label: Cutthroat Pop Records

Released: April 29, 2009

On the surface, Susan Storm's Ugly Sister and Other Saints and Superheroes is an album of bold piano pop that at times dabbles in showtune pomp, proggy complexity and Beatlesque near perfection. The songs have the nature of a musical soliloquy as they meander between upbeat and melancholy, never being fully one without the other. On the surface, it's a very good record. But what's beneath the surface is where the album's soul is. Brown draws parallels between superheroes and saints that finds some truths about being a good guy. Whether predominantly bold or subdued, violent or peaceful, each song is a vignette that shows the loneliness of the righteous path, but also delves deeper into what saints (and superheroes, in fiction) have found, a joyful asceticism. Few books on the subject could express as succinctly and easily what this album does about the peculiar happiness of humility and self-denial and Brown pulls it off in a quirky, down-to-earth manner that speaks endearingly to the soul.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 9/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

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Review: Pictures of Then - Pictures of Then and the Wicked Sea

Label: self-released

Released: August 4, 2009

If Jeff Lynne was more quirky than slick, he may have found himself in the neighborhood of Pictures of Then and the Wicked Sea. From the start, the band makes it clear that they have both bombastic, big guitars as well as carefully crafted hooks up their sleeve, yet they manage to be grounded at the same time. They can be as easily driven by huge chords or swaggering riffs as they can be by acoustic intimacy or 70s countrified pop. Like Lynne, they borrow heavily from the Beatles' sound, but not as much from that band's creative adventurousness. While they do operate in a safer zone, it doesn't make them dull, because they give their influences a unique voice. Throughout, there's enough hint of indie cleverness to bind it all together, no matter which path a song takes, ultimately finding the happy ground between wild and careful and drawing on the best of both worlds.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Government Issue - The Punk Remains the Same

Label: DC-Jam Records

Released: July 21, 2009

This five song EP, in classic punk fashion, clocks in at just under eight minutes, but we all know it's quality, not quantity, that counts. These tracks, culled from two different shows, reflect GI's hardcore heyday in 1982-83. The recordings are good for early hardcore live material and the band is clearly in fine form at both shows. While this is not a substitute for the old Mystic Records' Government Issue Live, it does feature a few unique moments that make it a worthy companion. "Notch to My Crotch" finds John Stabb waxing not-so-eloquent with some rather crass improvised additional lyrics. Along with the appearance of the rare "Snubbing," there's material here that you just won't get elsewhere, but the EP's best offering is the wild, cacophonous version of "Sheer Terror" that hints at the more experimental GI that was still a few years away at that point. The Punk Remains the Same is certainly an essential for serious GI fans, but also has a lot to offer anyone who wants to experience why GI is still considered a great punk band by those who know.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: JFA - To All Our Friends (live)

Label: DC-Jam Records

Released: July 21, 2009

Back in 1985, I bought JFA's Live 1984 Tour LP. It's energy was as unbounded as the possibilities of my new found favorite genre and it quickly found itself in steady rotation on my turntable. Nearly a quarter century later, a new piece of live JFA vinyl is spinning in my basement and it's hard to believe that it still has much of that same thrashy skate punk energy. Sure, the pace isn't always quite so breakneck, but they make up for a more restrained "Johnny D" by blasting through "You Suck" and the still amusingly stupid "Cokes and Snickers." Of course, it does seem a little odd for guys in their 40s to be playing "Out of School" or for anyone to still care about preppies in 2009, but even those songs they still pull off with conviction. The couple of newer (meaning after the 80s) tracks on the album are no substitute for some of the crazy covers on their earlier live release, but considerably better recording quality makes To All Our Friends an essential for anyone who still loves JFA and old skate punk.

By the way, the LP comes on beautiful blue vinyl that just adds to the fun of having this one in your collection

Ratings
Satriani: 5/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: George Thorogood and the Destroyers - The Dirty Dozen

Label: Capitol/EMI

Released: July 28, 2009

George Thorogood's principle charm is that he plays the blues for people who aren't really all that blue. In many ways, he's a classic blues artist from his shuffling riffs to his beer-soaked voice, except, at his best...well, he's kinda fun. Thorogood's latest release, The Dirty Dozen, is at least sporadically successful in that way.

The album is grouped into sides as if it were on vinyl (and it is through his website). The first side is all new material. While it's mostly made up of run-of-the-mill blues and rockabilly, two tracks, "Born Lover" and "Let Me Pass," find Thorogood at his tongue-in-cheek, good-time best, making this a welcome addition for his diehard fans. The second "side" is made up of fan favorites, three of which were out-of-print in the US, but none of which is as exciting as one would expect of a "favorite." Like the first side, these tracks may be of great interest to his serious fans, but offer little for the rest of us.

While the album does have a couple of standouts and no real bombs, it lacks the excitement of his best work. George Thorogood is still more of "greatest hits" artist and The Dirty Dozen merely contains a few more contenders for that kind of release.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 5/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

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Review: Jazz Re-issues from Sonny Rollins, Clifford Brown, Max Roach, Red Garland, Art Tatum and Ben Webster

Label: Essential Jazz Classics

Released: June 2, 2009

The mid to late 50s was a near perfect time for jazz. As post-bop and cool jazz emerged from Charlie Parker's bebop shake-up, the genre's top artists were refining the sound. In a few short years, jazz would be set on its ear again by Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane and Charles Mingus among others who once again pushed the very definitions of the genre, but this period in the 50s produced some astoundingly good music even if, and perhaps because, it was perfecting the current state of jazz rather than running off to totally new horizons. Essential Jazz Classics has recently released a set of CDs that collects some of that period's best albums along with some interesting bonus material.

The Clifford Brown/Sonny Rollins/Max Roach Quintet's Complete Studio Recordings collects two classics, Clifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin Street and Sonny Rollins Plus Four. As good as Rollins is, he's simply overshadowed by Brown and Roach here as they bring much needed punch that makes these albums real standouts.

Ratings
Satriani: 10/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

Art Tatum and Ben Webster's The Album features the lone studio collaboration between these two giants (and Tatum's last session before his death). The mastering doesn't do much to clean up this recording, but, while that's a shame, the bonus material featuring Tatum playing many of the same songs as a soloist more than makes up for it. The man was just a monster on the piano and it's nothing short of incredible to hear that fully exposed in this way.

Ratings
Satriani: 10/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

The best known of the re-issues is Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus. This Rollins classic is a great example of his smooth playing, but at times is upstaged by Max Roach's drumming. Roach is just a monster on the drums and that really makes this one a must hear album. This re-issue also includes Work Time, not considered one of Rollins' very best albums, but it certainly doesn't miss by much.

Ratings
Satriani: 10/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Perhaps the most interesting of these re-issues is Red Garland's The 1956 Trio, which features the A Garland in Red album with selections from Groovy and Red Garland's Piano. Of the four albums, I was least familiar with Garland's playing and that may be what made this album really stand out. He gets so much out of the piano and is equally dynamic on slow tunes as he is on the more upbeat material. Add some monster bass parts from Paul Chambers and it's clear why this album is worth re-issuing, particularly for those unfamiliar with Garland's work.

Ratings
Satriani: 10/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

All in all, this is a fine set of re-issues, particularly for younger or more cursory jazz fans who haven't heard these great albums. All include liner notes with a lot of information that add a little education to these great listens.

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Review: Nathen Maxwell and the Original Bunny Gang - White Rabbit

Label: SideOneDummy Records

Released: August 18, 2009

Having performed for over a decade with the increasingly popular Celtic folk/punk act Flogging Molly, Nathen Maxwell is faced with the double challenge of living up to yet not rehashing his band's strong body of work. On his solo debut, White Rabbit, Maxwell brings songs that have been simmering inside of him, some for over a decade, and prepares to meet these challenges involved in stepping outside of his established work.

From the funky opening seconds of the album, it's clear that Maxwell will have no trouble separating himself from the band he's been a part of throughout its rise. However, don't feel alienated Flogging Molly fans, because there is a decided folk nature to White Rabbit. Replacing the Celtic angle with a predominantly reggae approach, Maxwell has made a record that avoids the formulas practiced by the myriad of local reggae groups that seem to pop up in any town with a college. His take is sparse, quiet and personal with themes ranging from self-reliance to tenderness. By mixing his folk background with reggae's mellow nature, Maxwell finds a way to both step away from and live up to his established band. More importantly though, he's written some great songs that he performs with a gentle, human conviction.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: The Reptilian - Boys' Life

Label: Count Your Lucky Stars

Released: March 3, 2009

Any post-hardcore album worth its grooves (or bits and bytes as the case may be) ought to make one think of Fugazi, right? Well, this EP from Kalamazoo, Michigan's The Reptillian reminds me of...well...Cake. Yeah, the quirky, jazzy, hipper-than-thou hipsters of the 90s. Now, don't get me wrong though. The Reptilian doesn't compromise intensity for cleverness by a long shot. Instead, they enfilade the listener with quirkiness while rolling forward with a full-frontal, post-hardcore assault. Do you think a song titled, "I'll Ram My Ovipositor Down Your Throat And Lay My Eggs In Your Chest But, I'm Not An Alien!" sounds crazy? Wait 'til you hear it. Yeah, it's that good.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Flipper - Love

Label: MVD

Released: May 19, 2009

A reunion can be viewed in one of two ways. On one hand, it could be an attempt to cash in on the current popularity of the band's genre, something they may not have been able to do in their prime. On the other, it could be a way to expose the band to a new generation of fans as once great bands have a way of slipping into obscurity. Flipper's music is so anti-commercial that not even Kurt Cobain's endorsement brought their music to the mainstream, so it seems unlikely that former reason to reunite could be true. At the same time, they have remained the seminal art/noise punk outfit, so each generation has seemed to acquaint itself with their work. So, why reunite?

With Flipper, it's anyone's guess why they do anything and this is no exception. Perhaps their reunion for CBGB's sparked something, perhaps they enjoyed playing with Krist Novoselic, perhaps it just happened. After all, this band is no stranger to spontaneity. However it happened though, Love came to be. The album has the same heavy noisiness for which they've always been known, but there's something decidedly more deliberate this time. Though hardly accessible in any way, they have toned down the crazy into something a little more digestible. Love, which seems to be about a love that most people, myself included, don't quite get, still features that same half innocent, half debauched sweet sarcasm that underscores their art damaged existence. Overall, this new offering doesn't eclipse their catalog in any way, yet still provides a clear reason why this reunion is not just a one-and-done blip in their storied career.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10

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THe BAcksliders - Thank You

Label: self-released and free!

Released: May 16, 2009

Thank You's title may prefigure last year's You're Welcome, but the sound is moving forward. THe BAcksliders don't refine their previous effort, so much as distill what's clearly in their hearts. Whether it's the flat out energy of "Have You Ever Been Down" or the hard-edged soulfullness of "Last Call," the band has a great handle on the pure, simple energy of rock n roll. As further proof, they do right by Little Richard (a backslider himself, at times) on the cover "Keep a Knockin'" and channel the Shangri-Las on their own "Twisted."

Kim Bonner's voice has that beautiful rock n roll imperfection. It's raspy and gritty, relying on raw passion more than range and control, but it has so much substance that it's something almost tangible to hold on to. She works perfectly with the loose, open swagger of the band that bangs out songs with just enough hook to catch you and plenty of grit to hold you. They capture the wild mix of soul and garage rock that ruled late 60s Detroit and take it on a trip through their home state of Texas' fine tradition of outlaw music. As their name implies, the music embodies the internal conflict between worldly desire and divine goodness. I always hope the good wins, but for the BAcksliders, it still seems up in the air.

Best of all, you can download the album for free, no strings attached:

Thank You

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: The Mars Volta - Octohedron

Label: Warner Bros

Released: June 23, 2009

Straightforward. Subdued. Accessible. If Octohedron had been recorded by just about any other band, those words would never cross anyone's mind. However, the Mars Volta has pushed the boundaries of their music and their mania time and again, leaving the expectation that each album will be a further exploration of psychedelic insanity. This album explores to be sure, but in a different way than they have previously.

After the very, very quiet first minute and a half, the largely acoustic opening track, "Since We've Been Wrong," is practically radio-friendly. By the time they get around to "Cotopaxi," the first song to enlist their signature bazillion notes per measure approach, the album is in its back stretch. While the wide musical expanses and dabbling in free jazz is missing on Octohedron, the album is, in the end, more human. Their esoteric ramblings aren't altogether absent mind you, just significantly scaled back.

They have proven once again that their direction is as cryptic as Cedric's lyrics. Compared to most, they're still living in the prog rock ivory tower, but Octohedron reaches down and touches us in a way that is at once concrete yet fleeting.

You can pre-order the vinyl here.

Ratings
Satriani: 10/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Brian Bond - Fire & Gold

Label: self-released

Released: March 10, 2009

Folk and punk has found some common ground over the years. From Billy Bragg's incendiary love and politics to Elliott Smith's dark beauty, the two genres have occasionally met in strange ways that have never been entirely one genre or the other, yet clearly rooted in both.

Brian Bond is a similar artist in a sense. Musically, he's clearly a folk artist. The songs are gentle and quiet. At times, you can hear Elliot Smith's heartfelt hooks, only with a warmer, more open, perhaps more innocent heart. In addition, these songs have had time to develop over the two years it took to write and record them. It's clear, because nothing is rushed or incomplete. By taking the time to get it right, Bond gains the benefits of well thought out songs that, at the same time, don't lose their sense of spontaneity.

But somewhere in the spirit of this album is a fierce independence and DIY ethic that is clearly punk. Some of that stems from the album's simplicity. These songs are essentially Bond and his guitar. Though most songs feature accompaniment, it is crafted so as to enhance, but never overshadow Bond's performance. Fire & Gold follows its own path, one that runs musically parallel to folk, but spiritually intersects with the strengths of punk and indie music. It is a quiet moment for punks and a shot in the arm for folk.

This isn't the folk-punk thing that you get from a Chuck Reagan or a Defiance, Ohio. It's fundamentally (and beautifully) folk with a punk heart underneath.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Spirits of the Dead

Label: White Elephant Records

Released: September 29, 2008

Even those who love prog rock often understand that its shortcoming stems from putting the head before the heart. While no genre in rock can compete with prog's technical prowess, it's still often dismissed as self-indulgent and lite where the true spirit of rock n roll is the exception, not the rule. That leaves any band that takes the prog road with quite an uphill haul.

Enter Spirits of the Dead and their self-titled debut with its own flavor of prog that endeavors to remedy some of these musical ills. They open up the prog sound with psychedelic meanderings and then ground it with 70s hard rock fuzz, giving it a spaciness to freak out to as well as a grittiness to hold on to. When they drift away from that hard rock basis, the music can wander a bit as on "The Waves of Our Ocean," but a dose of stoner rock on "Red" and the super-sludge of "Spirits of the Dead" make for a wild album that can be both light and agile as well as crushingly heavy.

Most importantly, Spirits of the Dead don't get overburdened by their own technical abilities. They show off their chops when needed, but they're just as given to slow, plodding rumblings as they are to elaborate, precise passages. They can be jarring or lulling and that fuller sound is simply the result of a willingness to get outside of the accepted boundaries of their chosen genre. While their influences lie in the past, their vision looks to the future, setting them apart from so many of their peers.

The album will apparently be re-issued on vinyl (in Europe at least). The silver foil stamped image has beautiful, intricate detail that deserves 12 inches square at least to adequately enjoy.

Ratings
Satriani: 9/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Bob Dylan - Together Through Life

Label: Columbia Records

Released: April 28, 2009

When Bob Dylan released Love and Theft back in 2001, it seemed that he had more good music left in him than anyone expected. Five years later, Modern Times said otherwise (though many surely disagree). It was tired and old and adult. Now, in 2009, Dylan offers up yet another late career album that will perhaps give a clue as to which of the previous two albums reflects his true state.

One thing that's been interesting about Dylan is that his voice, far from technically pristine, has always been, in a sense, an act of rebellion in and of itself. Even as it's changed a bit over time, it has always been something that makes his music happen on his terms. At times on Together Through Life though, Dylan's voice loses its personality and devolves into kind of a Tom Waits shtick. That's a shame, because Waits as a performer is almost pure novelty. This isn't the nod of master to student, but more the master caving in to a caricature of himself.

Still, Together Through Life is a loose, old-timey album. It doesn't quite have the urgency or poetry that marks his best work, but there is a certain spontaneity that refreshes the album whenever it's on the verge of really dragging. What really made this album interesting though was David Hidalgo's presence on accordion. It seems odd that a background instrument used sparingly would have such an impact on a record, but it's perfect in the arrangement and Hidalgo's playing is incredibly emotive, supporting the songs where Dylan fails to do so. It would be noticeable even on a great album, but really stands out on something more middling like Together Through Life.

This latest offering from Dylan falls somewhere in the middle of his catalog quality-wise. There were times when it reminded me of his mid-80s output (Empire Burlesque rang in my ears at times) and that's good stuff, just not on par with his prime (or with Love and Theft for that matter). Unfortunately, falling right smack in the middle, it gives little indication whether Love and Theft or Modern Times was the anomaly.

The vinyl release is particularly nice. Despite being a standard length album at around 45 minutes, it's issued on two slabs of 180 gram vinyl in heavy stock inner sleeves. The artwork isn't quite amazing, but well worth seeing in the larger format. For convenience, a copy of the CD is thrown in as well.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

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Review: Everyone Everywhere - A Lot of Weird People Standing Around

Label: Evil Weevil Records

Released: April 7, 2009

I'd almost forgotten what emo was like before it became a dirty word, but Everyone Everywhere is a clear reminder. Sure, the mohawk crowd is still going to find this to be too sappy, but it never devolves into the self-conscious and saccharine whine-fest that consumes the genre today. The vocals, sensitive, but never over-dramatic, ride the catchy fuzz and jangle of the guitar and a driving beat. It's been a long time since I've heard a song with the catchy punch of "Cool Pool Keg Toss Pete" that didn't seem like it was just aiming at the arenas. With just enough mix between loose and precise, each track on A Lot of Weird People Standing Around keeps the EP from getting too settled and easy which goes along way to show how emo was once kinda cool.

Grab this one quickly, because it's a nice package and it's limited to 200 (100 clear/100 blue).

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: City of Ships - Live Free or Don't Tour

Label: Forcefield Records

Released: January 27, 2009

This vinyl-only release collects two earlier City of Ships EPs from 2006 and 2007 that are clearly worthy of being issued on this superior format. Both EPs feature monstrous waves of dissonance underscored by shockingly melodic lines. The tension created isn't pleasant, but reflects that nice is a minor virtue next to truth and truth isn't always pretty. The influence of two 90s phenomenons, progressive metal and post-hardcore is clear, yet City of Ships is not of the past, but the future. There are metal elements, but absent is the flashy riffage that makes much metal a bore. In its place is an intensity that has few rivals. Call it post-hardcore, post-rock or whatever, one thing is clear, it's post-something. The tension it creates is constant even as the music ebbs and flows. It's not pleasant, but a rewarding exploration of the tensions of life.

The vinyl itself is as striking as the music. The black and yellow swirl looks like it might glow in the dark and it certainly could be dangerous to those given to seizures. Seriously, cool stuff.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Lovers - I Am the West

Label: Able Heart Records

Released: April 28, 2009

I wonder why it is that when a band rehashes 60s garage psych or 70s hard rock, I'm so much more open to it than I am to the now-popular revisiting of 80s pop. I think the answer is two-fold. First, I lived through the 80s. I missed the 60s and was too young to appreciate the 70s, so those decades hold more mystique for me than the 80s. I have to keep this in mind when listening to anything that looks from a distance at my own formative years. More importantly though, simply playing a style from the past doesn't cut it whether I like the original genre or not. The band has to tap into something deeper, into the music's soul. The trouble with revisiting the 80s is that soul was kind of the exception, not the rule. Looking back fondly on something empty often produces more emptiness.

Lovers creates a catchy amalgamation of 80s pop on I Am the West. A list of its influences would be a who's who of middle of the road 80s artists, but sadly, the album never taps into any of the darkness or creativity that was stewing just outside of the Billboard Hot 100 back then. The songwriting is solid, making for a pleasant experience, but not one that presents any challenge or anything that really sticks. I Am the West will likely have more appeal to those who didn't live through the 80s the first time. However, by definition of what it is, the album is thin on soul and that really limits it.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 4/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 4/10
Overall: 5/10

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Review: John Scofield - Piety Street

Label: Emarcy

Released: March 31, 2009

Over the years, John Scofield has worked with a who's who of jazz and fusion artists. He has established himself as one of the top names in jazz guitar and is almost as well known outside of jazz circles as he is within. He's one of those artists who finds himself in the unique position of being able to try whatever he wants. While that position many times finds artists releasing ego-driven nonsense, Scofield chooses instead to make an album that is an interesting experiment, showcasing the music far more than the formidable players who made it.

Piety Street find the jazz guitarist and his band making bluesy renditions of gospel songs. More than a few times, it fails to break with the conventionality of straightforward blues, sucking much of the gospel elements he supposedly wanted to capture out of the music. However, Scofield and company more often find a place where jazz, blues and gospel sing in unison. Once or twice, it's downright amazing as on "It's a Big Army," a Scofield original that sounds like a rediscovered old-time gospel gem, but generally the album is fairly understated, illustrating the band's total trust in the music itself.

Piety Street is certainly not Scofield's best work, but it is an interesting change-up. Rather than either sticking to the tried-and-true or running off on some silly ego trip, he chooses to explore some of the music he loves even if it isn't the genre for which he's best known. He assembled a top-notch band to navigate this musical adventure with him and the result is, a few weak spots aside, a very interesting listen.

Ratings
Satriani: 10/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Landing Project

Label: self-released (available at the bands Myspace and at shows)

Released: January 31, 2009

In recent years, there have been a number of bands who have returned to punk's old loose hooks and gritty melodies. Against Me is at the top of that pile with bands like Gaslight Anthem quickly climbing up behind them. Many voices are screaming to be heard behind these front runners. Not all are worth hearing, but among those that are is Landing Project. Their "three chords and the truth" approach is attempted by many. The three chords part is easy. Rock and roll has a long tradition of simplicity and even turning simplicity into great hooks isn't terribly unusual, but it's the truth part that stumps so many.

Landing Project turns out to be everyman poets (or more appropriately every-misfit/misplaced/misunderstood-man poets) to whose truth anyone with a beating heart should be able to relate. The album opens with the words, "I remember how I felt in my teens..." Don't we all remember? But this song, as the title "Keep Going" suggests, looks forward. It's this combination of examination and expectation that gives these songs the roots with which to connect and the open future into which to fly. Without that, their three chords would just add up to a handful of catchy tunes. With this truth, this honesty, they're a handful of catchy tunes that mean something.



If that's not enough (though it should be plenty), check out the packaging. Rather than package the CD in a jewel case, digipak or cardboard sleeve, the guys in Landing Project made unique sleeves out of old 5 1/4 inch floppy disks. In an age when the CD is dying off in the face of digital releases, packaging is more important than ever and this is one band who found a great way to make the hardcopy worthwhile. It even steals a bit from the digital age for irony's sake (or was it a happy accident?). Get yours quick, because the "floppy disk sleeve" edition is limited to the number of old floppies they can dig up. Once the floppies are gone, so is this great package.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Anarbor - Free Your Mind and The Bigger Lights - Fiction Fever

Label: Hopeless Records

Released: March 10, 2009


Label: Doghouse Records

Released: April 7, 2009

Thirty years ago, a subgenre of rock that had been building for a few years was just about ready to explode. AOR took the best elements of 70s rock, dummied it down, made it safe and sold millions of records whose broad appeal was based on the least common denominator. While what they did was generally meaningless, a few bands did it well, but for every Journey or Foreigner, there were a slew of Loverboys and Survivors (and don't even make me count the Honeymoon Suites). Just about every subsequent generation has turned its primal voice into a slicked up, safe facsimile of itself that embodies the spirit, if not the sound, of AOR.

Both Anarbor and The Bigger Lights embody that spirit, but the results aren't quite the same. On their Free Your Mind EP, Anarbor take a step forward in songwriting. While they still won't be remembered years from now, their songs are catchy and draw from influences that expand their basic power pop sound. Each song is catchy enough to be memorable and "The Brightest Green" and "Halfway Sober" both have clear single potential, with the latter tapping into power ballad territory worthy of Aerosmith. All in all, not bad for today's version of AOR. It may not have staying power, but it's a good listen in the moment.

The Bigger Lights have bigger problems. While Anarbor have trouble creating a consistent, distinctive sound, their songs do manage to maintain some personality in their own right, but The Bigger Lights can't even establish that on a song by song basis. Not only could their Fiction Fever EP be played by any number of bands, but the songs themselves could be interchanged with literally thousands of others glutting the current rock market. Where Anarbor struggles to find a voice of their own, The Bigger Lights struggle to find something worth saying.

Anarbor - Free Your Mind

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

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The Bigger Lights - Fiction Fever

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 4/10
Aretha: 4/10
Overall: 4/10

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Review: Oceans - Nothing Collapses

Label: Copper Lung Records

Released: March 24, 2009

I have long believed that artists only are only half of the creative force behind art. The other half of the creation is the interpretation. Often, the greatest art allows for significant breadth of interpretation even as it guides the very same. Most often though, the artist errs on the side of doing too much and closing too many doors.

This is particularly true in music, but every once in awhile, an album comes along that acts in a sense as an open-ended soundtrack to a movie that will play in the listener's head. Nothing Collapses is one such album. In a sense the music is in the background, but not in a passive way. It's twisting, turning rhythms and layered sound paints a vivid scene with both a clear point and endless possibility. What's best is that Oceans trusts its listeners to do their part, to participate in something great, to not just listen, but to act (at least on the stage of their own minds).

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 9/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Motorik - Klang!

Label: self-released (CD Baby)

Released: April 28, 2009

In the waning days of the first wave of punk, several bands took the groundwork it had laid and mixed it up with a frantic sense of dancability. For lack of a better desciption, we called it post-punk. Three decades later, it seems like everyone wants to "rediscover" Joy Division, the Fall, Pil and their peers. Motorik, despite their name's nod to Krautrock, is one such devotee, but unlike most, they paid close attention, demonstrating a deep understanding of what made the best post-punk bands so good.

Just like those of their mentors, Motorik's songs are driven more by sharp, angular rhythms than by overt melodies. Their agitated beats, a la early Joy Division, stir the music and provide the perfect force for the snearing artiness that dominates the record, though they do occasionally stray into the darker, harder world of Killing Joke. While Klang! struggles to find a reasonably original moment, it is nonetheless very genuine in its homage to the past.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 6/10

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Review: The Eruptors - Microwave Massacre

Label: Fixing a Hole Records

Released: February 2009

Ken Decter, infamous leader of Florida fun punks F, once said of his band, "We don't have a message. If we had a message, we'd put out a newspaper. We're just a stupid band." That statement could be applied to any number of punk bands from the goofball antics of Adrenalin OD to B horror movie shenanigans of the Misfits. At a time when punk was freeing itself from its nonsensical nihilistic beginnings, it immediately found itself in danger of being too serious. But there were still bands out there warding off that threat by not taking it all too seriously and having fun. While a sense of seriousness may have saved punk on one hand, in a sense these are the bands that kept things honest. Amidst the sometimes overbearing weight of post-hardcore's musical challenges and of emo's over-dramatic emotion (not to mention NOFX's posturing as a political force), good time bands are as essential as ever and the Eruptors do a great job of reminding everyone to keep it fun.

Microwave Massacre's title alone shows its hand and with tunes like "Cannibal Holocaust" and "Whöregazm," there can be no question where things are going. However, just as a string of clichés about tenderness and longing don't make a great love song and posturing and received opinion aren't the ingredients of the theme to the revolution, fun is more than just the sum of a few silly titles. The Eruptors are a band that understand that. Their raw punk spontaneity meshes perfectly with their wild, offbeat humor to create classic punk rock silliness. Sure, the echoes of Cocksparrer on "One Minute Decision," an excellent holdover from the last record, and the strange psyche leanings of "Cannibal Reprise" play out a little more seriously, at least musically, but those pace changes help make the party, not hinder it.

Punk needs a laugh from time to time and right now, there are few bands as good as the Eruptors to deliver that comic relief.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Kate Mann - Things Look Different When the Sun Goes Down

Label: Orange Dress Records

Released: March 17, 2009

On the surface, Kate Mann finds herself channeling a bit of Joni Mitchell and a bit of Janis Joplin, her music swinging gently across the short space between folk and blues. While it is that bit of Joni that shows up in a clever musical phrase here and there, it also manifests itself in the albums lighter, less compelling moments. But Mann's reliance on Janis makes up for those underwhelming spots with songs that have teeth to bite and hands to touch the soul.

The best example of what Mann offers though is made clear on "Robert Johnson Knew." Ever since Johnson sang about his encounter at the crossroads, the idea of selling one's soul has been oddly glorified in popular music (much like suicide and drug addiction), but just about everyone misses the point. The crossroads isn't a place for the happy or even the hedonistic. It is a place of torture and a moment of terrible decision. Mann questions if she'll really have to sign in blood. She wonders how long is forever. She isn't fabricating her demons, but vacillating between exorcising them or joining them. Honest dealing like this is at odds with the shallow lexicon of pop culture imagery. It is also Mann's greatest strength. I hope she makes it back, soul intact, because I think she may just know a thing or two herself.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: The Weather Station - The Line

Label: self-released (distributed by Fontana North/Universal)

Released: April 28, 2009

Terms like lo-fi and DIY have become quite commonplace these days. Unfortunately, these terms are often applied to music that could also be described as contrived or just rotten. The Weather Station is certainly the epitome of both of those common terms, but not of the descriptions which often destroy them.

The Weather Station is both a band and not a band at the same time. Really, it is self-taught multi-instrumentalist Tamara Lindeman with a revolving cast of characters (including her live band). Recorded in bedrooms and living rooms rather than studios and on equipment Lindeman was learning how to use as she went, the album is raw and often quite sparse. However, it's rawness doesn't overshadow a strong sense of both tradition and experimentation. On one hand, The Line is folk music as it's been played in living rooms and on front porches for decades. It captures the primal need we have to make music, to explore and expose the darkness. The album is sparse and dark to the point of being difficult, yet is carried by the honesty of those very same qualities.

At the same time, Lindeman's arrangements push the limits of what folk music can be. Droning strings, Moog, household items and "found sound" all contribute to its boldness and create tension between what folk music has long been and what it could become. As much as she pushes these songs to their limits, they are still as natural as being uncomfortable in one's own skin. Her innovations are not merely a veneer on top of traditional folk either. Instead, experimentation and tradition intertwine throughout the album to create something entirely unique.

The Line is by no means an easy listen, but then neither is any true human story. At times, it is incredibly low-key and then something, a guitar, some random noise, will pierce the lull. Likewise, there is anger and pain here, but beauty also pierces through that. It is both the confusion and the affirmation of being alive.

mp3: "East"

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: One Win Choice - Define/Redefine

Label: Jump Start Records

Released: February 16, 2009

Hardcore has struggled on and off for years with the concept of melody. When bands in late 70s and early 80s first decided to abandon traditional songwriting and simply go for broke at near light speed, a lot was lost despite the opening of a new avenue. Over time, bands began to rediscover that old sense of melody (especially in DC with the likes of Dag Nasty and Rites of Spring), because it is, after all, music, not just random noise. No matter how angry or passionate, the emotion is still being conveyed by song. Otherwise, it's just a lot of yelling, right? This isn't to say that being very melodic is essential, but it helps, particularly in the absence of any musical elements to replace it.

One Win Choice is a band that understands this. Their brand of hardcore can hold its own with the angriest of them. Their raw passion is paralleled by few. Yet, they still realize that these factors mean little unless music is at the core of what they do. These aren't shallow hooks, mind you, and that's what makes these songs special. Their melodic nature makes them digestible, memorable even, yet they avoid any saccharine hooks that might derail their purpose. It is what Dag Nasty's Can I Say proved and yet 25 years later, few bands can do it. One Win Choice just happens to be one of the ones that can.

Define/Redefine is available as a five song CDEP at shows or as a three song clear vinyl 7" from Jump Start (which includes a free mp3 download of all five tracks).

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 10/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Pomegranates - Everybody, Come Outside!

Label: Lujo Records

Released: April 14, 2009

It's not unusual to hear a new record and think, "Here's a band to keep an eye on. This is really good, but the next one could be amazing." What is unusual is for that potential to actually pan out. Considering the frequency of this scenario, there is surely a lot of ground to cover between potentially great and actually great. But don't ask Pomegranates about the unlikelihood of making good on the promise of their previous recordings, because they clearly don't know. Both their debut Two Eyes EP as well as last year's Everything is Alive full-length set high hopes. They were excellent albums, yet they didn't quite break free of their moorings. But now they offer Everybody, Come Outside! which finds them free and open and seemingly limitless.

The album is experimental. It has tremendous movement over the course of its 45+ minutes. From the big echoey chords that kick it off to the the 13 minutes of folkiness and ambient sound that close it, one thing is clear: This is not just a collection of songs. It is a single work, a musical story. To be sure, any track could stand on its own and no one is like another. Yet, the album is far more cohesive than any formula could produce and its wild energy comes from experimentation in not just the music, but the soul.

Most bands are contained by the genres from which the draw their influences. Pomegranates effortlessly ingest guitar pop, walls of jangle, sweet indie pop, punk aggitation, gentle folk, mathy precision and wild psychedelia, yet the album is so big that it contains these rather than being contained by them. Likewise, the musicianship is amazing on Everybody, Come Outside!, yet that is easily lost in the work itself, because each note, each passage serves the bigger picture. As with all great art, the work takes precedence over the artist, despite the work's artistic ambition.

Like many bands, Pomegranates made a promise with their first two releases. What makes them such a rare find is that they fulfill that promise on Everybody, Come Outside!. In fact, they exceed it. It strives and yearns, is desperate and joyous and is huge and personal. Oh yeah, and it rocks!

mp3: Corriander

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 10/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

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Review: Exciter

Label: Magnetic Air

Released: January 20, 2009

I didn't pay close attention to Exciter back in the 80s, but looking back, I've wondered why they weren't considered at least in that second tier of speedmetal bands with the likes of Overkill, Testament, etc. They were early adopters of that happy marriage between speed and heaviness...and yet they're so often forgotten. Why?

The answer can be found on their 1986 self-titled album (now re-issued again on Magnetic Air). After flirting with thrash success over the course of four albums, the band decided to change course a bit with Chuck Beehler focusing on drums and Rob Malnati taking over vocal duties. In addition to this personnel shake up, they also took much of the speed (and therefore the excitement) out of their music. Malnati at times fancies himself a cross between metal giants Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford. He isn't as terrible a singer in his own right as he seems in comparison to these two, but his voice just can't carry the load he attempts to put upon it. To boot, the underlying music doesn't help the cause either. At its best, it's derivative Judas Priest pandering. At its worst, well...let's not even go there.

Exciter is now being issued for the fifth time (two of those on Megaforce as OTT), yet isn't essential listening for anyone. For those who missed Exciter the first time around, there are four albums that beg the question, "Why are they forgotten?" Unfortunately, this is the album that answers that question.

Ratings
Satriani: 4/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 3/10
Aretha: 3/10
Overall: 3/10

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Review: U2 - J Adams Where Are You Now?

Label: PR (or that's what it looks like on the back)

Released: unknown

I picked this bootleg EP up on ebay and thought, "Who is J Adams? I wonder if it's the skater? Nah..." When the record came, I found the following dedication:

Dedicated to: Tony Alva, Shogo Kugo, Jimmy Plummer, Jim Muir & the "Z" boys."

So, what do these pioneers of vertical skateboarding have to do with U2? Beats me, but that makes it even cooler. It's an odd little rarity with a mystery to boot.

The skater connection isn't the only thing that's unique about this little 7". It contains the only public performance of "Womanfish," a song U2 was considering for Joshua Tree that never made it onto a studio record. This, along with "I Trip Thru Your Wires" (as it's titled on the back of the record) makes up the b-side that was recorded January 30, 1986 for the Ga-Ga television show in Ireland. The sound quality is decent, but the live energy is interrupted by bits of the show that sneak into the recording.

The a-side was recorded March 11, 1987 in Dublin and contains strong performance of "Exit" and "In God's Country." The sound quality is nothing to write home about, but is easily listenable and doesn't polish any of the liveness out of either song.

I doubt that J Adams Where Are You Now? is a top-notch U2 collectible. It's too short and the quality is mediocre by the standards of bootleg aficionados. However, it does contain a track not available on any commercial release and an interesting connection to skateboarding that I've yet to discover.

If you're curious about "Womanfish," you can hear it at the U2 Sound Library.

Review: Guns on the Roof - "Shattered Feeling"

Label: Glory Glory

Released: March 2, 2009

Guns on the Roof have spent the last two years playing with the likes of Rancid, the Misfits, Stiff Little Fingers, UK Subs, the Briggs and others, all bands that mix their punk rock sneers with unbeatable hooks. Their touring company along with the band from who they lifted their moniker have all left a mark on Guns on the Roof, but none to the point that it makes these guys a knock off. Strong production gives a hard rock punch to "Shattered Feeling" that mixes nicely with all those infectious whoa-ohs.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

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Review: Shirock - Everything Burns

Label: self-released

Released: February 3, 2009

Everything Burns kicks off as a fairly typical post-emo mainstream rock album. There are bits of alt rock and emo tidied up in a nice, easily digestible package and yet...there's something else, something deeper going on with this record. Underneath what seems at first to be a solid, but uneventful set of songs, there's an exuberance that is a true rarity. This band has a message and in their earnestness, they will save the world (or do their best at least). Once the message hits, the songs seem larger, truer, better. And by half way through, something else becomes apparent: They love U2. Their best songs filter mid-80s U2 through the subsequent alt rock and emo explosions and come up with something unique, yet familiar. Like their mentors, they have, at least on their best tracks, marry memorable, moving rock n roll with a message of hope. In case this message might be lost on some, the spoken word part of title track's intro spells it out. They are going to "love people." It's that love that permeates the album and changes it from a solid release to a magnificent experience.

Check out their site for tour details. This band isn't just singing about living life the right way; they're actually doing it. They've partnered with local charities at each stop and all proceeds help the communities in which they're playing. Mark one for the good guys!

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

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Review: Buried in Leather - We Are Gone

Label: Teenage Heart Records

Released: August 11, 2008

Perhaps nowhere did the earliest marriages of punk and metal produce better material than in Boston. The early 80s found the likes of Gang Green and the FUs infusing their street punk with more than just a hint of metal. A lot of this was forgotten later in the decade as thrash became the principal vehicle for the punk/metal crossover, but it's nice to see that the same spirit that produced these bands is still alive in Boston. Buried in Leather pour on an intense, yet fun attack of thrashy punk rock with just a little metal riffage for good measure. Even on mid-tempo tracks like the somewhat hard rock-influenced "More Dirty Places," they manage to amp things up to the max. On others, like the album closing "No Ninjas," they move from a lumbering start right into the breakneck energy for which punk has long been known. While We Are Gone may not exactly be a bold new future, it injects fantastic energy into a genre whose day was way too short the first time around. It feels just as fresh as This Is Boston Not LA did 25 years ago.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Fun Machine - Sonnenhuhn

Label: BNS Sessions

Released: February 24, 2009

Story problem: If King Crimson and ELP were together heading south at 75 mph, Art of Noise was heading north at 102 mph and Hawkwind was heading west at, well the speed of the Silver Machine, what would you call the force where they met?

Answer: Fun Machine.

If that isn't enough in the mix for you, others stroll into this madness as well. The psychedelic ghost of Syd Barrett materializes on "Flaking Reality." "Family Vapor" dives into sections of unabashed punk rock. A not-so-metal Voi Vod rears its head throughout. Most importantly though, Sonnenhuhn doesn't suffer from the cold stoicism and pure experimentalism that often bogs down prog albums. Instead, it has the quirky earthiness of nerdy indie rock. It's this sense of humanity, even more than the bold mix of musical flavors, that allows the album to really take off and get wild. Frantic psychedelia, angular prog rock, eclectic influences and general craziness are all found in beautifully natural abundance on Sonnenhuhn.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound - Beat of Our Own Drum.

Label: self-released (CD Baby)

Released: February 24, 2009

JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound hail from Chicago, have a song about Baltimore and sound like Detroit...in the 60s. That was the time and place where the local airwaves were a battleground between Motown and garage rock. While not the greatest to emerge from that scene, it was probably Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels that best embodied that clash. And it is that same collision of sound that the Uptown Sound tap.

Beat of Our Own Drum certainly leans more toward soul than garage as Otis Redding or Booker T & the MGs will come to mind quicker that the MC5 or the Stooges, but it doesn't take a very discerning ear to hear the latter nonetheless. The album almost seems as if it came out of that swirling confusion as previously disparate genres clashed. It's like a soul record that discovered rock n roll and added the best elements it offered.

The only difficulty this album really runs into is that it is often too smooth. A song will build and just as it seems ready to really break out, JC and company throw in a hook rather than an explosion. It's not a killer, but it tones down the crazy that both great soul and great garage rock always have. Beat of Our Own Drum is in fact so good that it hints at the greatness that it doesn't quite achieve. They simply need to trust the music enough to let it run wild at times. There are points when it seems like a James Brown moment is ready to happen and when it doesn't, it can be more disappointing than a record that never even comes close to those heights. That is the one missing ingredient that stands between this being really good and flat out fantastic.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Paula Sinclair - Steadygirl

Label: Old Sombrero Music

Released: March 17, 2009

Some albums are amazing in the way they push the boundaries and change the rules while others are amazing in the way they perform within existing boundaries and prove long established rules. There isn't much that's new in Paula Sinclair's music. She plays something that walks a fine line between country and folk so much so that it's difficult to tell whether it's country-tinged folk or the other way around. The rough edges hints at the garages of the mid-60s and Sinclair's voice is the perfect mix of raw and rich to broaden her appeal well into the realm of rock music. While all of this has been done by artists from the Indigo Girls to Gillian Welch, it still sounds fresh for Sinclair, because her delivery rings true. There is both honesty and trust in her music that is best summed up in the words of Steve Earle that she sings on Steadygirl, "I've got me a fearless heart/Strong enough to get you through the scary parts." These same words also reveal another great truth about her songs. The love she writes of is a giving love and what could be more true than that?

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Thin Lizzy - Still Dangerous

Label: VH1 Classic Records

Released: March 3, 2009

Probably the biggest trap into which a live album can fall is that of sounding too much like a studio album. After all, if it sounds pretty much like the studio cuts with crowd noise in between, what's the point? A live album should inject different energies or arrangements into the songs we already love, not just rehash them. It's an all too common disaster and any band on the verge of it would be wise to use Still Dangerous as a guide toward righteousness (just as much as Lizzy's established classic Live and Dangerous).

Lizzy's soulful hard rock takes on a looser feel right from the start. The sound is bright and clean, but also unmistakably live, with even their best known tracks taking on new life. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than on the blistering "Massacre" which is all the evidence needed to explain why this line-up is considered Lizzy's best. Phil Lynott's channeling of fellow Irishman Van Morrison into a hard rock format on "Dancing in the Moonlight" makes it hard to understand why something this good remained on the periphery of big time success. Every track provides a new look at Lizzy that never came from the studio albums, good as they were.

Still Dangerous isn't quite a perfect album though. At just over 45 minutes, it certainly finishes the set before it's really ready. And it does take a little bit to get going, with a second half that makes the merely very good start seem a little slow. Nonetheless, it does everything a live album should. It provides a different angle on some great songs. It might not be the same as being there, but it certainly makes those of us who weren't realize that we missed something pretty great.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

Website

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Review: Benard/Worn in Red - Split 7"

Label: Alaska Records/No Breaks

Released: July 2008

If one word could describe this 7", it would be visceral. Nothing seems calculated or planned. Benard blasts through two songs of dissonance, frantic rhythms and pure passion in just under five and a half minutes. In that short time, they leave everything out there, their hearts on their post-hardcore sleeves.

Saying that Worn in Red is less intense than Benard is kind of like saying the Hiroshima blast was less intense than the Bravo explosion. Both will obliterate you. Still, Worn in Red reins it in ever so slightly, resulting in something a bit more fluid, ebbing and flowing (and then hitting you over the head).

The result is a great split with two bands that are on the same page, but perhaps a different paragraph. Both have full-throttle energy with Benard hitting a bit harder and Worn in Red a bit more dynamically.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

Benard:
Myspace

Worn In Red:
Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Bruce Springsteen - Working on a Dream

Label: Columbia

Released: January 27, 2009

"The Wrestler" is the bonus track on Springsteen's latest album, Working on a Dream. It's a honest tale set to poignant music. It connects in the way we expect Springsteen to connect. However, it is appropriately labeled as bonus material, because it really doesn't fit the rest of the album.

The strings on the opener, "Outlaw Pete," are a bit much. "Mr Lucky Day" is a good mainstream rocker, but lacks any real humanity. Springsteen finally connects on "Queen of the Supermarket," even getting away with some corny lyrical ideas that only he could pull off, but as the song builds, it too becomes more a caricature of Springsteen than the real deal. And it couldn't get much worse than "Kingdom of Days" which would sadly need little reworking for Muzak.

All isn't lost though. The rootsy "Good Eye" features better, subtler playing than is typically found on a Springsteen record. The Boss' take on Johnny Cash in the verses of "Life Itself" serve him well. At first, "Surprise, Surprise" seems like light pop, but it feels good and true. Juxtaposing it with "The Last Carnival," a darker, lower-key closer that mixes folk and a heavenly backup chorus, strengthens both songs and ends on a note more along the lines of the best that can be expected from the last 20 years of Springsteen's career.

Comparing Working on a Dream to anything in Springsteen's prime is just unfair. However, just over a year ago, he managed to dig down and churn out a decent album that didn't come across as a comfortable old man trying to relive what he found on Nebraska. There are enough good songs here to indicate that his well isn't dry, it's just no longer as deep as it once was and an album every year and a half might just be too much at this stage.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 5/10
Overall: 5/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Sunday at Devil Dirt

Label: Fontana International

Released: November 11, 2008

There aren't many albums as low-key as Sunday at Devil Dirt. Every movement of the album is so subtle that it's difficult to discern. The first two tracks, "Seafaring Song and "The Raven," seem more like movie soundtrack material than the road into a dynamic album, but they set the sparse scene for the album's first stand-alone song, "Salvation," which makes it clear that this album searches and journeys. Throughout though, it does maintain the feel of a soundtrack (albeit of a very good movie), with songs like the jazzy, cabaret "Back Burner" providing segues in the story. None of these are filler in the traditional sense though. They're very strong tracks taken in context and enhance the songs they act as a bridge between as well as the album as a whole.

It's easy to think that Sunday at Devil Dirt is dominated by Lanegan's deep, rough echoes of Johnny Cash, Jim Morrison and Iggy Pop (and some would say Tom Waits, but Lanegan has a true quality that escapes the novelty of Waits' work). That gritty earthiness is the album's grounding. However, countering that is Campbell's thin, ethereal, almost angelic, yet sexy voice. The two together set the tone for the turmoil that exists between heavenly salvation and earthly struggle. These two contrasting voices find their way through the sparse musical scenes that range from subtle strings to folk to dirty jazz and blues. As carefully constructed as the album is, Campbell has written, and performed with Lanegan, a work that is intensely human in both disillusionment and hope. I wish someone would make the movie to go with this, because there's something greater than even this album in there.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 9/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Sepultura - A-Lex

Label: Steamhammer/SPV

Released: January 27, 2009

There's a fine line between grand and grandiose. Most concept albums are so much the latter that they never even get close to the line. Sepultura, veterans of the concept album, aren't close to that line either, but they're on the good side. Their new album, A-Lex, is based on Anthony Burgess' novel A Clockwork Orange and decidedly not Stanley Kubrick's somewhat more famous film based on that novel. Why split hairs? Because the book contains a chapter omitted from the film that deals with free will and choices and that's important to what the band wants to convey here.

A-Lex is the most thrash-oriented material we've heard from Sepultura since perhaps Arise. The album has a different kind of intensity than they've been cultivating over the last decade or so. It doesn't have the density of an album like Roots, but it has more flat-out speed than they've shown in some time and in the end it's a fair trade. As raw as it is though, it is never sloppy or rough. They've managed to make an album that has the intricacies of careful planning along with the energy of spontaneous creation.

In the past, Sepultura has been able to integrate non-metal elements into their sound seamlessly, much as they did with indigenous Brazilian music on Roots. Obviously, there would be no way to avoid the inclusion of the "glorious Ludwig Van" on this project, but it does present a problem. Despite seeming like a match made in heaven, classical and metal have struggled in most past collisions and, at least at times, that's true on A-Lex also. "Ludwig Van" feels more like the technically proficient, but meaningless narcissism of classical/rock ego-fests like Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It stands out like a sore thumb on the otherwise engaging album. How could they have done better though? They clearly couldn't leave out a nod to Beethoven's Ninth. Well, check out the final "chapter intro," "A-Lex IV." It not only tips its hat to classical as any treatment of A Clockwork Orange must, but also taps into Walter Carlos' strange take on it from the film's soundtrack and fits perfectly into Sepultura's work. Had they done that on the previous track, the album might have achieved the unthinkable. As it stands though, that one misstep is huge at a crucial point. Does it hurt the album? Yes. Does it kill it? Not by a long shot. A-Lex is far from a glaring weakness even in Sepultura's strong catalog.

There aren't many bands as musically ambitious and intense as Sepultura and A-Lex lives up to their already formidable legacy. Now entirely Cavalera-free, Sepultura still has no problem staying true to the vision that made them one of metal's best and most interesting bands. It's not perfect, but there is a youthfulness to A-Lex escapes other bands of their generation and also fits the concept perfectly.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

Website

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Review: Buffalo Killers - Let It Ride

Label: Alive Naturalsound

Released: July 8, 2008

It would be easy to get tired of hearing the 70s rehashed over and over if there weren't a few bands really doing something special with it. Buffalo Killers is just one of those bands. Though not quite as raw as their debut, Let It Ride turns up the soul, an ingredient not only missing from many of today's retro bands, but also from many of the originals. They have a fair bit in common with the Black Crowes (with whom they recently toured), but they're grittier with a dirtier sense of the blues. They master both power and mellowness whether taking on the understated "Give and Give" or the driving boogie of "On the Prowl." Let It Ride has more breadth than most of its peers and it keeps me from getting too tired of the 70s just yet.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

Website

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Review: Amadan - Pacifica

Label: Afan Music

Released: December 9, 2008

Amadan incorporate bits of the Clash, Billy Bragg, John Fogerty and the Mighty, Mighty Bosstones, but what I suspect they're really going for is the Pogues mix of traditional Irish folk and biting punk rock swagger. They don't nail the latter, but their success in other areas makes them a worthwhile listen.

There's no doubt that Amadan is a rock band, not a folk band. Their boisterous guitars and barroom swagger make that quite clear. At their core, there is straightforward rock n roll as it's always been played in garages around the world. What they attempt is to incorporate elements of the Irish tradition into their tunes. It's been done successfully before by the likes of Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys as well as the kings of the subgenre, the Pogues. However, these bands all create a chemical reaction between their two influences, making a single inseparable sound. Amadan, on the other hand, seems to simply try to interject a tin whistle here and a folk passage there and not only is it not seamless, but it is also very flat. Where the other bands use traditional elements to really take off, Amadan instead is clean and measured and safe...and dull.

That aside though, Pacifica has some fine tunes and the performance is rough and gritty and in many ways all that it should be. Luckily, the Irish bits come and go quick enough that the rest of the album can still be enjoyed.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 4/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

Website

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Review: Thursday/Envy - Split

Label: Temporary Residence Limited

Released: November 4, 2008

Few albums start off with the level of frantic energy of Thursday's "As He Climbed the Dark Mountain." There are songs with fireworks and there are songs that are like the fireworks factory exploding and this is clearly the latter. Thursday's dense layering walks the fine line between noisy and melodic, without tempering either. On one hand it seems like one lumbering mass of guitar, yet at the same time, the music is intricate, interesting and downright riveting.

Envy makes an interesting pairing for Thursday. On one hand, their ambient textures walk the line between austere beauty and haunting fear in sharp contrast to Thursday's more heavy-handed approach. On the other, they blast out noisecore along the lines of a more musically mature Septic Death. In a sense they've taken the roads to both sides of Thursday's work, giving this split release not only intensity but depth as well.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Women - s/t

Label: Jagjaguwar Records

Released: October 7, 2008

Some albums kick off with the strongest or most accessible song as a means of sucking the listener in. Others, ease their way into the real meat of the album so as not to scare the listener with their boldest material. But very few jump in with their most grating and difficult content. Women's self-titled album is, however, just one of those anomalies.

The album begins and ends with noise-fests that are not only difficult to enjoy, but difficult to discern the true value of outside the context of the album as a whole. However, between these near structureless bookends, there are songs that alternate between Women's dark, angular take on the Velvet Underground and their looser, more open nods to 60s psychedelia. Their travels between these seemingly divergent approaches is remarkably cohesive artistically. More remarkable still is how the more accessible middle of the album not only makes a case for the difficult start, but also sets up the manic ending.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 7/10

Myspace

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Review: Fall Horsie - Devil (e) Danger

Label: Youth Club Records

Released: October 28, 2008

There is a lot of music out there that isn't rock music in any way, shape or form...and yet it thoroughly rocks. None of this is headed for mainstream success, but it is often some of the most interesting music in even the broadest sense of the rock sphere. Fall Horsie is one of these bands. While the music itself ranges from chamber music to cabaret (having moments reminiscent of the Decemberists) and uses the very un-rock violin and viola, yet in its wildness and boldness it is very much a rock record. Fall Horsie's style will make them difficult for the average rock fan, but rock fans (albeit not average ones) must make up the core of their audience. That may not turn into a big cash in, but it has turned out a fine album.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Myspace

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Review: Sammy Hagar - Cosmic Universal Fashion

Label: Roadrunner Records

Released: November 18, 2008

There are artists who push the boundaries, who set new standards, who break rules. Sammy Hagar isn't one of them. Anyone acquainted with his career knows this and anyone expecting him to do any of these things is surely setting himself up for disappointment. Sammy Hagar has a formula and he sticks to it with only superficial changes over the years. That being said though, Hagar is one of the best hard rock voices out there and he simply exudes fun. Actually, in a sense, he's one of rock's most honest artists. No pretenses, he is what he is, so to speak.

Cosmic Universal Fashion's title track, a collaboration between Hagar and an Iraqi band, isn't the best start, as it stumbles around in funk-laden hard rock, but the ship soon rights itself with the kind of generic rock songs that have been the staple of both Hagar's solo career and his days in Van Halen. Lyrically, Sammy Hagar, even at his well-meaning best, is just plain stupid. Frankly, a guy his age should be able to come up with something better than keggers to write about. Of course, if you're listening to Hagar's music for enlightenment, you're probably dumber than he is. A cover of the Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)" cashes in on neither the original's novelty appeal nor its unabashed fun, but it is the album's only complete miscue. Everything else plays out just as expected, for better or worse.

Sammy Hagar's same old, same old won't win over any new fans, nor will it change the face of rock n roll. However, Hagar is among the best at what he does and he isn't hesitant about the album he wants to make and people have come to expect. It's true that there are probably few artists less creative than Sammy Hagar, but at least he wears that on his sleeve and puts a lot of energy into delivering his dummied-down (and somewhat fun) rock n roll.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 5/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Heavy Water Experiments - s/t

Label: Intrepid Sound Recordings (or at CD Baby)

Released: July 8, 2008

Prog is a genre not particularly known for being understated. Restraint is a quality seldom found among its purveyors. Heavy Water Experiments is not quite a traditional prog band, but clearly wear their prog influences for all to see. However, they manage to do it without the esoteric musical exercises and unabashed bombast that seem to be the norm.

Heavy Water Experiments feel heavy without being heavy. They deal more in ambient soundscapes than big guitar and keyboard flourishes, making for psychedelic trips that get well inside your gray matter before you can be consciously aware of what's happening. If the album has a weakness, it may be that it is, at time sat least, too understated. "Dementia" even seems a bit light. However, they more that make up for these moments where they've held back a bit too much with the maddening pyschedelic energy of "Otherland" and the wild, trippy, early Floyd-esque textures of "Book Colored Blue."

For an album that never gets really heavy, this album sure is heavy. It's not typical space rock, but wild psychedelic soundscapes hidden in loosely structured songs. And it taps into some of the best qualities of progressive rock. When it's on, it's quite a trip.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Website

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Review: Mighty High - In Drug City

Label: self-released (available at amazon, CD Baby and Interpunk)

Released: March 11, 2008

My copy of In Drug City came with an interesting promo item - a combination lighter/bottle opener emblazoned with the Mighty High logo. There was a note from guitarist Woody High saying, "I know you're straightedge, but the bottle opener works for soda and the lighter for fireworks." That same sentiment applies to Mighty High's music.

Too punk for metal and too metal for punk, Mighty High revives the other late 80s punk/metal crossover scene than spawned the likes of Gang Green and SNFU and they also draw on the wild, inebriated humor of Adrenalin OD. Abandoning precision for raucousness and cleverness for insobriety, the band has a broader appeal than expected, because they're high on one drug everyone likes - fun. Not ones to be bogged down by politics or philosophy, Mighty High exudes a sense of good times that is easy to relate to even if their particular brand of fun isn't up your alley (and it is anything but up mine). Oddly enough, they spend a lot of time focusing on pot, but aside from a few more stoner rock-oriented tracks, their music more closely approximates what I suspect speed is like. It's frenetic and relentless and never stops to think.

I guess In Drug City just shows how music crosses barriers. The album is up to its ears in drug-addled silliness, yet drugs aren't needed to appreciate what makes it such a good time. Remember though kids, don't try this at home!

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 6/10

Website

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Review: Paper the Operator - Solemn Boyz EP

Label: Viper Bite Records

Released: May 19, 2008

Nice melodies, good hooks and the edges of its punk rock roots smoothed out, Paper the Operator's sound seems like any of a thousand pop punk bands on paper. But there's a little something else here. The title track has a punchy undercurrent that could sneak its way into the heart of a punk purist. "Divorce Court" mixes its pop-punk melody with some very un-punk jangle, thus separating it from the masses without losing its potential for mass appeal. A wall of guitar that builds from crunch to noise on "Words You Never Learned" takes a trip that seems longer and more profound that its four and half minutes, perhaps getting to the crux of why Solemn Boyz is more interesting than its peers. Throughout, the EP never feels limited by its sound. This is undeniably pop-punk and yet it's so much more in ways that are subtle and crafty. In a genre that seems increasingly spent, Paper the Operator finds new avenues and new life.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 7/10

Website

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Review: Master Slash Slave - Scandal

Label: Free News Projects

Released: November 18, 2008

Having grown up in the 80s, the current indie pop obsession with Casiotone pop is more annoying than charming. Of course, some bands pull it off and some don't. Master Slash Slave is, overall, the former, but not without keeping at least a foot in the latter. The 80s pop-tronics of the opening track get off on the wrong foot and Scandal suffers a bit each time the band returns to those tricks. However, its quirky twists and turns and its ability to layer shallow pop with both crunchy and ambient passages makes it easy to get past the nods to the lesser qualities of the music of my own youth. The hipster snobbishness of Matt Jones' voice finds its perfect hipper-than-thou vehicle. At his best (particularly on "Nastasya") he manages to pull off dramatic storytelling approaching the likes of the Decemberists, but at other times he devolves into Conor Obesrt's not-so-believable lo-fi whine. Drug references in "High Heels" are too affected to take seriously, but on the aforementioned "Nastasya" and the album's closer, "Wouldn't Hafta," the lyrics have as much pull as the music. Scandal is erratic, but the annoyances are minor next to times when everything comes together. It's not a perfect album, but in some ways it is on the right road.

The album art is pretty cool, making this a great one to pick up on vinyl.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 5/10
Overall: 6/10

Website

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Review: Wilderness - (k)no(w)here

Label: Jagjaguwar

Released: November 4, 2008

Over the years, the term art rock hasn't had a real solid definition, but it has consistently included bands that push creative limits even if some sacrifice the raw ability to rock in the process. To not call Wilderness an art rock band would be a mistake, but to limit them to the trappings of any single era of that shifting genre would be just as incorrect.

If (k)no(w)here has a fault, it's that it tends to be art for art's sake, abandoning the structure of pop music for more esoteric designs. That makes the album a difficult listen, but the challenge has its rewards. Taking everything from Velvet Underground to PiL in varying doses, Wilderness runs through the spectrum of the "high art" of rock music without settling in any one spot. Aside from "Strand the Test of Time," which might as well be a lost Joy Division song, the album never gets into a rut of borrowing heavily from this or that. The result is an album both steeped in the art rock tradition and breaking out on its own, it's challenge well worth accepting. Besides, arty or not, it rocks on its own terms.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Website

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Review: Lanterns - Apocalypse Youth

Label: self-released

Released: July 19, 2008

What would happen if the unabashed rock of the Who and the spunky power-pop of Cheap Trick took a drive down the twisting sharp turns of post-punk? Lanterns. If there is one quality that persists their Apocaplypse Youth EP, it would loud. Loud in the way mastered by big rock bands like the aforementioned Who and Cheap Trick. Their layers of guitar can crank up the volume no matter how quietly you may try to listen. But these aren't just loud, arena-sized riffs. They have the quirky, twisty, turny (and almost danceable) sense that post-punk drew from disco while remaining a safe distance from actual dance music. The wall of sound, sometimes paper thin and others thick and dense, dominates the sound without taking over, leaving plenty of space for the pop sensibility that makes the album's ear-crushing volume such a pleasant experience. Lanterns sound as if they could take on the arena, but the arena would be left in rubble (and all to a sweet, sweet melody).

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Brandi Carlile - Live From Boston (aka iTunes EP - Boston)

Label: Columbia

Released: 9/16/2008

A cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" is on Live From Boston, so I figured I'd skip right to that track and see whether Carlile and her band managed to do right by Johnny's spirit.

They did.

What more do you want me to write? If that doesn't make you go listen, nothing will.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

Website

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Review: Nikka Costa - Pebble to a Pearl

Label: Stax

Released: October 14, 2008

Soul has become a genre dominated by artists that have a real shortage of, well, soul. Sure, there's Jill Scott and a renaissance for Sharon Jones and Bettye Levette. That first Joss Stone album a few years back was even pretty good. But for each of these artists, there seems to be bazillions of good voices over bad beats and samples that are completely devoid of anything that could even be mistaken for soul.

Into this scene steps Nikka Costa on her new album, Pebble to a Pearl. The first thing that's striking is how retro her sound is. She draws largely from 60s soul and 70s funk, but what really ties her to those days, even more than the arrangements, is that her music is so warm and organic. Costa's voice has the ability to be pristine one moment and sultry the next. She can put enough power into a song to make it undeniably moving. The backing band doesn't have that stiff studio musician sound either. Costa and her band move together in the music, something generally absent from the genre today.

Costa doesn't nail every song on Pebble to a Pearl. She's at her best when she draws on the raw emotion of her 60s predecessors than she is reliving the tighter funkiness of the 70s, but her voice alone is a pleasure even on the worst of the tracks. On the songs that really cut her loose though, she a powerful confidence that demands she be taken more seriously than most of her peers.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy

Label: Geffen

Released: November 23, 2008

Chinese Democracy is an album almost a decade and a half in the making. For this album alone, Axl Rose and his revolving door of musicians that make up what he still calls Guns N Roses have been at it longer than most bands take for an entire career. The Beatles changed the face of rock music in (considerably) less time. The cost of recording the album approaches the GNP of a small country. Throw in the promise of a free Dr Pepper for everyone in America (minus Buckethead and Slash, of course) and perhaps no album in history has had more hype. Frankly, I really thought democracy would come to China before Chinese Democracy would come to stores and it seemed like Axl had let it become so much larger than a rock album that he couldn't win by releasing it. It had become a joke.

As it turns out though, the album is not a joke at all. Unlike so may recent hard rock albums that have come out after long layoffs, this one actually shows that he's been up to something all this time. The album takes some chances and incorporates new sounds without losing sight of what GnR really is. That was particularly surprising, because most of GnR is in Velvet Revolver now. Nonetheless, Axl has stayed true to GnR's core without becoming stagnant. He wears a lot of his influences on his sleeve of course. His love for Elton John's over-the-top piano rock is no secret and it's in fine form here. The addition (at least at times) of NIN touring guitarist Robin Finck shows prevalently. Not every chance he takes works of course and after over a decade, the missteps should have been resolved. However, take the time and money out of the equation and Chinese Democracy is a very good record when compared to something recorded for a normal price and in a normal timeframe.

I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed in Chinese Democracy though. I was hoping that the joke it had become would play out nicely in a train wreck and provide at least a few more weeks of laughing at Axl's expense. But the joke's over. The album is solid, interesting and a bit adventurous and I guess that's better than the joke anyway.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Clutch - Full Fathom Five (Audio Field Recordings 2007-2008)

Label: Weathermaker Music (distributed by MVD)

Released: September 15, 2008

As a studio band, Clutch has released several of my all-time favorite albums, but those came out a decade or more ago. As a live band, Clutch has never satisfied me. Their dynamic heavy groove that sets them apart from the field of Sabbath and space rock devotees that have popped up over the last 20 years has never been there when I see them in person and that, coupled with how much I've loved some of their albums, has been a tremendous letdown. But Clutch is a weird, wild band that builds on the craziest parts of heavy music, conspiracy theory, history and mysticism, so anything is possible at any time.

The opener, "The Dragonfly," led me to believe the worst about the album. It's hard to imagine that they could turn such a song flat and dull. The rhythms are plodding, the riffs quiet and the vocals out-of-sync. This is just what my live experience had been with the band and I was disappointed that I wasn't wrong. However, things pick up as the album moves along. By the time they get to "Cypress Grove," they've loosened up and the sense that Clutch is just a little bit off their rockers starts to come out in the song's maniacal groove. A few songs later, they tear through a version of "The Yeti" that makes a case to stand beside the studio version of perhaps the best song they ever wrote. The three final tracks, "Mr Shiny Cadillackness," "Electric Worry" and "One Eye Dollar," finish the album in a whirlwind that is one part Baptist minister, one part old blues musician on the street corner al with a heavy presence of their own unique psychedelic monster.

The albums tracks are gathered from four separate shows and the fades between tracks sadly emphasize this. However, it does gather steam as the band loosens up over the course of the album and, unlike just about any other live album compiled from multiple shows, has a real sense of what a show is like, rather than just a bunch of songs played live.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 10/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um (Legacy Vinyl Re-Issue)

Label: Sony Legacy

Released: September 16, 2008 (originally released in 1959)

"Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity."
 - Charles Mingus

These aren't just words from Charles Mingus. He didn't always manage to make things simple, but one of the many amazing things about Mingus Ah Um is that he took this incredibly challenging jazz, in perhaps its creative heyday, and made it as easy as pop music. That's not to say that he dummied it down. He didn't. He did exactly what he said, made the the complicated awesomely simple. What that means is that it's as easy as a pop record, but the ride is as fascinating and wild as Mingus' later more "difficult" albums. Pop stars of the day, like Sinatra or Nat King Cole, were pleasant, easy to digest artists while guys like Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane were pushing the limits of music as it was known at the time. Mingus Ah Um doesn't split the difference between those two schools, but rather fully accomplishes the goals of both, something that may not have happened again in popular music until Revolver and Sgt. Pepper almost a decade later. It set a standard for pop music to explore, to be avant-garde, and rock music in particular owes a tremendous debt to that spirit.

As great as Mingus Ah Um is, I've only ever heard it on CD until now. Legacy Recordings has re-issued this classic on 180 gram vinyl and it's like hearing the album for the first time. Its already abundant warmth is warmer and the sound more natural. If you own the CD, this is the perfect time to pick up the vinyl and really hear it the way it was meant to be heard.

Ratings
Satriani: 10/10
Zappa: 10/10
Dylan: 10/10
Aretha: 10/10
Overall: 10/10

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Review: Cheap Trick - Budokan 30th Anniversary Edition

Label: Epic/Legacy

Released: November 11, 2008

I always had a tough time understanding why Cheap Trick was so popular. Sure, "Surrender" is among rock's greatest songs and they had their share of other decent tunes, but why would they stand out like they did? The answer I was told is contained in their live show and this 30th Anniversary Edition of their Budokan set, re-packaging the original At Budokan shows into one DVD and three CDs, is the best thing short of being there.

The DVD features original concert footage from Cheap Trick's two nights at Budokan in 1978 that only aired once and only on Japanese television. If nothing else, the wild flamboyance of Rick Nielsen adds to the band's already electric live presence in a way that cannot be conveyed in the audio (at least not completely). The filming does have the quality of a TV special, but that shortcoming does little to compromise the entertainment value of a great live band in their element, especially at that very moment that will catapult them into the upper echelon of popular music.

Two of the three CDs recreate the the 1998 20th anniversary issue of At Budokan, remastered for 2008, but the real gem is disc 2, the April 28th show in its entirety. Most live albums really suffer from being culled from multiple shows, because they lose the real picture of the band live, the flow, the energy, the bumps and bruises even. This package however, gives the best of both worlds and the opportunity to really get a feel for why these shows shot the band into super-stardom.

For what it's worth, I saw Cheap Trick at the Virgin Festival in Baltimore in the summer of 2007, over 19 years after the legendary recordings contained in this set, and they were still amazing. The Budokan 30th Annivesary Edition is a great way to understand what the big deal was about Cheap Trick, but, as good as it is, it's still not a substitute for seeing the real thing and three decades later, while their peers are fat, old and boring, Cheap Trick can still deliver. See them if you ever get the chance.

Rating: 9/10

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Review: Lindsey Buckingham - Gift of Screws

Label: Reprise Records

Released: September 16, 2008

A few years back, a friend and I made our list of the top 20 rock guitarists. At the time, I thought it was as close to perfect as such a list could be. It was however, deeply flawed and Gift of Screws reminds me why: Lindsey Buckingham wasn't on it. I'm not even sure how he was forgotten. Perhaps it's because, as good as he is, he plays for the song and not his own ego. Perhaps it was just that the songwriting often outshone his fretwork. Anyway you look at it though, we screwed up.

Buckingham's guitar work is nothing short of amazing on Gift of Screws. From the opening track, his ability to play like he's more than one person is astounding. The trouble with the album is primarily songwriting. Some of the songs are very good, nothing like the stuff he wrote 30 years ago with Fleetwood Mac, but good nonetheless. However, just as many feel like under-developed ideas. Strangely, these are the songs where his playing really stands out, because it alone saves them. It certainly doesn't seem like Buckingham's tank is dry, even as a writer. It just seems as though he should have taken a little more time fleshing out his musical ideas. It might have hidden his skill as a player a bit, but in a sense, that has been one of his best traits over the years.

Ratings
Satriani: 10/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 5/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Punchline - Just Say Yes

Label: Velvet Ear Records

Released: September 16, 2008

I saw Punchline a couple years ago and they really stood out. Maybe it was just that they were on a bill full of horribly sappy emo or maybe they were just better live than in the studio, but their albums never lived up to that show. Until now.

Just Say Yes doesn't make big changes to Punchline's sound so much as expands it. They still play pop-punk that has a tendency to err on the side whiny emo and they still nail their hooks. The difference now is bigger riffs and more dynamic songs. Instead of only drawing from within their narrow scope, they soak in Foo Fighter-ish pop rock ("Punish or Privilege" is undeniably close to "Big Me"), rock-ified cabaret ("Somewhere in the Dark") and angular neo-new wave ("Just Say Yes"). "Maybe I'm Wrong" crosses over that line that separates good ballads from bad, but redeems itself in a feedback-laden, chaotic end. The two closing tracks mark Punchline's increased musical breadth. "The Other Piano Man" finds them big, bold and more than a little flamboyant while "Castaway" is masterful mellow pop. Overall, the broader palette is fueled by increased confidence and more muscular, arena-sized riffs that will serve Punchline well at the next level even if it doesn't make them entirely memorable over the long haul.

At its worst, Just Say Yes is better than its predecessors. At its best, it is knocking at the door of the best commercial rock out there. Punchline's game is still pretty much the AOR of today, but they're now near the top of that game. The music is pleasant and easy, but in the best way that it can be. If you need a record to challenge you, just say no, but if you enjoy a smooth, easy ride from time to time, Just Say Yes is as good an answer as any.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 5/10
Overall: 6/10

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Review: Grayceon - This Grand Show

Label: Vendlus Records

Released: November 11, 2008

Symphonic metal seemed like a good idea, but every time someone gives it a try, we either get Metallica's S&M, where classical is merely superimposed onto metal, or Dragonforce, where we get all the soul (or lack thereof rather) of classical dummied down for the average rock fan. It should work, but it never does.

Now, Grayceon isn't symphonic metal...but they do some of the things symphonic metal should. Sure, there's a cello, but their classical leanings go much further than just a bit of anti-rock instrumentation. Their arrangements, particularly in the 20+ minute "Sleep," draw from everything from the sacred compositions of Bach to modern power metal. What really sets Grayceon apart though is that they don't noodle for the sake of noodling nor do they play for the sake of merely displaying their skills. Their focus is on the music itself. While Jackie Perez Gratz's cello is immediately striking, it is Zack Farwell's drumming that plays the biggest part in the management of This Grand Show's energy. When the music is at its most dirge-like, the drums still go off. When the rest of the band catch up with Farwell, the tension is released and the energy explodes, then everything else tones itself back down and the tension and potential energy build again.

This Grand Show's madness isn't as immediately striking as it was with Grayceon's self-titled album last year, but don't be fooled. They've just gotten a little bit better at it. While you wait to be smacked in the face, they're knocking your feet out from under you and then setting you back up before you even know you've fallen. It's much more subtle, but don't think that means it won't move you.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Scream Hello - Everything is Always Still Happening

Label: Red Leader

Released: September 9, 2008

So, what do you expect from a band called Scream Hello? I mean if it was Say Hello or Scream I Hate You, it'd be easy to form some preconception, but Scream Hello? Who knows. As it turns out, the name fits the band perfectly. There's plenty of screaming to be sure, but Everything is Always Still Happening is just as full of a warm welcome into its world. At its most fervent (on songs like “Bullets”), it reminds me of early Dag Nasty, sharing that same inclusive outrage, that anger based in love.

On the other hand, tunes like “Cocoon,” even with a punchy 2/4 undercurrent, have as much in common with Death Cab for Cutie (including an ability to get away at times with lyrics that should be cheesy but somehow aren't) as they do with anything hardcore. Scream Hello's multi-faceted approach allows songs like “We Don't Exist” to explore existentialism with both offbeat, dissonant quirkiness and straightforward, unbridled tenacity. It all goes into the mix with the gritty punk rock of Hot Water Music or Avail.

Everything is Always Still Happening has passion and movement, yet never loses sight of itself. It's the kind of album that can draw from the periphery without alienating its core audience, because it has so much to offer on every level.

Ratings:
Satriani – 6/10
Zappa – 7/10
Dylan – 7/10
Aretha – 8/10
Overall – 8/10

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Review: Copper Sails - Hiding Place

Label: self-released

Released: January 13, 2009

Copper Sails seems like one of those bands that could be poised for the big time. I mean, this thing they're doing worked for Coldplay, didn't it? Hiding Place is carefully thought out, constructed and performed. They steal form all the right indie and alt bands on both sides of the Atlantic. The melodies are catchy and the smooth vocals (and Thom Yorke-y falsetto) float on top of just the right mix of jangles, angles and crunch for those who enjoy the least common denominator served up over easy. At times, "Sleeping Giant" for instance, it's almost like an indie rock take on AOR. The problem here is that Copper Sails have been too careful. They never throw caution to the wind. They never cut loose. As a result, Hiding Place is safe and light, pleasant, but placid.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 5/10
Aretha: 4/10
Overall: 5/10

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Review: The Baseball Project - Vol. 1 Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails

Label: Yep Roc Records

Released: July 8, 2008

Baseball is a slow game with a level of intensity and athleticism that is generally below that of many other sports. Yet there's nothing quite like sitting in the bleachers on a warm summer evening. There's nothing like the 7th inning stretch, nothing like a double play. Even in the days when a roid-ridden bum wears a crown that many years ago belonged to the storied Babe Ruth, baseball still draws us in. The story of baseball, America's pastime, is as beautiful and checkered as the story of America itself with an up for every down and vice versa. Its stories aren't just statistics for the record books. They tell us something about ourselves.

The Baseball Project, made up of Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate/Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3), Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows/Minus 5), Linda Pitmon (Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3) and Peter Buck (REM), is not simply a group of accomplished musicians who happen to like baseball, but rather a group as well-versed in baseball's deep human history as they are in America's musical tradition. This thoroughly American collection of songs about baseball, like the sport itself, is about so much more, because the band sees beyond the superficial.

They tackle the thankless good fight in "Gratitude (for Curt Flood)" (Flood sacrificed his career to fight against baseball's reserve clause) and life's tragic unfairness in "Harvey Haddix" (Haddix took a perfect game 12 innings and gave up a run in the 13th that kept him off a list of pitchers who only threw 9 perfect innings). "Fernando" shows the disparity between the displacement of Mexican-Americans at Chavez Ravine to build Dodgers Stadium and the LA fans' later embracing of Fernando Valenzuela. "Satchel Paige Said" is a tale of achievement in the face of adversity and "The Closer" is an analogy for moments of stress.

For music fans, the songs here are simply great and memorable. For baseball fans, the stories are a reminder of what still makes baseball important. For everyone, there is real humanity to which we can all relate. From start to finish, Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails uses baseball and song to tell us about life and few records ring as pure and true.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 10/10
Aretha: 10/10
Overall: 10/10

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Review: David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk

Label: Sony

Released: September 16, 2008

I had a few preconceptions coming into this one: David Gilmour is easily in my top 20 guitarists of all time. He clearly did great work in Pink Floyd and his diminished role on the Waters-dominated albums of the late 70s and early 80s show just how vital he (and Rick Wright) were to the band's sound and emotional quality. That being said, Gilmour's post-Waters work is a mixed bag. His eponymous solo album has some good moments and Division Bell is Floyd's best work since at least Animals (Shut up Wall fans, you've been deceived). The Bob Ezrin-dominated Momentary Lapse of Reason is, a few tracks aside, pretty near unlistenable, About Face is terrible and 2006's On an Island is only slightly better. Gilmour has his moments, they're just not all good.

To top that off, I saw Gilmour's Floyd on their 1994 tour. It was pretty easy to be taken in by the light show. Playing "Astronomy Domine" didn't hurt either. But it didn't take long for the smoke to clear and I saw it for what it was: old men going through the motions. They might as well have just played the records. Looking back, it might be the worst concert I ever saw.

So, I brought my baggage along, good and bad, for the Live in Gdansk ride. And here we go, David Gilmour, a favorite guitarist who hasn't done much that is notable in 30 years, is performing in the Gdansk Shipyards, famed birthplace of the Polish Solidarity movement that ultimately changed the face of Europe. Oh yeah, the Baltic Philharmonic showed up too. This has the making or either greatness or disaster!

Unlike my previous live experience with Gilmour, Live in Gdansk is not a sterile, note-for-note regurgitation of the material (mostly Floyd tunes, by the way). Gilmour's sound is so clean and yet here, he manages to make it warm and rich and natural. It doesn't always work perfectly. He changes the pace of "Astonomy Domine" and the result seems rushed, stealing some of its psychedelic thunder. However, that is the exception. For the most part, Gilmour breathes unique life into these old songs. None replace the originals, but many stand in their own light. Perhaps no challenge was more formidable than "Echoes" and it's there that he really shines. After being taken aback initially, this version's very different energy had a manic sense all its own, making it quite clear that Glimour, despite many recent stumbles, has a lot left to give.

This is not Gilmour's and certainly not the Gdansk shipyard's top moment, but both have a rich history that would be hard to eclipse. Gilmour's set is, however, worthy of this place and time, providing some fine new takes on old classics.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: DOA - Northern Avenger

Label: Sudden Death

Released: October 7, 2008

DOA is DOA and will likely always be, God bless them, DOA. If you're expecting something other than aggressive politico-punk from these guys, guess again. They still wrap up left-wing politics into simple, heartfelt songs whose anger and outrage never overarch their equal doses of life and fun. DOA has always managed to find that place where politics aren't simply preachy and fun isn't synonymous with ignorance and that's as true as ever on Northern Avenger. Joe Keithley and company have been at this game for three decades now, yet they have the exuberance of teenagers who are first finding something they can call their own and that's why they can continue to resonate with kids in a world that's changed more than just a little since 1978.

What's different about Northern Avenger is the production. DOA calls in their old friend Bob Rock (yeah, that Bob Rock) and frankly, that worried me. I mean, this is the guy who gave us Dr Feelgood and Metallica, not Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables or Damaged. Could Bob Rock's mainstream rock approach take its toll on DOA's honesty and credibility? The answer is no. In fact, Rock's production makes this a standout record for DOA. He doesn't temper their passions, but actually puts more punch into them. It makes me realize that Bob Rock's most famous work has helped bands be what they wanted to be. He didn't make Mötley Crüe commercial. They were already commercial, he merely helped them better achieve that end. And here, he doesn't make DOA passionate, but his help behind the board helps them convey their passion in a way they really haven't been able to previously.

This is largely the same ol' DOA. Sure, a few tracks like the ska-tinged soul of "Poor Poor Boy" might step outside their comfort zone, but the essence is the same as it was 30 years ago. The difference now is just that you can hear it better.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 10/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Avett Brothers - The Second Gleam

Label: Ramseur Records

Released: July 22, 2008

The Avett Brothers' breakthrough album, last year's Emotionalism, was a work whose broad influences were felt throughout and whose quiet ambition made it both huge and intimate at the same time. The Second Gleam, while keeping to the Avett's signature sound, doesn't share its predecessor's breadth. Instead, it focuses on intimacy and gentle folkiness. Not a single track could be described as rousing, yet it manages to rouse the soul with its simple honesty. As ever, the Avetts prove to be deceptively fine musicians who aren't afraid to put themselves into their music in a way that reaches heights both technical and emotional. The album focuses on personal themes (the past, family, love), yet manages to express them in ways that they can be personal for each listener in his own way.

Ratings:
Satriani - 8/10
Zappa - 7/10
Dylan - 9/10
Aretha - 10/10
Overall - 9/10

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Review: The Clash - Live at Shea Stadium

Label: Epic

Released:October 7, 2008

What should we expect from a live recording of a band within a year of its own demise, a band who had recently dismissed its heroin addicted drummer and was already splitting apart at the seams in the wake of its own internal turmoil? Will it show the band burning out or fading away? With Live at Shea, we get neither. Instead it finds the Clash in their prime, a prime that lasted their entire career from its earliest rumblings out of the ashes of the 101ers to the near bitter end preserved here.

Many of the songs find new interpretations in the live setting, particularly those drawn from London Calling and later. “Guns of Brixton” is faster, finding a new groove, while “London Calling” is rawer and even more urgent. Perhaps none of the songs finds itself better live than “Rock the Casbah” where the band disposes of the song's novelty elements and instead rip it up with the ferocity it deserves. The transition from funk to reggae and back as they move from “Magnificent Seven” to “Armigideon Time” and then return is one of the most powerful messages of the unity of struggle throughout the world perhaps ever recorded. The fact that earlier material like “Tommy Gun” and “Career Opportunities” fall into place more easily doesn't diminish their impact though. The Clash find the heart of all their songs and bring their own class war to a crowd that was probably not even on the same side. Still, they resonated, because a band like the Clash is almost impossible to dismiss.

It seems hard to believe that a performance like this came so near the end of the road. It may seem like an early curtain call for one of rock's greatest bands, but Strummer and Simonen would prove it to be perfect timing when they formed their own farcical version of the Clash for 1985's Cut the Crap. But here, three years earlier, it was a different story. The Clash not only show that they were the only band that mattered, but more importantly that they mattered right up to the end.

Ratings:
Satriani - 7/10
Zappa - 8/10
Dylan - 10/10
Aretha - 10/10
Overall - 10/10

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Review: Carrie Rodriguez - She Ain't Me

Label: Manhattan Records

Released: August 5, 2008

Carrie Rodriguez's voice is beautiful. It's dynamic and full and she can be sultry, powerful and breathy at will. It is, as it should be, the centerpiece and strength of this album. She has the kind of voice that could lead her down any musical road she might choose and it seems more often than not, the technically talented stick to refined, methodical styles. Rodriguez doesn't though. She Ain't Me is a rootsy, country-tinged affair that allows her to exercise her voice in a very natural way. Rodriguez shares vocals with Lucinda Williams on "Mask of Moses" and they sound great together. Likewise, her songs aren't the silly fluff that runs through so much popular music. She's written songs that deal with humanity and faith and discontent and yearning.

The trouble that She Ain't Me runs into is that it never quite seems to break out. The overall feel is just too much like the studio and the band is very good, but, with few exceptions, uneventful. Without the innate sense that comes from a band really being together, the performance becomes a cage that prevents anyone, most notably Rodriguez, from really breaking free and taking flight. Throughout, I waited to hear her let go and it just never quite happened.

All in all, Rodriguez is way too good to be dismissed. Her voice, even restrained, has so much to offer and that strength makes the restraint even more pronounced. She Ain't Me is a rewarding listen that nonetheless leaves you feeling a little bit short of full, but hungry for the next album.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

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Review: Polysics - We Ate the Machine

Label: Myspace Records

Released: September 30, 2008

Polysics make no secret of their love for Devo. The jumpsuits, the scientist-rock image, it all points to one thing. Their music however, goes further. Devo is clearly in the mix on this collection of synth-heavy, agitated new wave tunes and the result is fun, energetic...and entirely contrived. But they mix that 80s electronic pop with punk energy and more than just a small dose of old Japanese noisecore and that healthy dose of crazy keeps them from being trapped by their own hipness (a dangerous snare that many rehashers of the 80s have failed to avoid).

The vinyl comes as a double album that includes Polysics' previous album, Karate House, which was unavailable in the US. While things have been polished up a bit on their US debut, Polysics seems more in their element on Karate House. Their love of Devo was evident then too, but the album achieves a greater sense of craziness by being more fully under the spell of noisecore. The album is less accessible by far and still struggles a bit with its own identity, but the fun factor increases proportionately with their wonderful sense of nuttiness.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 5/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Girl in a Coma - Both Before I Die

Label: Blackheart Records

Released: May 15, 2007

Being a female band on Blackheart Records, the expectation would be that Girl in a Coma would follow in Joan Jett's footsteps. Unlike so many of Jett's followers though, Girl in a Coma didn't forget that attitude and hooks aren't mutually exclusive. Besides, they're a lot closer to Blondie's edgey punkish pop than to Jett's rather mundane punkish hard rock.

Girl in a Coma have more in common with Blondie or Concrete Blonde even than Jett. Like the former, they capture that same breathy sultriness and show that it can happen without coming across as weak or fragile. They also share Johnette Naploitano's ability to be touching yet dark. There is an unmistakable punk element on Both Before I Die, but unlike most pop-punk of today, these songs have deeper hooks that feel like more than just a facade. "Their Cell" taps into the early 60s girl group sound, yet extends well beyond the two minute pop song enough to exude a dark inner toughness that is the core of why the album is believable.

Girl in a Coma mixes gritty, raw richness with an abrasive edge that finds that happy (or not so happy) middle ground between punk and polish. Their mix of punk's angry aesthetic with pop accessibility rings truer than most in that same game these days.


Ratings
Satriani: 5/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Street Dogs - State of Grace

Label: Hellcat Records

Released: July 8, 2008

State of Grace is an album of roots: family roots, community roots, ethnic roots...and musical roots. Don't confuse that with being about the past though. The album doesn't break out on any new musical paths, but it is every bit about the present and future as it is about the past. That's quite simply because it's alive.

Steet Dogs' musical roots are the likes of Stiff Little Fingers' rough, melodic honesty and Cocksparrer's angry, yet refined hooks. They don't nail every song on the album, with a couple or three that, for all their passion, just fall a bit flat (but only in comparison to their own highs, not against the field in general). But when they're on, they write the kind of punk anthems that thousands of kids would be willing to walk through fire behind. Street Dogs tap into why punk rock still means something to kids generations after it started. At their best, they are the soundtrack to the good fight and anger based on love. They are the songs I can play when I need the spark to be a better person.

History books are about the past, but roots are the basis for today. You can't stand steady to face the future without them. Street Dogs know their roots, but they live right here in the present and connect.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Flatfoot 56 - Jungle of the Midwest Sea

Label: Flicker Records

Released: May 15, 2007

When a band merges punk and Irish folk, the first influence that comes to mind is the Pogues, but Shane McGowan and company were more a folk band with punk attitude. The real origin of the more punk-leaning mixture is the Stiff Little Fingers. While the bands today tend to wear their Irish hearts on the sleeves (despite not actually being from Ireland in many cases) with a bagpipe here or a tin whistle there, the gritty, honest folk nature of their brand of punk rock is what really ties them to the older folk tradition. It is people's music.

Flatfoot 56 are undoubtedly a punk band and have no small debt to the likes of SLF, but unlike their peers, they owe an even greater debt to the Pogues. They offer more than just a few nods to Irish folk music, with many centered on a tradition that goes back a good many years farther than "Alternative Ulster." It's a natural occurrence for Flatfoot 56, because punk itself has much in common spiritually with folk and they run with that instinctively. That being said, Jungle of the Midwest Sea does have its share of Oi singalongs and raw guitar melodies making it dominated as much by punk as it is by folk.

On "Hoity Toity," they sing, "There is a struggle between doing what you want and doing your own thing." Musically, they resolve the struggle, because they do fit into an old, old tradition where singalong choruses encourage a pub-like atmosphere of community. In the process of meeting that tradition, they have indeed found themselves though.

Ratings:
Satriani 6/10
Zappa 6/10
Dylan 7/10
Aretha 8/10
Overall 7/10

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Review: Eli "Paperboy" Reed and The True Loves - Roll With You

Label: Q Division

Released: April 29, 2008

Last month, I drove to a funeral in another state. Funerals, especially funerals for a man who sort of became my surrogate father when my own dad was 2,000 miles away, aren't usually enjoyable experiences, so I made sure to pack the car full of fun music. I threw a couple of classic soul albums into the pile, because few people understand life the way good soul artists do.

Eli "Paperboy" Reed and The True Loves went on that trip with me, and I've got to tell you, they helped to keep my perspective focused on the parts of life that matter.

Like most classic soul songs, the tracks on Roll With You focus almost entirely on love, lost love, lost love due to cheating, rediscovering lost love, redisovering cheating, and so on. And like most classic soul songs, the mood is buoyant despite the heartbreak that drives all the songs.

Now, you might argue that, being as Roll With You came out in 2008, the album doesn't qualify as classic soul. But you'd be wrong. Eli and his band cherry pick the finest elements of 1960's R&B, and they put it together in an album that is solid from start to finish. There's absolutely nothing ground-breaking here, but it's great to hear new songs in this style. The excitement of hearing Roll With You must be similar to how people felt in the '60s when they heard a new Wilson Pickett or Aretha Franklin or Otis Redding or Sam Cooke record.

If this had come out in 1968, it would've been rightly dismissed as derivative and redundant. If it had come out in 1978, it would've been ignored for being old-people music. But in 2008, the act of writing 11 new songs -- nearly all of which are on par with the greatest Motown and Atlantic tunes -- and recording them is bold in its own way. It's a statement that the past is never dead, and we can't ever lose sight of our history, no matter how far into the future we move.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Matthew Sweet - Sunshine Lies

Label: Shout! Factory

Released: August 26, 2008

Matthew Sweet had a good run in the early to mid 90s, releasing three very good albums in a row. Since that time, he's been erratic at best, including the appropriate but lackluster covers collaboration with Susanna Hoffs. Granted, Sweet's music has been lite, but his best efforts manage to meld sweet pop with a confidence in his own pleasantly bizarre perspective.

Sunshine Lies starts off with a series of 60s-drenched psych pop tunes that are among his best. The jangle is there, the hooks are abundant and the music, even when melancholy, feels awfully good. Heading into the second half though, Sweet stumbles into the Carpenters-esque saccharine pop of "Pleasure is Mine." But two songs later, Sweet is on track again with fuzzy garage rocker "Sunrise Eyes" and he puts together a strong finish with catchy songs that have Sweet's peculiar identity.

Sweet may never make another album on par with Girlfriend or 100% Fun, but that doesn't he won't make albums worth hearing. Sunshine Lies isn't without its sketchy spots to be sure, but in its best moments he at least knocks on the door of his past success.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

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Review: The Dark Romantics - Heartbreaker

Label: Lujo Records

Released: September 9, 2008

In the early 80s, Wall of Voodoo made some dark, moody and strangely captivating music out of a peculiar meeting of post-punk, synth pop and the roots of rock n roll. On Heartbreaker, the Dark Romantics find themselves at the same point where these influences flow together and they make music that is deliberately at odds with itself, nervous, pleading vocals and trebly guitar or stark piano poking through smooth synth textures.

It is an album that comes together only to pull itself apart into an unsettled restlessness. "The Death of You" is part synth pop and part "Ghostriders in the Sky," like a post-Armageddon cowboy song. "Never Been Loved" is reminiscent of "Careless Whispers" (yeah, the Wham song) only with a tangible madness and even the slick disco of the chorus doesn't diminish its humanity. The album's darkness grows into the coldness of the title track which knocks on Nick Cave door to insanity.

These songs believe that joy exists, but only in someone else's world. They are love songs for the unloved, breakup songs for those with no one to break with. Heartbreaker is for the broken heart that never had the opportunity to fully love. The discord yearns for beauty in a way that is, as the band name itself explains, quite romantic and entirely dark.

"Hush Your Mouth" mp3

"Let's Ride" mp3

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Elvis Presley - The Complete '68 Comeback Special 40th Anniversary Edition

Label: RCA

Released: August 5, 2008

The story of Elvis' 1968 comeback special is well known. By that time, the music that Elvis, not begot, but certainly laid the groundwork for, had passed him by. While Elvis was busy making silly movies like Blue Hawaii and Harem Scarum, rock and roll was broadening its horizons and beginning to take itself a bit more seriously in light of the self-empowerment of a generation involved in the civil rights and anti-war movements. Naive teen sentiments embodied in songs like "Hound Dog" or "Heartbreak Hotel" seemed ridiculous in light of the turbulent times. Quite simply, rock and roll was evolving into rock while the King was off following someone else's lame muse.

In this environment, Elvis returns to perform four sets on two dates in front a small audience at NBC's Burbank studios. There was absolutely no chance for him to recover the raw edginess he had on "That's Alright Mama," even with the return of Scotty Moore and DJ Fontana. Times had changed and so had Elvis. Nonetheless, his performance is loose and free. Elvis is light and agile and lacks the self-consciousness that he would have had if he really was a has-been. Oddly enough, he was nervous about performing live after a seven year lay-off, but he told executive producer Bob Finkel, "I want everyone to know what I can really do." And that is exactly what he did. Against the odds, Elvis was on fire. Perhaps that adversity is just what he needed.

In addition to the original album with which most everyone is well-acquainted, this package includes the full shows from which the TV special was culled and the rehearsals. It's really the rehearsals that make this set. You can hear that the King is hungry again. You can hear how confident and loose he is. This isn't the same guy who was forced in embarrassing roles in bad movies, this is just an older version of the guy who took a love of C&W, R&B and gospel and mixed it with his raw, though somewhat naive, sexuality and changed the face of popular music. It's evident on the original album. It's evident in the full shows. But nowhere is it more clear than in the free-wheeling rehearsals. Elvis and his band stumble through "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and despite the stuttering performance, they just sound great. Rock n roll was never about perfection and that's demonstrated here as well as anywhere.

This is not the Elvis that made young girls scream (although he surely made plenty of middle-aged women scream), but it's a farther cry from the Elvis that died with so much bacon fat and prescription drugs in his system that he couldn't even sustain a bowel movement. In 1968, even if only briefly, he was the King.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

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