Archive for the 'Rock' Category

• Band / Artist : 3 Blind Mice – mySpace
• Genre : Pop / Rock / Alternative
• Sample Track Download : N/A
• Buy CD : CD Baby
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 9 out of 10

Good Grief. You can say that again. I bet 3 Blind Mice are glad to have this album finally in the can, as it’s had a gestation period more akin to that of an elephant. That however is by the by, as once again they are triumphant in releasing a cracking album, which we’ve pretty much come to expect. According to iTunes, this album came out at the end of 2006, so I’m nearly a full year behind the curve, but some things are worth waiting for.

Although I’m often chomping at the bit to review new releases from artists who I’ve previously reviewed, I still like to take the time to really let an album sink in with me before reviewing it. Although I’ve had this album a month or so, I hadn’t really had a good chance to listen to it until last week. It was yesterday however when I started to cosy up to it and really feel like it had got under my skin.

After work last night, I took the opportunity to finish off Christmas shopping for my wife. The snow had been coming down since about 4pm, so by the time I left work at 5:30pm, there was enough snow on the car for it to take me a few minutes to clear it. Just before pulling away, I put this album on the car stereo and it became my sole companion for the rest of the night.

The first track “Your Face is Not Enough” really greets you like an old friend. Those harmonies are unmistakable and I pulled out of the parking lot, with a warm glow and a big smile on my face. “Dead Penguin” is the track that follows and while I still haven’t warmed to this track, it does provide another dimension to this album. “Kolysanka” has the feel of a Russian folk song. It’s slow and deliberate and filled with lush harmonies and what sounds like a balalaika, at least I think that’s what I think it is anyway.

“Derek Malone” has to be one of my favorite tracks on the album. It has all the qualities we have come to love on the Beatle’s, Penny Lane, with a narrative that flows effortlessly with the musical accompaniment. For anyone subscribed to PW Fenton’s, Digital Flotsam podcast, “The Word” will sound very familiar, having been used as the theme track for a good couple of years now. “I’m So Tired” is probably my least favorite track on the album, I just keep feeling like the track is barking at me, if that makes any sense. “The Breaking” provides a nice foil to the previous track, calming, soothing and washing over like the soothing waves of a warm sea on a summers day.

If there’s one thing that really impresses me about 3 Blind Mice, it’s that while their tracks all sound very familiar, leaving no doubt who there are by, they also have a real diversity. “The King’s Shilling” shows this to the full, a Christmas song, without fanfare, frills or gimmicky sleigh bells. At just over 2 minutes, it’s a little on the short side, but excellent nonetheless.

This is another one of those albums where I can just go on and on, telling you how good it is. Better than that, you can go buy a copy and discover how good it is for yourself. If you’re already a fan, you will need no prodding, to add this to your collection. If you are new to 3 Blind Mice, this is an excellent introduction, which still leaves you 3 other albums to pick up.

Conclusion : Simply a wonderful example of everything that’s right in todays indie music. Great music, inventive and interesting lyrics, resulting in another must have album.

• Band / Artist : Jenny Owen Youngs – mySpace
• Genre : Pop / Rock
• Sample Track Download : N/A
• Buy CD : Amazon
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 8.5 out of 10

I got an email recently from Nettwerk, telling me about Jenny Own Youngs’ new video, available to see on YouTube, called F*** Was I (astrisks there to protect delicate eyes and yes this isn’t part of the track name). I was at a loose end and saw the email again and decided to have a watch. I heard the cello begin and I was hooked. I heard Jenny’s voice and knew it was aural love at first listen. I have a hard time trying to describe what it is in a female vocal that gets me so excited, suffice to say Jenny has it by the truck load.

Opening with “Porchrail”, I was a little sceptical about what I was about to hear. It has an almost rockabilly feel to it, but I needn’t have been so wary. What unfolds is just a sheer delight. Jenny has a wonderful style of delivery and lyrics that are honest and fresh. This is no lovelorn woman, but one that really comes across as in control of her own destiny. The first two tracks are pretty short at around the two minute mark, but they serve as a great escort to “F*** Was I” which has that magic X factor.

“Lightening Rod” is a more relaxed track and it’s here that the Jenny’s voice adopts a huskier, smokier tone. It’s a slightly rambling track, but all can be forgiven, as Jenny’s voice builds and takes a more hungry tone. “Voice on Tape” has a nice answerphone message featured throughout, which sounds too good to be fake. The track itself is pretty simple, but builds with some nice harmonies and layer upon layer of sound, great stuff. The return of the banjo comes with “P.S.” and to be honest it’s probably my least favorite track.

“Drinking Song” again features a most colourful word, but there’s no shock, or gratuity in it. The lyrics, as they have throughout the rest of the album, have a real honesty to them, a truth of life, that really works. “Woodcut” is another of the more relaxed tracks, but the combination of vocals and guitar, work nicely to evoke an atmosphere of a summer’s day, lazing in a field of corn. “Coyote” again manages to evoke a strong picture in my minds eye, of a saloon in the wild west. The more I listen to this song, the more a complete video unravels in my imagination.

“Keys Out Lights On” eases us gently into the final track, with Jenny’s rich vocals, and a glockenspiel if I’m not mistaken. The final track “Woodcut (The Age of Rockets Remix), is as you’ve guessed it, a reworking of the previous “Woodcut” track, and provides enough of an interesting twist, to be solid in it’s own right.

Conclusion : A welcome find and one that really delivers a fresh take on female vocalists. Inventive, witty and sharp. Pure, unadulterated, tasty, goodness.

• Band / Artist : Cancel the Astronauts – mySpace
• Genre : Pop / Rock
• Sample Track Download : Intervention
• Buy CD : N/A
• Free Digital Download : Band Site
• Rating : 7.5 out of 10

Another one of the many excellent bands coming out of Scotland, I heard them for the first time via podcasting and in fact have heard them quite few times on many different podcasts since then. With a sound that is very reminiscent of a combination of 80’s indie rock and more contemporary Brit pop, I was immediately enamoured with their sound and couldn’t wait to get the EP in for review.

Opening with “I am the President of Your Fan Club (And I Followed You Home” the title is almost longer than the song. It is however an indication of the lightheartedness that follows through the EP in great Brit Pop tradition. Although the title of this track and melody indicate a lighthearted offering, there’s a real sinister undertone, with the singer reiterating the track title, but then adding “I looked through your window”, “last night you weren’t alone”, “will he be here tomorrow, I don’t think so”, a fairly ominous lyric ifever I heard one.

Things lighten up a bit with “Skirts”, with again an opening thats is very reminiscent of an ELO track. Mmm, seems like mr Lynne is in vogue again. Certainly the subject matter is pleasing to the ear and while the the sound of this track and indeed the whole album is somewhat basic, it really does work well. “Intervention” is probably my least track on th EP, but it’s not a lemon, just not as strong as the rest of the cast. “Outside” has a very retro, 60’s feel and is one of those track that not too suprisingly ends abruptly just before the 2 minute mark.

“Enough Tonight” is probably where I realised that the lead vocals and music have some level of disconnect. I hate writing anything negative, but felt by the fourth track, somewhat wearied. There’s nothing bad about the lyrical delivery, but it does begin to come to the forefront towards the end of the EP, and I found my self over analysing the vocals rather then trying to enjoy the EP. “Lets Talk” sees out the EP out and while enjoying it, I wasn’t blown away. I need to put into perspective however that this is just my view and I’m sure many fans will want to disagree vehmently, which I can totally understand.

Conclusion : A great EP, which I really enjoyed, but one I felt could do with a little tweaking in the vocal department. I’m not sure it’s the vocals themselves, or the mix, but I did enjoy the EP nonetheless.

• Band / Artist : Peter Searcy – mySpace
• Genre : Rock / Powerpop
• Sample Track Download : N/A
• Buy CD : Amazon
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 8 out of 10

I have to admit when I put this album on for the first time, the song that greeted me, “The Summer Behind US”, brought back memories of ELO’s Mr Blue Sky. Yes a huge compliment and one that I’m sure will prick up the ears of ELO fans everywhere. It has that infectious summer pop beat and melodic lyrics that would surely sound at home on radios everywhere.The second track also has that deja vu sound, but I couldn’t quite narrow in on who it reminded me of. Similar to the first track it has a wonderful pop sound that really started to get me excited about the rest of the album.

Of the twelve tracks on this album, it’s around a 50/50 split between infectious pop and that more laid back sound that gives balance to album, providing a nice contrast. While on the whole this is a great album, it does have a couple of tracks that feel a little listless, “Bird Song” and “Truth Rises”, being the ones that failed to capture my imagination. “Don’t Let A Day Go By (Acoustic)” is very much on the road to mellowville, and I have to admit, it wasn’t a track that immediately struck a chord with me. I think the main reason for this is the very raw and emotive lyrical delivery, in conjunction with being a solely acoustic track. This is something that I normally really love, but here I thought he was singing in too higher key, which seemed somehow not to feel right. It was while listening to this album while on a flight, that this track just seemed to click with me. I think some of this may have been my emotional state, having missed my wife and kids, but on listening to it again, I couldn’t help but be moved by the sheer rawness of it.

The title track, while being a nice song, just didn’t have that oomph that I always look for in a title track. It’s a good song, don’t get me wrong, but wrongly or rightly I always want a title track to be a kind of 2-3 minute advertisement for the rest of the album and here I didn’t think the track does the album justice.

I love how Peter’s voice sounds on the track “In the Morning”. As I often do, I try to imagine an artist’s singing live and here I can just imagine Peter kicking some serious arse. The final track is a studio working of “Don’t Let a Day Go By” and just a sheer brilliant way to sign off an album. I’d love style here to be used on the acoustic track and I’m sure it would really ascend that version to a higher level.

Conclusion : Not an immediate hit with me, but something that really grew on me like a weed. A very welcome weed indeed. I’m sure from this spark a mighty fire will roar.

• Band / Artist : Mindy Smith – mySpace
• Genre : Folk Rock / Rock / Acoustic
• Sample Track Download : Santa Will Find You
• Buy CD : Amazon
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 8.5 out of 10

With American thanksgiving a recent memory, the Christmas season begins to quickly descend upon us. This is ever more apparent with the steady trickle of Christmas releases hitting my postbox. Many of these releases serve as little more than musical regurgitation, however every now and then, something sparkles like the bright Christmas star, in this case a wonderful collection 11 classic and contemporary Christmas songs from Mindy Smith.

Mindy’s name is a relatively new one to me, but as soon as I heard the briefest of snippets undulate from her lips, I knew she was going to be something quite special . Let me just get a quick something out of the way, I’m in no way a Christmas song aficionado. Yes I know the classics like Silent Night, Jingle Bells and Silver Bells, many of the songs on this CD are relatively fresh to my musical repertoire.

The CD opens with the title track and I have to admit the music just falls away like the snow on a roof and all I can hear is Mindy’s beautiful voice. There’s enough of a rawness to be intriguing and enough of a beautiful tone to be engaging. Already I’m beginning to sound pretentious even to myself, there’s just something quite beguiling, almost mesmerising about a voice so wondrous.

People expecting the usual Christmas fare will not be disappointed. “The Christmas Song” has many of the elements you come to expect, in this case an almost full rendition of “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”, was it really not called this? “Santa Will Find You” will please many fans of a previous Christmas reviewed artist, Leigh Nash, pure poetry and pure unadulterated bliss.

If I were to pick out the just one track to highlight, it would have to be “Silver Bells”. While not one of my favorite Christmas songs, there’s something about Mindy’s interpretation that just captures my imagination and bring to the fore of my thoughts, all the good things to come in the coming holiday season.

Conclusion : Yes I can praise this album up to the yin yang, but I really do not need to. Maybe the window of opportunity to play this album is quite limited, it will always serve as a reminder to check out Mindy’s other works and act as a constant reminder to catch the future releases of this amazing artist.

• Band / Artist : Digby – mySpace
• Genre : Rock / Pop
• Sample Track Download : N/A
• Buy CD : MySpace
• Free/Donate Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 7.5 out of 10

Digby always brings to mind the cult children’s movie, “Digby, the biggest dog in the world”. Whilst this 5 track EP is in no way a dog, it does feel like it’s a bit in conflict with itself. If I solely flipped through the tracks, listening to brief soundbites, I’d probably pick out 2 tracks that were great and decide against reviewing it. This isn’t the way things work however and I really felt the EP had a lot more to offer than I first thought, this was evident after a good 3 or 4 plays.

Call me an old fart, but the first track “New America” just doesn’t deliver. It’s not that it’s a darker, harder rock sound, it just doesn’t seem to have any real direction and has a roughness that is almost for roughness’ sake. “Self Evaluation” was also not my cup of tea, the first few plays around, but it really began to grow on me and I really began to appreciate the overall sound of the group. It’s probably no surprise that “Bad Swing” was one of the tracks that made me prick up my ears, first time around. It’s a very melodic and relaxed track, which is in stark contrast to the raw, but again less frenetic than earlier vocals. “Knocking At Your Door”, is again one of the mellower tracks on the EP, with a rockier chorus section and while it’s very pleasant, it is little more. The final track “How Long” reminds me a lot of another previously reviewed band, Hopewell, or rather a couple of specific Hopewell tracks. This brings to an end an EP that has some great moments on it and indeed grew on me quite a bit since my initial listen.

All through the EP, I kept being reminded of Rod Stewart in his Faces days, probably when he sounded his greatest. All being said, this is a great EP, that’s currently being given away, with request for donations if you like the EP. You simply can’t go wrong.

Conclusion : Two good tracks, two great tracks and one that’s not my cup of tea. I’d love to see the band develop the mellower side, but I’m sure many of their existing fans would prefer the opposite. Ah the joys of independent music.

• Band / Artist : Arrica Rose – mySpace
• Genre : Rock
• Sample Track Download : Rid of You
• Buy CD : CD Baby
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 7.5 out of 10

It took me a while to warm to this 5 track EP. I kept getting severe deja vu and couldn’t get past the fact that Arrica’s voice reminded me of someone, who’s name I couldn’t quite put my finger on. This meant I kept playing the EP, but just couldn’t put fingers to keyboard. I think I’m finally over it now, as you can plainly see.

Opening with “Turn” this was the track that was the hump I just couldn’t get over. It’s has a very 80’s feel, with Arrica providing vocals, that have an earthy, almost hungry feel to them. “Occasionally the World’s an Unhappy Place”, is where things really gets into their stride, feeling much more relaxed. From rock, we shift to a decidedly uncomfortable, almost country feel with the track “Rid of You”. I say country, but it soon shifts to a more bluesy sound. Whilst showing Arrica’s eclectic spectrum of tastes, the EP really feels somewhat unbalanced.

For me the final two tracks are where Arrica should concentrate her talents. “Wreck Me”, is where this instant, I just realised that Arrica reminds me a lot of Elkie Brooks a name I haven’t thought about for many years. “Silence (is all we need)” is the pure magic. It’s worth buying the EP for that track alone, albeit at just under 3 minutes, it’s could be a bit longer. I love the simplicity of the song and the minimalistic music, allowing Arrica’s voice to really shine.

Conclusion : A great EP, with some flashes of brilliance, in particular the final track, with it’s wonderful harmonies.

• Band / Artist : Daniel Bon and the Future Ghosts – mySpace
• Genre : Pop / Rock
• Sample Track Download : Turning Blue
• Buy CD : CD Baby
• Buy Digital Download : CD Baby
• Rating : 8 out of 10

I suppose I could be considered a bit of an old fart when it comes to the kind of music I like. It’s not that I consciously prefer slower paced, more easy going songs, it’s just that I really love a good melody and appreciate well crafted lyrics, this is something that seems to be amiss from many rock bands. This is not something that was a concern with this album from Daniel Bon and the FUTURE ghosts.

This eleven track album has a very contemporary sound, very much akin to Fall Out Boy and the plethora of other emo bands. It’s the music however that differentiates this from the whole emo scene, being a much more well rounded sound. Again, something that seems to be happening a lot lately, the album opens with a very strong track, in this case “In the Meantime”, which really gets you up to speed with what to expect. “You Don’t have to Stay” was a really interesting song, and it wasn’t until this track and actually while writing this album, that I finally thought of who the lead singer occasionally reminds me off. That would be Ali Champbell from UB40, not an artist I’ve heard in a long while.

“When You Go Away”, is a real upbeat and driven song, that I can just imagine blasting out the car stereo, while burning up the motorway. “In the Middle of the World” has a wonderful production quality to it and is just amazing to listen to while wearing headphones, especially that ethereal guitar sound that floats in and out throughout the track.

The second half of the album begins with “Last Goodbye”, yet another great example of a well written pop/rock song and indeed apart from the first track, I really feel that the second half of the album, is where it really shines, where it’s just track, after track of great pop songs. The end of the album, comes far too soon, but to accompany us to the end is “Boston Tonight”, a track where you can just sense everything winding down and it’s almost sad to hear the last note and know this cracking album is over. Thankfully it’s painless to hit the play button all over again.

Conclusion : Certainly a more contemporary sound, than the usual bands reviewed on Indie Launchpad, but it’s nice to be given a good kick up the backside. Good music, is good music, no matter what the genre.

• Band / Artist : Nathan Wiley – mySpace
• Genre : Rock
• Sample Track Download : North American Dream
• Buy CD : CD Baby
• Buy Digital Download : CD Baby – iTunes
• Rating : 9.5 out of 10

I’d heard a few of Nathan’s songs on various podcasts and think I actually approached him once to do a review. A few months passed and I was looking for a little something for the podcast and saw Nathan’s name on the Podsafe Music Network. I listened to a few tracks and settled on “Back to Bed”. This relit my fire and prompted me to find out a bit more about Nathan. When I heard the track “One of the Worst Ones” I was blown away. With a mix of great music and distinct vocals, it’s very reminiscent of that 70’s AM sound, with some very George Harrison style guitar.

I finally got the album in for review a few weeks ago, and have to admit I was disappointed. The album begins with “One of the Worst Ones” and like the previously reviewed Voyce’s album, the killer track is the one that opens and from there on in, everything seems to be measured against it. I played the album a couple of times, over the course of a week, without consciously trying to review it, listening in the car or at work and then when I came back to the album to listen with the aim of reviewing, everything seemed to fall into place.

The title track takes a more sombre direction and it’s probably the track that set me back a bit, after the relatively bouncy opener. It’s when you really sit down and listen to this album, that it really begins to unfold before you, like a kind of narrative. “Seven Reasons” has an interesting feel to it and it’s here that I feel those creative juices begin to flow. “Needle in the Groove”, has an almost reggae feel to it and I can’t help but get excited about all the diverse influences channeled into what has turned out to be a quite masterful album.

“Back to Bed” is the track I played on the podcast and it almost plays like a lullaby. It’s a relatively short, but beautiful track. I’ve spoken before about artists using less than conventional instruments and it’s nice to hear on “One Bad Woman” what sounds like a glockenspiel. “Graveyard” could almost be a homage to George Harrison, with those very distinctive guitars, a a very similar lyrical flow.

“Get Away” is I suppose you could say the official last track of the album and again has yet another unconventional instrument, this time a kazoo. The song itself has that lazy sunny day feel and would have been a great way to round off the album. It is however “Fistful of Throttle” that seems to have been added to the album, as it’s not part of the 1-12, official track list, just appearing as “Also Including…”. It’s an interesting track, with a hint of the 70’s, again it could be the guitar that gives this feel. It’s not a closing song though, as I almost felt like there should have been another track after it.

Conclusion : An absolutely stunning and interesting album, which will certainly be played to death and then some.

• Band / Artist : Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers – mySpace
• Genre : Rock / Americana / Country
• Sample Track Download : N/A
• Buy CD : Band Store
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 9.5 out of 10

Comparing a band to Neil Diamond, can either be taken as a huge compliment, or a slap in the face, depending on your perspective. Here it’s meant very much as the former. It’s almost like Neil Diamond for the 21st century, with Neil Diamond’s very melodic vocals, backed by a terrific band and some killer songs. OK, so comparisons to an aging, 60s and 70s superstar are not something every band will appreciate, but the end result here is something quite special.

The album opens with “Hello New Day” and you can’t help but be swept up with the positive vibe of the album. This really is one of those albums, you need when you’re a grumpy git in need of some spirit elevation. In fact I had it on my portable player, while waiting for the bus, as my wife told me she wouldn’t be able to pick me up from work. I don’t take the dreaded bus often, so my mood was decidedly jaded.

When I hit play button, after selecting this album, it was almost like one of those moments, when you are standing in a torrential downpour and then the rain stop and the sun fights it’s way through. That’s exactly how I felt when “Hello New Day” started. This was the first time I’d actually really listened to this album, and thinking that this was one trick pony, “Bottom of the Bay” came on and I was immediately blown away, by the apparent consistency of this album. There’s 14 tracks on this album and I have to say I’m very hard pressed to pick a single song that failed to live up to the expectations that had been heightened by the first two tracks. I know this is going to be a difficult album indeed to select a single song for the podcast, so I just may have to do a “Good Luck Joe” and feature two… that is if Roger lets me.

Something I always find strange, is this album is classified as Americana, which is a classification that has always baffled me. To me this is classic pop/rock and fantastic pop/rock at that.

Conclusion : A terrific album, that has been on constant rotation in my CD player for a good few weeks, and will no doubt be played for a long while to come.