• Band / Artist : Jay Brannan – mySpace
• Genre : Folk / Acoustic
• Sample Track Download : N/A
• Buy CD : Artist Store
• Buy Digital Download : Nettwerk Store – iTunes
• Rating : 9 out of 10

Sexuality is not something that I generally associate to music, consciously anyway. Yes in this musical world of mine, boy meets girl, marries girl, splits up, sticks together or does any of a combination of those things, sometimes multiple times and continues the rollercoaster that is life, experiencing the constant ups and downs. With that in mind, it was at first somewhat unnerving to listen to Jay Brannan. It doesn’t take long to realise that this is a young man, who’s not only gay, but has no qualms about taking us on the journey that is his life. While this may seem somewhat of an uncomfortable ride for the average hetrosexual male, I had no such worries and even if I had, man that voice can thaw all but the coldest hearts.

I found about about Jay, via my friends at Nettwerk. I received an email letting me know about this guy and his new album. I have to admit, I listened to “Housewife” with the expected preconceptions, but as these preconceptions slowly started to erode, I realised that here was an incredible talent who I had to get in for review. That being said, this is not an album for sensitive ears as there are a few things that might make grannies toes curl, in language an imagery.

“Can’t Have It All” opens the album, and the imagery is finely painted with an incredible attention to detail. The track unfolds wonderfully, showcasing some great lyrics, but an even more incredible voice. I’m not usually a fan of expletives in music, unless they add character. There’s nothing worse than swear words being used for effect, rather than for the setting of scenes. At first I though the expletives here, were a little over the top, but the more I listened to the album, the more they felt right, in a surrounding that was true to life.

With 11 tracks on the album, there’s certainly no shortage of terrific songs. “Can’t Have It All” is certainly right up there, along with “Half Boyfriend”, “Housewife” and “Bowlegged & Starving” which has a great quirky flavour to it. It’s funny, put that together with the track that follows, “On All Fours” and you can’t deny that those are an interesting collection of song titles.

The album rounds off with “String-A-Long Song”, a track that has a different feel than the rest, but it works great as a track to lead things out on.

A great collection of songs, from a truly exciting talent. Even if all the songs on this album were awful, here is a guy that could sing the phone book and make it sound good.

Conclusion : A simply stunning album, that sells itself through Jay’s incredible vocals and wonderful musical accompaniment. Certainly this is not going to be everyones cup of tea, but please take the time to at least listen to a few of Jay’s tracks on MySpace or YouTube, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

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

With the release of this, the second of three planned releases, we are treated to 7 studio tracks, that show another side of this phenomenal band. That being said, while I thoroughly enjoyed all of the tracks, I think the first EP spoiled me somewhat. Being a huge fan of live music, the first EP was all acoustic and it’s a sound I revel in when given the chance. That’s not to say that these tracks are any weaker, it;’s just my personal preference.

The EP opens with “Mr Weatherbee Freeman” an interesting track that almost fools you into thinking it’s two songs, reminding me a lot of the Beatles, “Day in a Life”. It’s the title track, “Wonderful” which is the jewel in this encrusted crown. This is a track that real shows an accomplished band, but even more so, incredible songwriting. This is the track that brought JJB to my attention, in what seems like a lifetime ago. “Flashlight” while not as electrically charged as the previous track, it does manage to dig it’s hooks in. This was a track that took a while to grow on me, but it’s not hard to fall in love with this track and indeed every track. The music goes a long way to appeasing your ears, but it’s the vocals that for me are the high point of this and the previous EP.

“Take It All Away”, is for me the low point of the EP. A pleasant song indeed, but it just fails to excite me, as the other tracks do. “And I Say” is the studio version of the song that appeared on the first EP and it has a distinctly different flavour. It has a different flavour indeed, but it’s still eminently likable. Actually this is probably up there in my top 3 JJB tracks.

“Head on my Shoulders” has an almost whimsical feel to it, which is in part due to the piano intro. There’s something else there that reminds me of another favourite Indie band of mine, Harvey Danger. The music is in a very similar vein. I’m not complaining not by a long chalk. The last and indeed longest track, musically anyway is “Your Tree”, a real laid back, almost blues number. This is the perfect way to sign off a thoroughly fantastic EP.

The final track with the unusual title of “…” is pretty much Jabob thanking everyone involved. This is a nice addition to the EP, but I would have much preferred it to be a PC only feature, as at 10 minutes, it’s a real pain to have put this on, along with a few other CD’s and have to skip this track, which to be honest you are going to want to do, after you’ve heard it once. So a bit of a downer to finish things off with, but don’t let that put you off a wonderful release.

The next EP is going to be an all live release. This is something I’m very, very excited about. Can’t wait to get my grubby mitts on that one.

Conclusion : The juggernaut that is the Jacob Jeffries Band, motors ever forward. It’s surprising that this time around, JJB still seem somewhat a guilty secret of mine and many podcasters. It’s on a podcast that I first discovered them, but still the rest of the world seems to be taking their time catching on. When they do, look out world, for a shining new star is set to be born.

• Band / Artist : Nat Jay – mySpace
• Genre : Folk / Acoustic
• Sample Track Download : N/A
• Buy CD : CD Baby
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes Pending
• Rating : 8.5 out of 10

There’s a new breed of female vocalist that seems to be all the rage at the moment. Gone is the sugar sweet, doe eyed facades to bland pop, replaced with women who know who there are, what they want and how to get it. K T Tunstall, Kate Nash, Serena Ryder and god forbid, Amy Winehouse come to mind. As soon as I heard Nat Jay’s EP, I knew this was something quite special. What makes it all the more special was that it was an unsolicited submission from one of the many PR companies I work closely with, who seem to know what kind of music is going to hit the spot.

This 6 track EP hits the spot, with the first track “Pick Up the Pieces”. With wonderfully distinct vocals that really get me excited, overlaid on a music track that manages to drive the song effortlessly without overpowering that wonderful voice. And oh that voice. The breathless velvet tone on “Love When I Can” manages to send chills up my spine. It’s not a secret that I have a soft spot for female vocalist, that manage to either bring something unique, or manage to sound like they are making love to the microphone, well here’s it’s double bubble and the aural senses are the winner.

“Daydreaming” reminds me of another artist whose name escapes me, it’s a fairly laid back track, but there’s a wonderful production to it, with an almost ethereal quality. The more this EP unfolded the more excited I got, but also the more anxious I got, as I just knew when the EP was over, I was going to feel somewhat at a loss, with a feeling of being cheated out of a full length album. “Lights Across the Sky”, the title track, is a great track, but one that I didn’t quite feel deserved title billing, as certainly the first 2 tracks are far stronger.

“On My Own” the penultimate track, mixes things up a little. A more uptempo track, but that feeling of intimacy is gone, replaced with something a little more sterile. It’s a niggly point, but with only 6 tracks, I didn’t feel this track was strong enough for the EP, more suited as an album track.The final track “Untitled” returns to the formula that I feel makes this an incredible EP. Certainly the second half, is not as strong as the first, but as an EP this is still pure magic.

Conclusion : A name that I was previously unaware of, but now one that I am eager to hear more from.

• Band / Artist : Greg Roth – mySpace
• Genre : Rock / Acoustic
• Sample Track Download : N/A
• Buy CD : CD Baby
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 8 out of 10

Sometimes I hear snippets of an artists work and make a snap decision to either enquire further or move onto the next artists. With Greg Roth I have to admit, while his voice isn’t the most melodious, there is something about it I found very interesting, interesting enough to want to hear more.

When Greg’s album finally arrived, I popped it in and when I heard the first track “I’ve Only Got a Minute”, I knew I was onto something. This is just one of those well crafted and well executed songs. It’s amazing what you can pack into a minutes worth of song and it’s a song I’ve played many times since. As I mentioned before, Greg does not have the smoothest of vocals, and I don’t mean that as a criticism. What you do get however are vocals that have a unique quality and one that is eminently listenable.

With 12 tracks on the album, or maybe 11 if you want to discount the 1 minute opener, there is a a real vibe of someone putting his heart into something, but also someone who doesn’t take himself too seriously. There’s some gems on this album, including my favourites “Your Providence”, “The Sound of Your Voice” and the opener, which I just love to death. There’s also an interesting contrast between some of the songs like the Spanish/Mexican, “Good Heart” and the banjo pickin’ “League Bowlers” which I have to admit is probably my least favorite track on the album.

It was while I was listening to the tracks with regard to review that I kind of realised what it was about the vocals that stood out. They have that lazy feel, which is prevalent in many punk bands, especially the punk bands of the 70’s and 80’s. Musically there is much here that reminds me of a great British band, Squeeze, with some wonderfully crafted pop.

Conclusion : Certainly something a little off the wall, but all the better for it. Some great pop with just that hint of quirkiness that sets this apart from the norm and results in something very enjoyable.

• Band / Artist : Rinaldi Sings – mySpace
• Genre : Pop / Powerpop
• Sample Track Download : N/A
• Buy CD : Artist Store – CD Baby
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 9 out of 10

OK I think I have to make a full disclosure here. Apart from being a huge fan of Rinaldi Sings, I’m also a Cockney, so when the opening line of the album unfolded:

“Cockney. Characteristic speech, of the greatest city, of the greatest empire, that the world has ever known”

I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise, I won’t mention what’s said after that. I’m not sure of the film, this line features in, but suffice to say, being so far away from the place I was born, it brought back a pang for the place I used to think of as home. This self conscious feeling soon passed as “You Take Me There” the first track of 11 got underway, and it was then that I suddenly realised that the last Rinaldi Sings album and indeed only the seventh album I ever reviewed, was way back in November of 2005. Admittedly it’s been a little while since I played the last album, but I can’t help but sense, things here are much more refined and Steve has managed to hone his craft even more than the previous release.

I’ve heard many albums that allude to that sixties sound, but although the albums are usually pretty good, they can’t help but end up being pastiches of the real thing. Here, things are very different. You very much feel that Steve Rinaldi has this music in his blood and it’s transposed directly from his soul. I’ve heard terms like “bubblegum Northern Soul” which doesn’t really do much for me. The phrase I love is one that I found on the PR material supplied with this CD, “Cockernee-toned pop”, and it’s this phrase that I feel gives many a simple insight into what to expect.

With the first track, there are all the hallmarks that listeners to the first album will remember, from the brass and guitars to the distinctive vocals of Steve Rinaldi. “You Got Me Believing” continues this characteristic sound. Where the first album had a few rough edges, they were in keeping with the overall feel of the CD. This CD also has that rough, almost raw edge to it. Steve’s vocals are certainly not Scott Walker, but I much prefer them, as they have a realness to them. “End of an Error” is an interesting song, as that 60’s sound is prevalent, and only betrayed slightly with the opening verse, relating to reading a text message. I can’t explain why, but when I heard that I couldn’t help but raise a wry smile.

“Bingo”, the title track is in fact the song that I had the most trouble with. Having listened to the album a couple of times, it just wasn’t my cup of tea, or so I thought. It’s a very atmospheric track, which I can well imagine being used on a soundtrack, showing the protagonists after they have just successfully completed a heist. It was when listening to the album in the car and hearing this track, that it just clicked with me. Whilst it’s still not my favorite track by an means, it’s not longer a track I feel the need to skip past. “The Only Show in Town” is a great laid back track, which has a wonderful piano solo in it, but the piano in this case is one that’s more akin to being found in a pub. Thinking about it, it’s more like a piano found in an old western saloon. It’s just those kinds of features in a song that raise my interest no end.

“Pick Me Up, Put Me Down”, is a pleasant track, but one that feels very much like a filler track. It has some nice brass featured, but seems to amble along. I absolutely love “Welcome”, especially the opening line:

“It’s been a long time. It’s good to see you mate. But it’s like meeting an old girlfriend, when you’ve put on some weight”

Upon hearing this line, I suddenly had a flashback of bumping into all my old girlfriends and couldn’t help again smiling. The other thing I particularly love on this track is the bassoon that gets featured later in the song. The bassoon is not an instrument you hear very often, in fact I though it was an oboe at first, as it’s been that long since I’ve heard a bassoon. Hearing it here, combined with some strings, just sounds so fresh and interesting. and again just makes this album feel much more mature than the previous one. The keyboards that open “Come as you are, You’re a star”, are very reminiscent of early Beach Boys songs, but the song soon breaks away from this preconception and turns into a fairly fast paced, pop song.

And yet again with “She Don’t Know”, there’s yet another instrument that you’d be hard pressed to heard on a modern pop song, the harpsichord. I’ve always had a soft spot for the harpsichord, since listening to the Beatle’s song “Girl” a million and one times and then more recently, but still many moons ago hearing it featured on the Strangler’s song “Golden Brown”. The track itself is terrific and is enhanced all the more, by the creative musical genius.

“Goodbye Steve McQueen” is the first track I heard in full from the album and it’s certainly managed to hit all the right spots and virtually had me salivating for the full album. While Steve McQueen was a big part of my growing up, he’s all but forgotten today, apart from his car chase in the movie Bullit and his abortive attempt at jumping a barbed wire fence in the movie “The Great Escape”. The track itself is fast paced, high octane and brass filled. Wonderful stuff.

The album closes with “Where Did It All Go Wrong Mr Best”, which is for me one of the weaker tracks on the album, but still very listenable. I think the thing that really spoiled this track for me, is the electric guitar solo that breaks in half way through the track. It’s funny that this then made the track feel very much like an album ender, but just doesn’t sit right with the rest of the tracks.

Overall a fantastic album, which tips a huge nod to the music of the 60’s, but also manages to assert a Rinaldi Sings stamp of it’s own. With a creative use of instruments and some great lyrics and music, this is an album I have long waited for and enjoyed immensely.

Conclusion : There’s many great rock, pop, R&B, Soul and a plethora of other good albums. However with so many other albums in the same genre competing for the attentive ears of music lovers, it’s great to come across an album that rises above the norm into a realm of it’s own. Were it not for the fact, I know full well that this is a modern release, I could have well believed this was a classic release from the 60’s. Authentic, creative and sheer unadulterated class.

• Author : Chris Juergensen
• Publisher : Lulu
• Cost : $14.99 (Paperback) – $7.99 (Downloadable PDF)
• Buy Book : Lulu
• Pages : 133
• Star Rating : 9 out of 10

Chris Jurgensen is a name familiar to many Indie Launchpad readers. I reviewed his last album “Big Bad Sun”, back in September of 2006. His latest album, “Strange Phenomena” is currently towards the top of my review stack, but that will have to wait a little longer, as out of the blue came an email from Chris, letting me know I’d been mentioned in his latest book. Lo and behold, not only is Chris a crack musician, he’s also an author. His previous book “Infinite Guitar” comprises of the guitar lessons previously published on his web site. His latest book “The Empowered Musician” has the sub title “Finding financial Freedom in Music”, and goes into fine detail of what to expect when you enter the music business, from the pound of flesh you can usually expected to part with with your first recording contract, to doing it all yourself.

Before going any further, I think it’s important to say I read this book, from beginning to end. I am not a musician, just someone who’s passionate about music. I’ve been told many times, I should be a singer, but unfortunately the only thing that cures me of stage fright is vast amounts of alcohol and then as you can imagine, that’s not really conducive to a charismatic stage presence. Anyway I originally only intended on skimming this book and writing a quick paragraph or two, but with Chris’ great writing style, I found it pretty effortless to digest the whole thing. Admittedly this isn’t a large book, at 133 pages, but this is also reflected in the cost. That being said, what you are paying for here, is quality rather than quantity and there is just a ton of information here, for anyone looking to make a living from their music.

The book is broken down into 12 chapters :

1. Introduction
2. How the Professional Thinks
3. Education
4. Understanding the Music Business
5. Empower Yourself
6. Your Website and Marketing
7. Internet Radio and Podcasts
8. Press Kits and Where They Go
9. A Word of Caution
10. Making a Living
11. Finances and the Keys to Success
12. Questions and Answers

As you can see all the areas are covered, with the emphasis of actually making some money from your hard work. There were a few times, I felt that some of the chapters could benefit with being expanded a bit, but I’m sure most of that was due to me enjoying Chris’ writing style.

Conclusion : If you are in a band or recording solo and are looking to persue music as your career, this will certainly get you up to speed, let you know what to expect and even point out some of the many pitfalls. Even if you aren’t a musician and just curious about the music business, this books serves as an interesting insight.

• Band / Artist : Rob Szabo – mySpace
• Genre : Acoustic / Pop
• Sample Track Download : The Life of the Party
• Buy CD : CD Baby
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 9 out of 10

It’s been a while since I reviewed Rob’s last album, Like a Metaphor, so you can imagine I was a little taken aback, when I found Rob had released not one, but two albums, The first of these is “After the Gravity”, a collection of older studio recordings, demos and acoustic versions of songs recorded by his previous bands. It was this album, “One More for the Road” however that really got me excited, a collection of 13 tracks recorded live.

The first thing that struck me, was the wonderful sound of the recordings, that capture the atmosphere of a live performance. Many times, recorded live performances are tweaked and cleaned, almost to the point of sterility. Here the recordings are crisp and fresh.

“Beautiful” and “Good Son” are particular favorite tracks of mine, which maybe isn’t too surprising, as these two tracks were on the previously reviewed album Like a Metaphor. While the live and studio version are a great contrast, they are all great in their own right. “Good Son” in particular is probably my favorite track on the album. Melancholy and me are great friends and with this song, we have a great soundtrack.

Other particular favorite tracks are “Trampoline”, “The Others” which is absolutely magic, “Incandescent” with it’s great guitar accompaniment and “I Live for the Summer”, a perfect end to an amazing album.

I was unlucky to have missed Rob the time he last came to Ottawa. I know now what to expect and will not be making the same mistake again.

Conclusion : This album for me, shows what is really lacking in the current indie music scene. Yes there is an abundance of talent, but few seem to be brave enough to release live material, which is a shame, as I’m sure there are some tremendous tracks and albums waiting to see the light of day. This is a prime example of a live recording done right, and hopefully gives other bands something to aspire to.

• Band / Artist : Slave to the SQUAREwave – mySpace
• Genre : Rock / New Wave / Electro
• Sample Track Download : My Spine is a Bass Line
• Buy CD : CD Baby
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 8 out of 10

80’s hairs, 80’s fashion and not forgetting 80’s music. It all came flooding back when I heard SLAVE to the SQUAREwave (STTSW) for the first time on Pete Cogle’s PC Podcast. Although the band are virtually right on my door step, here in Canada, it would be easy to transplant them back into 80’s England, were time travel possible. The first track “Sinners of Saint Avenue” sounds very much like The Associates, who had a big hit with “Party Fears Two” in the early 80’s. The vocals don’t quite cover the same range, or have the same intensity of the Associates lead singer Billy McKenzie, but they share that similar Bowiesque vibe. “New York’s a Go-Go”, begins in a very electrofunk style, but that is soon quashed with heavy guitars and then a more contemporary vocalist came to mind, Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy.

“Big Change” has that electronic swirling string sound, but it’s upon hearing the vocals that the power of the 80s’ washes over me again. Although “Pumping up the P House” follows in a similar formula, there’s just something about it, that disagrees with me. In fact with 14 tracks on the album, there’s a wealth of music, resulting in an album that’s an hour long and whilst I enjoyed the majority of tracks on the album, there was the odd one or two that seemed slightly out of place, the aforementioned, being one of them.

Of the remaining tracks, I loved “London Baby”, with it’s hint of 90’s pop and “Hopeless Believers” with a great acoustic guitar intro, or I’m assuming it’s acoustic, but knowing this band it’s probably all electronic. “Gorilla Swingin’ Discotheque” would have to be included in the tracks I like, be it just for the title, fortunately there’s also a driving, relentlessness, that while alienating the bands 80’s hallmark, has an almost hypnotic charm.

The album finishes off with a remix of “Pumping Up the P House”, which while not my favorite track, is much preferable to the original.

A really interesting band, that has their feet firmly in the 80’s, but manage to add a more contemporary edge. As an album it feels a little disjointed, but there are enough gems to make the album a worthy addition to your collection. They’re certainly a band I’d be interesting in seeing live, as I’d be quite interested in how they bring this all together live.

Conclusion : A wonderful 80’s bitchslap, which brings back vivid memories of growing up, but also allows me again to wallow in some great music, of a style that is often overlooked.

• Band / Artist : Adaline – mySpace
• Genre : Electroacoustic / Folk Rock
• Sample Track Download : N/A
• Buy CD : CD Baby
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 9 out of 10

When I got this album in, I was kind of under the impression it was going to be a fairly low key, female vocalist kind of thing. That was based on my listening to just one track on the album and then podcasting it, soon after. When I got the album in, what surprised me was the depth. The opening and indeed title track “Famous for Fire”, while having sumptuous vocals, also have that almost theatrical feel to them. This style of music, often goes two ways, either totally over the top (which can actually sometimes work), or far too serious for it’s own good. It’s nice then to hear something that bucks this trend, an manages to carve a niche of it’s own. With the following track, “Find My Way”, it’s funny but more I listen to it, the more it reminds me of a mash-up between Britney Spears’ “Hit Me Baby One More Time” and Abba. Not that that’s in any way a criticism, but it’s certainly an interesting vibe.

“Chemical Spill” for me goes off on a tangent into the late era Tori Amos sound, which for me is a real turn off. Not that I’m not open to different sounds, Whiter Straighter” being a case in point, with it’s muted trad jazz trumpet. Here’s a song that comes alive and you can just sense Adaline let herself go and it’s a joy to hear. “Poor You” changes tempo, but again the vocals, with their dreamy air of beauty, capture you in the headlights, transfixed and helpless, but not wanting to move.”Meaningless Meeting” was the track that introduced me to Adaline and the more I hear it, the more I love it. Again, there is certainly a Tori Amos feel to this, but it draws more from her pure talent, rather than her pure madness.

“Pioneering” turns it up a notch, and dips a toe into more conventional pop/rock, and it’s kind of the last thing you expect, but I couldn’t help but smile, because here’s a girl that’s doing what she wants to do and while I feel like a spectator, I’m one on the same bus as Adaline and not wanting to get off.

The album ends on a more malancholic note, but while the mood is down, the vocals soar and I couldn’t think of a better song on which to close.

Conclusion : Just an amazing album, that had me constantly notching up Adaline’s final mark, as I kept playing the album and finding new things to love. Aural candy and very tasty.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted any site updates, but wanted to let you know about a few changes happening here at Indie Launchpad. The number of CD’s submitted has skyrocket and while I’ve tried to keep on top of all the great music, it’s got to the stage where something has to give. While I love to wax lyrical about the merits of releases, realistically I just don’t have enough hours in the day. As from today, you will notice a greater frequency of reviews posted, but many of these will be of a shorter form, 2 or 3 paragraphs, rather than some of the more epic reviews, which I will save for the albums that attain the highest Indie Launchpad ratings.

The Indie Launchpad review site also serves as the content provider for the podcast, so not only are reviews posted, but a track from the release also features in the podcast. Sometimes, I’ve been snowed under, not able to post any reviews, and had to skip a podcast. Under the new arrangement this should no longer happen.

Please understand all music reviewed is listened to, sometimes many, many times, so reviews are never just thrown together to meet deadlines. My passion for music is as great, if not greater than when this site started. I’ve had the privilege to work with many great artists, bands, PR, marketing and record companies and value the relationships I’ve built up over the 3 years this site has existed.

Indie Launchpad was created to showcase the finest in independent music, and I like to think I’ve done a pretty good job so far. Please feel free to contact me, if you feel these smaller reviews are not long enough, or if you have any ideas for improvement.

Thank you stopping by, reading the reviews and purchasing the many albums you’ve let me know about. Here’s looking to the future.

Colin
Editor – Indie Launchpad