(BDI Recordings) I could tell almost from the beginning that I wasn't going to like this. The music and female vocalist reminded me of the music my mother used to listen to in the mid '70s. The radio was always set on a lite-pop station. I remember that I loathed most of the music that was on. I remember that I could even stomach country thanks to Hee Haw. Still to this day I hate lite-pop. So, yeah this CD just isn't for me. But hey, my mom would probably like it.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
Babes in Toyland - The Further Adventures of. - CD
(Fuel 2000Records)
Hey everyone, it's the official Babes in Toyland Anthology! A collection
of singles, B-sides and live performances plus some unreleased tracks. Three
tough ass chicks pounding out aggressive music that sets your insides quaking.
This is the Babes in Toyland CD to have and I'm in love with it because
it has a live version of my favorite BIT song, "Bruise Violet". Yeaaaaahhhhhhhh!
-- Mite Mutant (2001)
David Babich - Mind Aside - CD
(David Babich)
David Babich is a fairly talented singer / songwriter / guitarist
who needs more time to develop. This six track disc does have potential,
but his voice isn't strong enough and the music isn't quite as developed
and cohesive as it needs to be. I think he has the talent to turn his songs
about emotion, people and places into something special. It's just that
at this point things just don't gel as they should and it's easy to hear
the flaws and limitations.
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
Baby Calendar - Gingerbread Dog - CD
(Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records)
I can hardly wipe the smile off my face as I listed to Baby Calendar.
Super fun music, with somewhat goofy, goodtime vocals and a get up and dance
attitude. Releases like this make me happy to be a reviewer. I love the
contrasting yet complimentary vocals styles of Tom & Jackie and the super
sweet indie rock sounds. A few of my favorite tracks are "Traffic in the
Tropics" which is a great stripped down melodic tune with guy/gal vocals
and a super catchy sound throughout. "Lemon Snaps" is a bit keyboard heavy,
to the point of obscuring the vocals, but still excellent. Not a lame song
on this release, my only regret is that I missed them in Cincy 2 weeks ago!
-- Grog Mutant (2006)
Backflow - Love & Peace - CD
(Backflow) "In
Review"
-- (2009)
Backstabbers Incorporated - Bare As Bones - CD
(Black Market
Activities) For those of you whom enjoy the occasional drunken romp
in that small backyard of hardcore/grindcore music this is an interesting
listen indeed. I was put off by this band's name at first, but then I realized
that at least they didn't do what every hardcore or metal style band is
doing today with starting their band name with a preposition at the beginning
and making it obnoxiously long. True to form these guys keep the majority
of their mixed songs of fast old school hardcore/grindcore to less than
30 seconds but make up for it on their release with 25 songs that were undoubtedly
recorded at a few different places. Tight fast beats and blast beats, heavy
guitars, and amazingly intense screamy, growl/bark vocals make this CD worth
a listen or two. If anything the catchy long song titles will make you chuckle.
Fans of The Swarm/a.k.a Knee Deep in the Dead would definitely
dig the tunes and what they're saying. Oh yeah, they say fuck a lot too.
-- Ryan (2003)
Bad Astronaut - Acrophobe - CD
(Honest Don's) I
love the simplicity of the cover art work for this CD. With the addition
of keyboards and cello meshed with the great changes that occur in the songs,
this release shines above the same old alternative pop bands that are on
the scene. This band just rocks out. I know I would be at every show if
they were from the Dayton area. What more can I say?
-- Mite Mutant (2001)
The Bad Hand - This Is No Time For Modesty - CD
(Prankster Dice
Records) Getting together with a few of your buddies and having a jam
session is fun for the people who are actually doing the jamming. But you
know what? It’s kind of boring for everybody else. To make things worse,
the sound quality is crap and the playing flawed. In no way was this release
enjoyable to listen to.
-- Mite Mutant (2006)
Erykah Badu - Baduizm - CD
(Universal Music
Company) Smooth, classy and seductive R&B from Erykah Badu. I've
heard a few of her songs and recognized her name, but never gave her a really
close listen until now. This release has made me a fan of her smooth bass
heavy grooves that make you just want to rock to the beat. Erykah's
voice is seductive and very lithe, making her lyrics slink between the beats
and right into your ears. The is the most soulful and seductive disc we
have received in a long time and is a welcome deviation from our standard
fare. Even if you don't consider yourself a fan of R&B you should do yourself
a favor and give Erykah Badu a good long listen.
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
Larry Bagby - On The Radio - CD
(Larry Bagby) This
is fairly standard country music complete with slide pedal guitar, twangy
vocals and a bit of rock guitar thrown in for good measure. While this isn't
a genre I choose to listen too I can appreciate when an artist is talented.
Larry Bagby has the whole package, a voice well suited to the style,
good lyrics and songwriting talent. The rest of his band fits right into
the songs playing what needs to be played. The songs are catchy and it's
clear that these could easily be on the radio.
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
Ball in the House - Grantie Ave. - CD
(Ball in the House)
Five very talented vocalists belt out a cappella soul music. While I can
appreciate their talent, I can’t really get into their chosen style of music.
While I liked bands like the now defunct Moxy Fruvous and Da Vinci’s
Notebook, I can’t really relate to these oh so smooth, yet rough songs.
If you like music such as Boyz II Men then this will probably be
right up your alley.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)
Frank Bango - The Sweet Songs of Decay - CD
(Frank Bango) This
release starts off with two flawless tunes. Everything about them (singing,
lyrics, music, mixing, etc.) is perfect. "You Always Begin By Saying Goodbye"
has a wistfulness to it which reminds me of the band Dream Academy.
"Summerdress" is a song which would be an instant h&r Elvis Costello
if he ever did a cover of it simply because of his name recognition. Another
great tune which has an Elvis Costello feel to it is "Angela Eagleton".
Frank Bango has an overall mellow sound that seems to combine the
aforementioned Elvis Costello and John Lennon. In fact "Bunny
in a Bunny Suit" sounded like Julian Lennon. And I have to say that
"I Saw the Size of the World" is the best song about a worm that I've heard
since Guided By Voices' "Wormhole". Excellent release.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
The Bangs - Sweet Revenge - CD
(Kill Rock Stars)
The Bangs have been around for quite a while and are in my mind one
of the leaders in the whole riotgrrl scene that was spawned about a decade
ago. Fun, bouncy and raw punk pop played with a passion and always great
to hear.
-- Grog Mutant (2001)
Annie Barker - Mountains and Tumult - CD
(Beautiful Revolution
Records) It almost seems like Annie wants to do a Tori Amos or
Kate Bush type of music but with a bit more of light flowiness to
it. Her voice is excellent and could pull it off, but the overall songs
are boring. I think that if you're into someone like Celine Dion
that this CD would be more your speed. But it's just not for me.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
BARR - Beyond Reinforced Jewel Case - CD
(5RC Records) The opening
track of this release reminded me a bit of John S. Hall of King
Missile. I thought to myself, “This could be interesting.” However,
from there the CD just disintegrates into basic poetry slam poetry over
drum beats and minimal instrumentals. I then thought to myself, “This Sucks.”
-- Mite Mutant (2006)
Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags - All the Great Aviators Agree -
CD
(Scotland Barr)
Scotland Barr has a great style that is a mix of Alt Country, Blues
and Folk with a voice that sounds made for it. I think between the talent
of the band and Scotland's unique voice they really have something
special going on. The only problem I have with the disc is on songs like
"Juanita" where they go down a full country path and repeat her name with
enough country twang to make a pig's ears bleed.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)
Bayadera - Rotation of the Earth - CD
(Bitemark Records)
I guess you could call this Latin influenced pop-rock. They are a very talented
and tight band with flowing rhythms, especially on the Latin influenced
songs such as “Fantasy”. The drummer puts down a great steady beat with
a bit of mixing it up and the bassist does some great fills without overpowering
the primary melody. The guitarists play well off of each other and the vocalist
to form well crafted pop songs. The absolutely stunning singer (prominently
featured in all the photos) has a voice to match her looks. The only thing
I can say that is wrong with this band is the lyrics. They are overly repetitive
and simplistic, many with a standard A-B rhyming pattern. If they can just
break out of the basic lyric mode and get creative then Bayadera
will be a force to reckoned with.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)
Beatnik Filmstars - In Great Shape - CD
(Darla) There’s a bit
of a Cure guitar sound underlying most of the tunes on this release
by the Beatnik Filmstars. The opening tune, “Really Quite Bizarre”
is a solid catchy rock song. However, the band's ill use of distortion,
lame lyrics, attempts to be quirky and in some cases trying to put too much
into a song make this an overall lame CD. “Milkshake (Featuring The E Numbers)”
is just a horrible attempt at doing a weird Beck type song, while
“Supremer Queener” sounds like a bad Generation X song. . “… And
Here’s One I Made Earlier” sounds like a warped record and it just plain
annoying.
I guess what it all comes down to is that the songs themselves are decent, it’s the production that ruined them. A perfect example is “Cracked Your Code Mate”, where the song was solid but the use of too much distortion just made it suck. It’s as if someone said “a little bit of distortion is good, so a lot of distortion must be better.” Another example is “It’s Not What You Know.” This is a good solid tune as well, but for some reason they decided to add record scratching to the mix. It’s totally out of place and just killed the vibe of the tune.
Wait a second. I just read the bottom of the liner notes which read “Technical
Note: Buzz, Clicks and Hums Are OK. CD Is Not Faulty!” This means that they
made it to sound that way. Words of advice, you shouldn’t have to put a
disclaimer about the crappy production sound. I’m just kind of upset that
I wasted all this time listening to this release, when I could have just
printed the about disclaimer followed by a simple “NEXT!"
-- Mite Mutant (2006)
Bearsuit - OH:IO - CD
(HHBTM Records) This
release starts off with whelping male & female vocals which reminded me
of the tune "Pincher" from the band Cars Can Be Blue, quickly morphing
into a nice late '80s punk/new wave British accent. The music is full synth
quirk. So for those who know my musical taste, it's safe to say that if
"Jupiter Force (recruitment video)" is indicative of the rest of the songs
on this CD by Bearsuit, that I would love this release. And you know
what? I do. Listing to the la-la-la female vocals on the catchy tune "Steven
f***ing Spielberg" I can't help but think of the twisted YouTube animation
shorts Happy Tree Friends. Shira Girl is the band that came
to mind when I first heard the opening vocals on "Dinosaur Heart." Overall,
with their fun use of synth and their quirky vocals, Bearsuit reminded
me most of the band Adam and His Package.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
The Beautys - The First Seven Inches are Always the Hardest - CD
(Diaphragm Records)
This is a collection of 26 songs, which were primarily released on 7"s.
The Beautys are based in Ft. Wayne In, and are a female fronted punk-pop
/ surf band. Their songs are the pretty basic three chord variety, yet they
are catchy. And while they won't wow anybody with witty lyrics, they are
fun catchy songs that make you want to bounce. Kathleen is the heart and
soul of the Beautys and has a style which brings to mind the late
70s early 80s style punk rock. In the Mid-West I'd say they are one of the
funner, more interesting bands around. They are what they are.the Beautys.
-- Grog Mutant (2003)
Bed Devils - Le Caprice - CD
(Syck Dawg Records 148 East 30th St. NY, NY 10016) I must admit, I chose
to review the Bed Devils' Le Caprice mostly because I thought the
cover was achingly adorable: a little blond toddler in a red hooded sweatshirt,
complete with little devil horns....aww, cute, aint it? Sadly, the music
of the Bed Devils didn't reach me nearly as much as the cover boy.
The opening track, the disc's namesake, is incredibly addictive; this sounds
like Dayton's own Cage, with a good mixture of surf influence and
punky vocals. The title track really got my hopes up, but this is where
my fascination ended. The rest of the album had this somewhat horrifying
Crash Test Dummies-like vocals and Top 40 radio instrumentation.
Alas, if only the Bed Devils had simply put out an EP with only 'Le
Caprice'...
-- Lizi 'BratBabyMonkey (2001)
Bedford - Spaceships, Sex and Jealousy - CD
(Microcosm
Publishing) This disc has 25 songs and clocks in at 64 minutes. Inside
the sleeve there is a jumble of images and slight information pertaining
to the band. I went to the website and just found lyrics. I backed off to
the domain for their band site www.csleboda.com
and found a very interesting site of design etc. Still I don't know much
about the band other than this appears to be a retrospective of their 7"s
and that they are no longer together. Well as far as their music goes it
sounds like some guys in the late teens / early twenties playing fun, goofy
power pop. They do a great cover of the "Happy Days" theme and most of the
songs are decent. Nothing mind blowing, but still fun nonetheless.
-- Grog Mutant (2003)
Chris Beirne - Freezerburn - CD
(Chris Beirne) When I started listening to this release I did an audible
double-take. Chris Beirne has a playing and vocal style that is very
close to native Dayton musician Chris Montgomery. Stranger still
is that Chris Montgomery now lives in Austin, TX after moving with
his then band Aunt Beanie's 1st Prize Beets in the '90s, which is
where Chris Beirne hails from. Is this Chris Montgomery's
new pen name?
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Bejamins - The Art of Disappointment - CD
(Drive Thru Records)
Easily digestible power pop/punk, sarcastic and yet honest-I could listen
to this all day! "I'm your Einstein on acid, your superman, if you will,
if you would, I think you could do a lot worse than me."
-- Regan (2001)
Bela Karoli - Furnished Room - CD
(Helmet Room Recordings)
I like the overall sound of this release. It's like Portishead meets
Morcheeba, but instead of trip hop it's minimalist string instruments,
bass and percussion. This combination gives the songs a hip jazzy feel.
The vocals are just as lovely, but I have to say that I was tired of the
delivery after the first couple of songs. The lyrics are sang in a choppy
manner, which made a lot of the songs sound the same. Still this is a release
worth checking out, especially the smokey flavored "Old Man River".
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
The Believers - Lucky You - CD
(The Believers)
"In Review"
-- (2009)
Belinda - Utopia - CD
(EMI Televisa)
Teen pop from Mexico, that is a step above the standard pop that is out
there...plus most of it is en Espanol. Belinda is a pop artist hailing
from Mexico with a style that mixes pop, rock, salsa, hip-hop and good songwriting.
It would be better if she wrote her own songs, but I guess you can't have
everything when you're listening to pop. If she keeps on track and works
on her own songwriting ability I think she could become the next Shakira.
I prefer the songs she sings in Espanol since they have they extra sensual
flavour to the vocals and she does have a very beautiful voice. Overall
it ranks as my favorite pop album in quite some time and the cover photo
of her bending over backwards onto a stack of books adds to the appeal.
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
Shimon Ben-Shir Group - Ways - CD
(Ben-Shir Music) Shimon
is a bassist and the composer of most of the eight tracks on this release.
He is a well above average bassist and a good songwriter to boot. He injects
the songs with a great groove and brings on the melody and the rhythm depending
on the need. Each track has a story to tell and with Shimon's expressive
bass and the occasional brass or woodwind solo the feelings flow through.
I would say that he is a disciple of the Jaco style of bass playing
and his band does a great job blending along. This one of the best jazz
releases I've received this year, primarily due to the excellent bass playing.
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
Johnny Bennett - Red Light Room - CD
(Johnny Bennett)
Johnny Bennet is a singer-piano player who reminds me of a hopped
up Randy Newman. And while many people like Randy Newman and
his music, I’m not one of them.
-- Mite Mutant (2009)
Johnny Bennett - The Violet Hush - CD
(Johnny Bennett)
"In Review"
-- (2009)
Bo Benton - I Know U Want It - CD
(Gold Starr Records)
"In Review"
-- (2009)
Ben's Brother - Beta Male Fairytales - CD
(Capitol Records)
Decent light rock with a singer who sounds a like a young Rod Stewart.
The music is pleasant, if not a bit dweebish, but it passes by my ears like
an America Idol wannabe. The one song I heard that I did like was the haunting
"Home" with a great upfront piano part, but otherwise nothing stuck. I don't
know who Ben is, but I hope he has a bit more to offer.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)
Berlin - The Best of Berlin 1979-1988 - CD
(Universal
Records) Teri Nunn, the heart and soul of Berlin, reminds
me of mixture of Johnette Napolitano and Deborah Harry. Their
three biggest hits "No More Words", "Take My Breathe Away" and "The Metro"
are included along with nine lesser known tunes most that sound like Johnette
fronting a 80s synth pop band. I really am enjoying this release even if
the music really makes it seem dated. The one song which really stands out
is "The Metro" which sounds great regardless of the decade. A
great look back at a band which has faded from most people's memories, but
still makes me happy.
-- Grog (2006)
Alec Berlin - Beauty Grazing At The Trough - CD
(Alec Berlin) Alec
Berlin has a very Warren Zevon style to his music. None of the
songs really grabbed me, but they were decent and well played. He has a
strong backing band helping fill out the musicwhich was a definite plus.
I think the real problem I had with this disc are the lyrics which just
seem to plod along and never deliver any memorable hooks. The music has
several hooks, but the lyrics just fall flat. I think if Alec teamed up
with a lyricist then things might be looking up.
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
Best of Seven - Best of Seven- CD
(Fast Lane Records)
Do you miss hard rock ballads or never get to hear the "rock" from the mid-'80s?
Well, here is a band to take you there whether you want to go or not. Now,
let me say that they aren't bad and there were plenty worse back in the
'80s, but this is just an unwelcome throwback to days I'd rather forget.
So if you like those bands that "kinda rock" and also do "heavy" ballads
then this might be for you. Otherwise steer clear.steer very clear!
-- Grog Mutant (2003)
Betty Already - Amerimaniacs - CD
(Fly Lyla
Records) From the get go I could tell that the band X is a big
influence for this band. The combo of the male and female vocals on the
tracks throughout this release have John Doe/Excene written all over
them. The big difference is that the lyrics aren't as strong and there is
less of that cowpunk sound on this release. Still a nice little find.
-- Mite Mutant (2001)
Betty Blowtorch - Are You Man Enough? - CD
(Food Chain Records)
Betty Blowtorch kicks mother fuckin' ass. This band is made up of
four foul-mouthed, power-tool-crazy rock and roll hussies who will fix your
car then hump you on top of it. I haven't heard an assault like this since
Guns & Roses "Appetite for Destruction". To top it all off, the great
white rappin' honkey, Vanilla Ice, performs a rap on the tune "Size
Queen" which I have to say is pretty killer. After listening to this release
you will find yourself screaming "Betty Blowtorch, I want to be your bitch!"
-- Mite Mutant (2001)
Betty Blowtorch - Last Call - CD
(Food Chain Records)
Think of them as The Donnas older, rowdier sisters. Headed up by
the late, great Bianca Butthole these four gals rocked like no other
group. They were rude, crude and had songs titles like "Shut up and fuck",
"Fish Taco", "Party 'Til Ya Puke" & "Ode to Dickhead". They ranged from
hard rock to basic punk rock. They put most "tough guy" bands to shame with
their attitude and lyrics. Some songs are over the top but many are very
witty or at the very least offensive to somebody. This disc is more of a
memorial to Bianca than anything else since it also features songs from
her older band Butt Trumpet along with the newer Betty Blowtorch
songs. Sadly she died in a car wreck in December 2001. This is a great selection
of rarities, live songs and outtakes for the true punk fan or any hard rockers.
-- Grog Mutant (2003)
Between Two Lions - Put This City On My Shoulders - CD
(Between Two Lions)
There are few times that I can appreciate a steel pedal guitar and this
is one of them. BTL is a great alt country band with tastes
of Chamberlain, Ryan Adams, Whiskytown
and Todd Snider. I was trying to figure out who the vocalist
sounds like and I finally got it, a young Jackson Browne.
Yes, digging ever deeper into the past. Standouts include the haunting "Letters
from the Inside", the introspective "Attic Flowers", The
driving "Approximity Effect" and the sad story of "Controlled
Burn". A real standout of a release from a band in southern Indiana.
-- Grog Mutant (2006)
Beware Fashionable Women - Beware Fashionable Women - CD
(Spear Head Audio)
I love this CD. BFW has a melodic alternative-pop sound that makes
me think they are the direct descendent of the band The Posies with
a bit of Franz Ferdinand thrown in. The songs are too catchy. “Obligatory
Tattoo”, “I’ll Be the DJ” and “Parade” are just three examples of tunes
that get my toes tappin’ every time I hear them.
-- Mite Mutant (2009)
Big Attack! - Double Single - 2CD
(M-26-7) "In Review"
-- (2008)
Big Bad VooDoo Daddy - This Beautiful Life - CD
(Interscope Records)
This is one of the big five swing bands of the 90's. I would compare them
closest to Royal Crown Review since they have that traditional sound.
Some great swingin' tunes for all you hep cats out there.
-- Grog Mutant (2001)
Big City Rock - Big City Rock - CD
(Atlantic Records)
This CD starts out with Big City Rock sounding like a cheaper version
of The Killers with lame lyrics. Half way though the disc they incorporate
bits of The Fixx's sound into the mix, and the lyics get a little
better, which isn't saying much. I did find the music to be catchy and found
myself tapping my foot to the rhythm, but when you're skimming from The
Killers and The Fixx that's to be expected. A Good CD, just not
original.
-- Mite Mutant (2006)
Big Wig - An Invitation to Tragedy - CD
(Fearless Records)
At first these guys sounded like good, but typical melodic hardcore. On
one track "Hope" they sounded a bit like Fifteen and on a few others
they moved into the Avail realm. Overall though they are fairly typical.
-- Grog Mutant (2001)
Billet-Deux - Deux - CD
(Billet-Deux) The
music on this release uses a cello to help bring out a more classical music
aspect to jazz songs by the likes of Mingus, Gillespie, Rollins,
etc… as well as some originals. They call their sound Djazz. The music is
all right, but there’s really nothing that makes the band stand out. I would
suggest that they stick with the instrumentals since the singing on the
vocals tracks were really the weakest part of this release.
-- Mite Mutant (2009)
Billy Bacon & The Forbidden Pigs - Pig Latin - CD
(Triple X Records)
Fun, catchy Latin laced songs that are well put together, but never to be
taken too seriously. They seem like a very fun band to see live. I can't
see actually playing this CD often, but it would be fun to throw on at a
party.
-- Grog Mutant (2001)
Billy Talent - Billy Talent II - CD
(Atlantic Records)
This is "modern rock" at its best, which doesn't say a whole lot, since
"modern rock", that bastard offspring of "alternative" too fearful of sweaters
and corrective lenses to stray very far from the beer, football, and chicken
wings sound, is responsible for all that is wrong about rock and roll today.
Yesterday, it was fake arena-ready rock by Poison; today it's the
same thing, only slightly altered, from a different name: the only thing
that most of these bands have going for them is that they dress like we
do. But I digress; this band at least has some of the rock DNA of great
alt.rockers like Jane's Addiction and aren't afraid of using distortion
boxes that don't have the word "metal" in their names. They rock with the
spirit of the great cover-bands, only their originals don't suck. If Dennis
DeYoung fronted a Sum41 tribute band featuring members of Harvey
Danger, with gang vocals by the Offspring, but did nothing but
originals, this is what it would sound like. At least they're Canadian.
-- Jeremy Mutant (2006)
Mark Bilyeu - First One Free - CD
(May Apple Records)
For the most part this is a country CD with a little bit of rock to it.
The song that starts this release, “Antique Dreams” sounds like
a country song that George Harrison might have written. I also enjoyed “It’s
Gonna Be Easy” which has a little bit of honky tonk country feel to
it. However, my favorite song would be “Brady and Ducan”, which
comes off as a modern day Jerry Reid song. The rest of the disc was decent,
except for the really bad closing tune “Budgeted Time”, which
they should have left off this release entirely.
-- Mite Mutant (2005)
Birddog - Songs from Willipa Bay - CD
(Happy Happy Birthday to
Me Records) A very mellow acoustic alternative sound is what came out
of my speakers when I put this release on. The music and singing are good,
but a bit too consistent for my taste. I lost focus after the third tune
due to the numbing quality of the music. I guess I think that if a couple
of songs had a bit more omph to break things up I would have enjoyed this
much better.
-- Mite Mutant (2003)
Megan Birdsall - CD
(Little Jazz Bird) I'm not liking this one too much. The vocals are just
okay, but the arrangements have something to leave desired. The opening
tune "Is You Is" just fell flat and the rest of the songs on this release
didn't fare much better.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Birdwatchers of America - There Have Been Sightings - CD
(Raise Giant Frogs Records) Taking full advantage of their name they inject
sound clips regarding birdwatching between tracks. The music isn't bad,
just some good straight ahead rock with a bit of indie around the edges.
They lyrics can be a bit trite at times with forced emphasis on words to
match the music rather than make a point. Overall they have more hits than
misses and I didn't hear a fully throw away track on the disc. I think Birdwatchers
of America will only get better as time moves onward.
-- Grog Mutant (2009)
Birdy - Birdy - CD
(Birdy) This 3-song
ep sound as if it were a collaborative body-voice-mind meld of Peter
Gabriel and Dave Thomas of Pere Ubu. The vocals sound
like a combination of the two. The music sound like a combo of the two and
the lyrics as well. The CD is not really that bad, but it is a bit overwhelming,
which is probably the Dave Thomas part of the mix. I think this is
also partly due to me having to listen to the disc through my headphones
(so I won't disturb anyone else at my real job). I think I would have enjoyed
it more on standard stereo speakers. This is one that has me on the fence.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
Bitch and Animal - Eternally Hard - CD
(Righteous Babe Records)
This is the second release on Righteous Babe that doesn't feature Ani
Difranco. With song titles like "Best Cock on the Block" and "Sparkly
Queen Areola" You'd almost mistake this for cock rock. But the fact that
it's on Righteous Babe and that Bitch & Animal are both women let's
you know that this is two lesbians who scream sex in their songs...though
not litterally. Instead they play mellow college rock with tinges of world
music behind lyrics about some very sexually active lesbians. It's good
for what it is, but I can't see it having much of a broad appeal. They could
definitely do Lilith Fair however...
-- Grog Mutant (2001)
Alyse Black - Too Much & Too Lovely - CD
(Little
Cherubine Records) Alyse starts this CD off strong with the tune "Emeline"
which has an Elenie Mandel playful quirky edge to it, as do quite
a few of the songs on this release. "Wouldn't It Be Nice?" has that funky
wanka-wanka Edie Brickel & the New Bohemians "What I Am" guitar sound,
while the subtleness of "Shy" has this lovely hushed groove to it that just
draws me in. I even enjoyed the cartoon-i-ness of "Complete with Sound Effects"
even though her vocal sound effects (quacking, barking, baaing) just didn't
seem to fit right. It was when Alyse started delving more into the
more mainstream and jazzy sounding cuts (starting with "Stood For Stand
For") on the release that my interest started to wane. I preferred the earlier
songs on this release that had more of an alternative groove utilizing a
lounge/jazz style.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Marie Black - Water Me - CD
(Marie Black Music)
Marie tries on quite a few music styles on this release including
a stab at country parody (I hope it was supposed to be a parody) "One Night
Stand" and folk "Portland Rain" but never seems to find one that fits. The
truth is her singing just isn't that strong, and while some of her lyrics
are clever, most just fall short. There's nothing really wrong with the
disc per se, it's a just a bunch of shortcomings that add up to a release
that just isn't any fun to listen to.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)
Black Lies - September Dust - CD
(Black Lies c/o Andrea Ceccotti via P.Landi 2, 56124 Pisa, ITALY) This sounds
like a prog-rock band trying to be alternative. Basically you have some
great guitar playing skill, over basic backbeats with below par lyrics and
vocals. Didn't do much for me. This is the perfect CD to yawn to. Consisting
of light and wimpy rock, this tries to sound like it's more than what it
is. There's not one thing about this release that even began to peak my
interest.
-- Mite Mutant (2003)
Black Suit Karma - Negative White - CD
(Black Suit Karma)
This album is in the Staind and Disturbed metalish-rock genre
with a little bit of Nickleback thrown in (though it doesn't have
that generic catchiness of Nickleback). I listened to the album multiple
times so I could say this with some certainty- there are some production
problems with this album. The drums seem to be off on nearly every track,
speeding up and slowing down, leaving the lead guitar and bass to keep the
time. “Lovers Or Leeches?” is one of the most glaring examples and is difficult
to listen to. It detracts from the album and experience as a whole.
-- Tempus Mutant (2009)
The Black Watch - Very Mary Beth - CD
(Stone Garden Records)
I love the name and the artwork, I even loved the description on the press
pack. However, I didn't love the band. I didn't see the Cure connection
except that some of the songs had that sound close to the Cure's first release.
The vocalist was unique and a sort of Mission UK sound, but it never really
gelled for me. Their songs seem decent, but the singer doesn't feel right
for the group as a whole. None of the songs really stuck with me and started
to feel annoyed with them. Especially when it came to lyrics. It seemed
like he tried to be witty, but fell short every time.
-- Grog Mutant (2003)
Brody Blackburn - Life Love Happiness - CD
(Brody Blackburn)
Brody made the mistake of producing the tune on this release herself.
The mix is just awful. The guitar sounds tinny throughout the release and
is too much in front of everything else. She also tries to throw on too
many layers with the end result being a muddy, cluttered song, when a simple
acoustic melody would have sufficed. Brody’s vocals have a smoky
quality to them and I believe would come across much better if she has someone
else act as a producer.
-- Mite Mutant (2009)
Blackmore's Night - Fires at Midnight - CD
(SPV GmbH) This is one of
those pleasant surprises CD's. When I first got it I thought it was going
to be either a cheesy gothic release or a Rainbow cover band. What
I got was a beautiful combination of melodic folk and Celtic music with
the sweetest female vocals. Blackmore's Night does a wonderful job
it to making their baroque flavored cover of "The Times They are A Changing"
sound like a traditional folk tune. The only thing I didn't like about this
release is the first song that ads the element of cheesy rock and comes
off sounding like a bad pop rock tune. But once it's out of the way, the
rest of this CD and the moods the songs create are excellent.
-- Mite Mutant (2001)
Blacktop Mourning - No Regret - CD
(Tyrannosaurus
Records) This is yet another band that sounds like all the other pop-alternative
bands that is the 'thing' in this age of FuseTv (which is becoming
more like MTv everyday) and the commercialization of Warped Tour.
(Even though many of the bands are great, there are too many that sound
the same.) While the only standout tune on this release is "Your First Crime",
they have too many other tunes that sound like they could have been sung
by N-Synch. It's just all getting bland.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
Johnny J. Blair - Grateful - CD
(Wampus Multimedia) On the first track I was hearing a band that was channeling
Iggy & The Stooges mixed with X. Then things deteriorated
to a rockin’ roots band with lyrics that couldn’t sustain the songs. “She’s
been round and round the planet, she’s a journalistic girl,” yep that’s
only one of many repeated choruses. It seems his biggest claim to fame is
playing bass on Davey Jones of the Monkeys tours. Davey
Jones lends his hand on one track and it’s one of the better ones on
the disc. From what I’ve read Johnny seems to put on a great live act, but
I just don’t hear it translating to recorded disc.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)
Jonathan Blake - Wake Up Call - CD
(Salazar Entertainment)
Jonathan starts off with a quick little guitar piece to show off
his playing chops before settling in for some bluesy folk rock. His strong
soulful voice seems much more mature and developed than his age lets on.
I could see several of these songs winding up being used on a soundtrack
or a longing romance or a coming of age movie. However, I think all of the
songs are a bit too intense to stand up on the radio by themselves. Jonathan
is a very passionate singer and guitar player, but if his goal is radio
he needs to work on his melody lines a bit more and create some hooks. Overall
a very impressive release by a very talented singer songwriter.
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
Mike Blakely - West of You - CD
(Swing Rider Records)
Mike Blakely sings good old country flavored tunes with a folksy
flair. I'm one of those people who isn't too keen on the pop styling that
country music has adopted, the so-called new country. So if you are like
me and prefer the laid back sound of "old country", then I'm sure that you
will really like this CD.
-- Mite Mutant (2001)
The Blame - No One is Innocent - CD
(F.U.G. Records P.O. Box 11157 Pensacola, FL 32524) Like a shotgun blast
to the face, This CD starts out with hard rock aggression that doesn't end
until the last man is standing. The sound is a bit reminiscent of Motley
Crue intermixed with pure punk aggression.
-- Mite Mutant (2001)
Margot Blanche - Pages in My Diary - CD
(Margot Blanche)
I wish singers like this would stop relying on “vocal gymnastics” and focus
on good solid songwriting and singing when they approach music. The Ohh-ooo-oooo-OOOoOoooO-Oh-oooo-aahhh-ahhhhh-Aaah’s
are just generic and add nothing, absolutely nothing to the song. It’s just
the singer basically saying “Look how good I can sing”. It’s really too
bad, because this release would be so much better without this useless vocal
masturbation. With that said there were a few tunes that were actually pretty
decent, and it just so happens that these were the ones where the flourishes
were minimal and the emotional input was more noticeable. “Leather and Lace”
was sung with passion, while “Material Love” had an old school feel that
reminded me a bit of the tune “Minnie the Moocher” in its overall feel.
You can also tell that a big influence on Margot is Christina
Aguilara, especially on the last tune “At the End” which seems like
it’s Margot’s “Beautiful”. Overall, this is the music that will appeal to
people who want to be on American Idol, but for me I like more passion in
my music.
-- Mite Mutant (2009)
Tim Blane - Clockwork - CD
(Tim Blane) The opening
tune "Clockwork, has a rockin' soul-pop groove that brought back memories
when I saw Lyle Lovett and his Large Band a few years ago. Tim
has a melodic voice and style that sometimes reminds me of Billy Joel.
The feel and subject matter on the tune "Lullaby for Later" is so reminiscent
of Chris McCoy's great tune "Goodnight" it's a bit freaky. There
are times where the songs are a bit lackluster, but overall not a bad release.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
Lawrence Blatt - Fibonacci's Dream - CD
(Lawrence Blatt)
If you're up for soothing guitar instrumental pieces this is the CD you
need to pop into your stereo system. All the tunes on this release showcase
the extraordinary talent of Lawrence Blatt not only as a musician
but also as a songwriter. This is a CD that can be enjoyed by the serious
musician and listener alike. The liners notes for each song have the tuning
that Lawrence used as well as a little info about each piece. There
is also a bit about the link between mathematics and music that is both
interesting and informative. This is a solid release throughout.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds and a Sound - CD
(Expunged Records) "In Review"
-- (2008)
Treva Blomquest - As It Should Be - CD
(Treva Music) Treva
sings folk that borders on country, but is still within my personal limits.
Somewhere along the lines of a female fronted Messerly & Ewing or
in some ways Wild Colonials. She possesses a wonderfully captivating
voice and a knack for writing catchy songs that make you want to sing along.
The rest of the band is equally talented and forms a steady base for Treva's
talent.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)
The Blood Brothers - This Adultery is Ripe - CD
(Second
Nature) Fast and loud with lots of screaming...kind of like sex. Well,
except for that this gets annoying and sex never does. At times they reminded
me of Nation of Ulysses, however when the singer(?) constantly screeches
and screams it looses its appeal. I like bands that are hard and fast and
loud, but this is just annoying. If he could keep it powerful without slipping
into scream mode all the time I would think this was great, but right now
it's too close to death metal.
-- Grog Mutant (2001)
The Bloody Irish Boys - Drunk Rock - CD
(Sick Sad Records)
I had a feeling this would be a great disc and I was right. Image Flogging
Molly and the Dropkick Murphy's mixed together with Mike Ness
of Social Distortion on vocals. One song, "My Wicked Ways"
even sounds like a celtic version of "Ball and Chain". Excellent
celtic rock out of...Columbus, OH!?! Most of the songs are about beer and
drinking, which isn't bad, but does get a slight bit tiresome. However,
haunting tracks such as "The Great Irish Famine" more than make
up for any slight failings. They even cover two traditional songs, "Finnegan's
Wake" which is Irish and "Highlander's Farewell" which is
Scottish. These guys fit right into the top tier of Celtic rock bands.
-- Grog Mutant (2006)
Peter Bloom Band - Random Thoughts (from a paralyzed mind) - CD
(Peter Bloom Music)
The first person who came to mind when I listened to this disc was Paul
McCartney. I think Peter has a bit of Paul to him along
with a 70's pop sensibility, but without all the cheese. On a few of the
tracks like "Afraid" he seems to be channeling the Eagles. I'm not
personally a huge fan of this style, but damn it is good, and Peter can
write one hell of a hook. I could see any of these songs being a hit on
an adult contemporary station.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)
Blue Avengers - Chasing Rainbows in the Dark - CD
(Blue Muze Records)
The songs on this release have me thinking that this band is made up of
middle-aged musicians who perform hits from the '60s, '70s and '80s on the
weekend.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Blue Sky 5+2 - Five Minutes More - CD
(Groove Juice Records)
"In Review"
-- (2009)
Blue Yard Garden - No Good Sundays - CD
(Galaxi Productions)
Whoa, talk about your mellow bands. With only 4 hours of sleep last night,
listening to this CD is making me sleepy. The sound of this band is mellow-acoustic
with an Eddie Vedder-ish lead vocal. This is a band that new-age
coffee house hippies would really dig.
-- Mite Mutant (2001)
Blueline Medic - A Working Title in Green - CD
(Fueled By Ramen)
This is a pretty typical college-radio pop/rock band. Nice sounding tracks,
pleasant vocals and great artwork.
-- Regan (2001)
Boatload of Boogie - Dig It - CD
(Scratch It Back
Records) Listening to this band I get the vision of a movie where you
have this geeky group of friends who decide to play in a school battle of
the bands so they can show up the stuck up group of guys who play cheesy
hard rock and get the hot chicks. The problem is that they have never played
an instrument before. That's when the montage of them getting their instruments,
practicing really hard, writing songs, designing their band logo and making
shirts and putting up flyers. Then it comes to the day of the show. Then
get up on stage, turn on their amps, start playing and ... just plain suck.
It's not that their hearts aren't into it, it's just that they lack experience
and despite what you see in movies, it takes more than a montage to go from
inexperienced to great.
The lyrics are much less than spectacular, the vocals lack emotion and
the playing is basic and sloppy. B.O.B. sound like they are just
starting out, and everybody needs to start somewhere. I think they just
haven't had many great bands to help influence their playing. I would suggest
that they pick up a Replacements or Sonic Youth CD (basically
because that's what I'm currently listening to) and see where that takes
them.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
BobaFlex - Tales From Dirt Town - CD
(TVT Records) Bobaflex
starts off with a very hard core rock sound that is as catchy as it is hard.
The music made me think that they would be a band I would see touring with
Avenge Sevenfold. At times I hear a Rob Zombie type vocals
in the delivery. There's also a bit of Disturbed in the music style
as well. "I Still Believe" and "Goodbye" with it's nice guitar work are
just a couple of standouts on the release. Another one is "One Bad Day"
that was like a combo of System of a Down and Queen. Bobaflex
is definitely a band worth checking out, especially you metalheads.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
BoDeans - Still - CD
(BoDeans) Yes, the
band best known for the theme of Party of Five has a new release
out. I have an old BoDeans release on vinyl from the mid 80s and
was surprised to hear that they were still around. This release bears some
resemblance to their album of twenty years ago, but like everything else
things change. They now sound very alt-country and have that wise restrained
vibe to their music that comes with age. There is nothing aggressive here
or even exuberant. It's a bit like listening to newer Bruce Springsteen
if he had been from the SouthWest. The BoDeans now have that sound
and flow that comes from really knowing your bandmates and just being able
to groove with them. Nothing really hits me about this album but it is pleasant
to listen to and is chock full of hooks that keep my interest.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)
Body - Thethinhour - CD
(Rosemont Recordings)
If you like electronic/experimental soft modern rock, this is it. Moderate
tempos, creamy keyboards with an 80's attitude. Body's unique sound can
be found somewhere between Depeche Mode and local experimental rock
band, Trial Balloon.
-- Regan (2001)
Boggie - Boggie - CD
(Boggie Music) "In
Review"
-- (2008)
Pascal Bokar - Savanna Jazz Club - CD
(Savanna Jazz Records)
Pascal plays guitar lead jazz with infusions of Afro-pop and bebop
to make jazz that has a slightly different feel to it. But it still feels
like the same old comfortable jazz.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)
The Bonedaddys - Waterslide - CD
(Combo Tempo Records)
This CD starts off with a sound that's a cross between a zoot suited swing
band and a ultra cool lounge band, catchy and suave at the same time. "Makin'
Roux" with it's sexual cooking lyrics and funk groove make it sound like
a tune that the Ohio Players might have recorded, while "Some People"
has a wonderful voodoo groove that reminds me of the First Edition
tune "Just Checked In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)". About
half way through the disc The Bonedaddys start delving into other
musical styles while still maintaining their overall unique sound. They
inject a Cajun rock sound into the song "Trampoline" while Reggae is at
the forefront on the tune "Reverend Singer." Then there's "Hula Girl (Dancing
on My Dash)" which I would liken to a New Ducan Imperials hillbilly
stomp. This is a CD I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end and I bet
you will too.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
Boris The Sprinkler - Suck - CD
(Go Kart Records)
Fast and fun, it's Boris The Sprinkler. This band is full of tomfoolery
and has an earlier Ramones sound. For some reason while listening
to this CD I thought to myself "This band should do a cover of the Meatloaf
song "Dead Ringer for Love." The folks at Go Kart Records sure know how
to pick good bands.
-- Mite Mutant (2001)
The Boroughs - The Boroughs - CD
(The Boroughs)
I was feeling okay about this CD at the beginning. It was simple punk rock-n-roll,
not great, but not bad. The problem I had was with the production. However,
the further I got into the CD the more I started to dislike it. The songs
were just bland and the CD just seemed to drag on forever. The big reason
for this is that the singer's vocals were put out too much in front of the
mix and there wasn't really any harmonizing to help brighten the songs.
Just a ho-hum release.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Natasha Borzilova - Cheap Escape - CD
(Hadley Music
Group) This CD starts out wonderfully with the intense Paula Cole-ish
tune "I'm Angry". Too bad it just morphs into the typical Womyn music singer-songwriter
folk. I loved the first song, the rest I could do without.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Botox Party - E.P. - CD
(Up Chuck Records) I haven't heard music like this in awhile. Botox Party
offers up a quick e.p. of early '90s punk goodness. The songs are fast and
catchy and remind me a bit of The Larry Brrrds. The lyrics are good
as well. This is one of those releases where the more I listen to it, the
more I like it.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
Boy Racer - Insults & Insights - CD
(Kittridge Records)
Boyracer offers up eight whimsical tracks full of controlled chaos
and this lovely little CD. The catchy noise-pop songs had me tapping my
toes more frantically with each repeat listen. Boyracer reminds me
a bit of the band Brainiac, however they are more melodic and less
percussive in their musical style.
-- Mite Mutant (2006)
Boyracer - Punker Than You Since '92 - CD
(Darla) There are 75
tunes on this double disc retrospective of the Arizona band, Boyracer.
The music was recorded between 1991 and 2006, and almost all of the songs
have that Boyracer signature sound of noisy punk guitar
and light vocals. While I do enjoy the combination of these two elements,
there are times where the noise is a bit too much. This is most evident
on the earlier recordings, where the poor sound quality of the recording
adds to the jumble. I tend to lean more toward the songs that are toned
down a bit and the ones which feature sweet sounding female vocals.
My biggest pet peeve concerning this release is that the only way to tell
the two CD’s apart is by color. This made it difficult for me to find
out just exactly what song I was listening to if one caught my ear, which
is why I decided not to list them. Still a nice CD that makes me long for
the days of all ages shows in crappy rental halls.
-- Mite Mutant (2006)
Nelson Bragg - Day Into Night - CD
(Side B Music) I
was really worried when I saw the cover of this release. It's Nelson
sitting across the table from himself and having a very late 70's look to
it. The music on the disc was fairly mellow singer songwriter fare with
some decent harmonies and some catchy hooks. One track "Death of Caroline"
made me think of the Beach Boys due to the vocal harmonies. Overall,
it's not a disc that I would search out, but if you like things on the mellow
side then Nelson Bragg could be the man for you.
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
Braindance - Redemption - CD
(Progressive
Darkwave Records) Braindance is an interesting mix of goth, black
metal and industrial...with a sense of humor. They are a duo featuring Sebastian
Elliot - double-edged throat & unmentioned vocal process, propaganda, hearsay,
misinformation, animosity, belligerence & loathing and Vora Vor - guitars,
backing vocals, ambiance, programming, persuasion, rumor, manipulation,
bitterness, hostility & astonishment. They also have a few other people
rounding out the band on bass and percussion. While this is not my favorite
style of music I must say that Braindance does a great job and by
throwing in a Simpson sample at the start of the disk they have locked
the deal. Their songs have a common theme with names like: "Refracture",
"Resurrection", "Resurgence", Return", "Relentless", Reduction", "Resilience",
"Requiem", "Reflexion" and "Redemption", you have to wonder how seriously
they take themselves.
-- Mite Mutant (2001)
Andreas Brandal - This is Not for You - CD
(Andreas Brandal)
Imagine a small orchestra trying to capture the feeling and ambiance of
whale calls. Then you will come close to the soundscapes created by Andreas
Brandal on this mesmerizing disc.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)
Brans - Brands - CD
(So Much Soul Records)
"In Review"
-- (2008)
Brassy - Got It Made - CD
(Wiiija Records) Fresh,
Fun, Funky! Brassy is a hot! The spoken/sung words work perfectly with the
ever-changing palette of the DJ. "Nervous" a raucous rock song is a nice
change to keep this 17-song disc from getting stale. Great for parties!
-- Regan (2001)
Bratmobile - Ladies, Women & Girls - CD
(Lookout Records)
This band was one of the first riot grrrl bands that I heard of back in
the early 90's. Their new songs sound pretty much the same as they did back
then, but now they have keyboards at times. Otherwise it's the same bare
bones vocals, guitar and drum set-up that you might recall. If you've never
heard of Bratmobile give then a try, the songs are catchy, the vocals
are powerful but still sound sweet and you might feel like bopping around
while listening to the tracks.
-- Grog Mutant (2005)
Bravo Johnson - Bravo Johnson - CD
(Stone Johnson)
"In Review"
-- (2008)
Brekekekexkoaxkoax - I Manage to Get Out By a Secret Door - CD
(Public Eyesore)
Experimental music and noise release that's not really worth the time.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Spencer Brewer - Cinematic - CD
(Spencer Brewer)
"In Review"
-- (2008)
The Bridge & The Prophet - The Bridge & The Prophet - CD
(The Bridge
& The Prophet) Mellow folk / pop rock with a vocalist that sounds like
a stoned hobo trying out for American Idol. I can see how some people
would like this, but it's one of those where the singer's voice really is
grating on my nerves. Sorry, but I really just can't stand this.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)
Stephanie Briggs - Spark - CD
(Stephanie Briggs)
Stephanie Briggs reminds me a lot of one of my favorite singer /
songwriters the amazing Lauren Hoffman. The primary difference in
their styles is that Stephanie has a more straightforward folk /
rock sound, whereas Lauren is steeped in goth undertones. Stephanie
also shares some similarities with Johnette Napolitano of Concrete
Blonde when she is in full rock mode. The music flows together very
nicely and the lyrics paint an interesting landscape of personal stories.
However, the focal point for me is Stephanie Briggs voice and the
force that it is in these songs.
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
Paul Brill - New Pagan Love Song - CD
(Scarlet Shame
Records) I had a hard time getting into this disc until the 6th song
"Powerlines" which was the best. It's a bit more mellow and sedate than
I usually enjoy, but then it just started to flow about half way through.
After a few listens I really started to like this release. Great for what
it is.
-- Grog Mutant (2004)
The British Columbians - BC - CD
(The British
Columbians) This band is best when it sounds like the White Stripes
with a full band. “Bye Bye Marie”, “Hoodoo” and “Hail to the Rising Sun”
all have that great Jack White blues guitar groove, while “In the
Leaves” has that Jack White lilt in the vocal style. The instrumental
track “The Rolling Tide” has a nice trudging musical bed with a catchy horn
melody throughout, which makes it one of those rare instrumentals that I
like. I also really like the melodic pacing and the subtle banjo on the
folksy tune “By and By”. This is an overall well done release from a very
talented group of musicians.
-- Mite Mutant (2009)
Broken Hero - I'm Ready - CD
(Legend Records) "In Review"
-- (2008)
Broken Poets - Everything in Nature - CD
(Wordvendor Records)
The opening tune on this release has a REM-ish quality to it. The
vocals and music are intense, but the lyrics and overall presentation are
lacking. The songs all have a sameness about them and the overall effect
is boring. Not a big fan of this one.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Knox Bronson - Pop Down the Years - CD
(Tangerine Sky Interactive)
Deemed “electronic music for the mind and body,” I was rather surprised
at how much more synth-pop (or even just pop with a little help from a synthesizer)
the album was than “electronic” after the first few tracks. “Hey Little
Earthgirl” couldn't be any more electronic, as Bronson manages to
go all Kanye with a vocoder. Other tracks, such as “Celeste,” are
quiet and reveal a voice and even introspection reminiscent of Bowie's
Heathen days. This CD is a real mixed bag in that it isn't pure electronic
music, and yet there are a few more mainstream tracks that will be missed
because of the more produced songs (I was expected to hear “Intergalactic
Planetary” at any time in “Hey Little Earthgirl”).
-- Tempus Mutant (2009)
Knox Bronson - The Seasons - CD
(Tangerine Sky Interactive)
"In Review"
-- (2009)
Bronze Radio Return - Bronze Radio Return - CD
(Bronze Radio
Return) The vocals and music on this release remind me of an upbeat
Dave Matthews with a slight raspiness to his voice. The songs have
a slight big arena bluesy rock feel to them, with my favorite being the
catchy "Shade Tonight". This is one of those CD's that starts off good and
just gets better with each new listen.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Brother John - Average////Part One////Numberator - CD
(Brother John
Music) This disc is interesting to say the least. The music is strongly
grounded in the synthesizer realm with some on the songs being purely instrumental,
however the various songs do differ a bit in the way the songs incorporate
different styles. The first song “Celestia” starts off with a quiet Ben
Folds like piano piece which morphs into electronica synth near the
middle and ends by morphing back to the piano piece. This is followed by
“The Halls,” which is akin to a poppy Atom and His Package tune.
Track 4 “Piss Off” is light and had me thinking of an even more airy Portishead
without the beats mixed with Alan Parsons. The rest of the songs
on this release are just as meshed up. This is a very good and interesting
CD to say the least.
-- Mite Mutant (2006)
Brotherhood of Lazy American Workers - CD
(Lazy American Workers)
Speedy sing along punk, lots of "whoa whoas" which I always enjoy! I like
to get stuff like this just to remind me that there still is an underground
out there. These guys have a good tough sound, the singer sounds snotty,
which I consider a prerequisite for this type of punk. I notice on the back
cover that one of the guys is drinking a tall Miller High Life, which as
you may know is the only beer endorsed by Howard X. These guys appear to
be from Toledo, which means you Daytonites could actually see this band
in the near future...or not.
-- Howard X (2001)
Brotzmann, Caspar - Mute Massaker - CD
(Thirsty Ear) Instrumental
release full of guitar noise. This is actually worse than the Vinnie
Vincent Invasion guitar stuff, which I despised in the '80s.
-- Jeni (2001)
James Brown - In the Jungle Groove - CD
(Universal
Records) What can I say, it's James Brown. Funky rhythms, blasting
horns and a whole bunch of "huhs" and "heeeeyyyyssss". While listening to
this disc I could hear how much influence that James Brown's music
has on rap, hip hop and even techno. The two standouts for me are the remix
of "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing" and the bonus track "Blind Man Can
See It." With many of the tunes being remixes or previously unreleased,
this is a must for any James Brown fan.
-- Mite Mutant (2003)
Rachel Taylor Brown - Half Hours with the Lower Creatures - CD
(Cut Throat Pop Records) This CD starts off with haunting bells which seem
to morph into the twinkle of a toy piano and atmospheric female vocals with
a hint of scratchy spoken word, very different but very cool. I knew right
then that I would like this release. Overall, Rachel Taylor Brown
has a sound that reminds me of Dresden Dolls and Paula Cole.
"You're Alright Sorla One" and "Stagg Field" both have an aggressive piano
rhythm that sounds very much like the Dresden Dolls. While the song
"Mette in Madagascar" and "Passion" have, well, the subtle passion that
Paula Cole has at times. This is a CD that is very unique in a good
way. So give it a listen.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Taylor Brown - Bar Stool Ferris Wheels - CD
(Tick &
Tack Records) "In Review"
-- (2009)
Brown Shoe - Vanity - CD
(Brown Shoe Music)
The music has a layered guitar sound that goes well with deep dark vocals
or Robert Smith. The vocals of Brown Shoe are a bit nasally
and do not fit the music at all. There’s a whininess to them and in the
end, just aren’t that strong. I liked the music though and think this band
would have something with a different vocalist.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
Brown Shoe - Jackalope - CD
(Brown Shoe Music)
It took me a while but then it finally struck me who Brown Shoe sounds
like. A mid period R.E.M. but not as commercial, with a bit of later
period Bob Mould. They have that great mellow college rock sound
with an edge and a vocalist who can show raw emotion just by singing "hey".
The whole release is thoroughly engaging with that dark emotional vibe you
get from "Automatic for the People". A great unexpected release.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)
Gary Paul Bryant - Big World - CD
(Gary Paul Bryant)
This is a disc full of instrumentals where either piano or synth is the
main musical voice. The styles explored by Gary Paul Bryant range
from Jazz to Pop to Rock/world. The music is decent, but nothing that's
mind blowing. Two tracks that stood out was th&s cheesy movie soundtrack
sounding "Street Monster" and my favorite on the disc "Big World," which
has a wonderful backing rhythm and Celtic feel to it.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
Buck 69 - When She Whispers Your Name - CD
(Buck 69) I was intrigued
when I saw the cover of this release. There's a woman sitting in a glass
next to a bottle of booze and a gun. It's your classic film noir pulp fiction
look. Then I flipped the release over and thought "Oh No." It was a group
of middle-aged men and a couple of gals. Usually this means lame. Guess
what? It's not so in this case.
Buck 69 belts out a good blues-rock tune or in the case of this
release 14 tunes. While they won't be winning any Grammy's, the music is
still solid and a step above the unusual blues band ensemble. I happed to
feel that they don't really hit their full stride until the last two tracks,
"The Monkey Song" and "The Best Place" in which you can just feel the good
time the band is having while playing them.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
Buckcherry - 15 - CD
(Atlantic Records)
Allmusic says: "Los Angeles hard rockers Buckcherry formed in mid-1995
after singer Joshua Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson were introduced through
their tattoo artist." That pretty much says it all. This is arena rock and
nothing else. There is no artistic merit in any of this crap. The lyrics
are crass at best, and the guitarisms are the most cliched in the history
of post-AC/DC rock and roll. The sound is great, if you like the
sound of crap hitting water in high definition. How's this for ya: a track
about a "Crazy Bitch" whose only redeeming quality is that she is a wild
ride in the bedroom, preceded by a melodramatic number, complete with strings,
apologizing for some sort of bad-boy rock-star behavior. My god, flush rock
and roll straight down the toilet if you like this kind of mediocre nothing-rock.
-- Jeremy Mutant (2006)
Bud Buckley - It's About Time - CD
(Bud Buckley) A
fairly talented guitarist gets together with equally talented friends to
make a record. The light rock music has tinges of folk, country, blues and
even a bit of Latin rhythms. Everything about the music and vocals is fine,
even if the lyrics are weak at points. The only thing is the music just
never really gels to the point of making me want to listen. It’s pleasant
and all, but it just kind of flows from my speakers without any real point
of interest.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)
Buckra - Camouflage Playboys International - CD
(Buckra) These guys
are from right down the road in Cincy, but I have never actually seen them.
I was glad to get this disc since I have heard a bunch of great things about
them and this release didn't disappoint. The first thing that hit me was
how much the singer from Buckra sounds like Steven Perry from
Cherry Poppin' Daddies. Actually, a few of the songs had a Daddies
feel to them, at least when they play with a more rockabilly style. Buckra
also has that swaggery, kind of lounge feel to them, but not in a cheesy
way. None of the songs truly stuck in my head, but each time I replayed
the album they grew on me more and more. A solid release even if the hooks
didn't seem to dig into me all that deep.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)
Jason J. Bundy - Returning - CD
(Jason J. Bundy)
This is not a CD that you would invite your friends over to listen to. It
is a CD of four droning synthesizer tracks that are perfect for meditation,
self-hypnosis, relaxation exercises or even falling asleep. So if these
are your goals, then this release is for you.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Bunnygrunt - Karen Hater's Club - CD
(Happy Happy Birthday
To Me Records) Matt Harnish and Karen Ried, the core of Bunnygrunt,
have a pop-grunge sound that makes the short tunes on this CD fun to listen
to. They get experimental on a couple of the tunes, which proved to be a
waste of tracks since I found myself skipping over them. I prefer the songs,
like “Again with the Skirt” and “Me & My Vampire Friends”
where they let the catchiness of their music and lyrics shines through.
-- Mite Mutant (2006)
Bob Burger - Christmas Can't Wait - CD
(Big Brave Music)
I recently read somewhere that due to the high airplay of Christmas songs
during the winter holiday season a songwriter could make around $60,000
in royalties a year if they were able to write a good Christmas song. Bob
Burger took a shot at it and while his acoustic rock songs are pretty
decent, I think they just lack the catchiness of a good holiday tune.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
The Burning Dirty Band - Goodbye Dominion - CD
(Burning Dirty
Band) If there is one thing you can say about The Burning Dirty Band,
it is that this is not the type of music you hear on the radio. It has a
strange country rock feel with a mix of something I can't describe, with
a few songs hinting toward The Black Crows. As I first listened,
I thought this album would be terrible, but they kind of grew on me with
"Everybody's Got A Limit." I'd say if you are looking for something new,
this might be a good one to check out.
-- Simi Mutant (2007)
Bush Tetras - Very Very Happy - CD
(ROIR) The female
singer for the Bush Tetras has a distinct confident LA vocal style
ala bands like Insane Jane (very evident on the live tune "Motorhead")
or The Creamers. The music is guitar driven late '80s punk and the
combination of the vocals and guitar help to give the overall sound of the
band a sharper edge. While I wasn't too impressed with their cover of "Sister
Midnight" I did enjoy "Jaws" in which the band seems to be paying homage
to the great Sonic Youth w/ Lydia Lunch tune "Death Valley
69". There's also three videos on this disc, so you can't go wrong with
this one.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
Gene Butler Band - Concerete Country - CD
(VAVV Records)
Sometimes you really can judge a book by it's cover. Man in black with a
cowboy hat looking a bit haggard holding an acoustic guitar and leaning
against a weathered building. Put that together with songs like "Cold, Cold,
Cold Woman", "Momma Wish I'd Listened To You" and "Don't Say Don't" and
you know it's some straight honky-tonk country. Not really my thing so I
don't feel right commenting. If you like this style, you'll probably love
this release.
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
Buzzsawyer - Buzzsawyer - CD
(Buzzsawyer)
You know when the guitar, bass and drums all play the same rhythm it sure
does make a big wall of sound. It also makes for a boring disc if every
bit of every song is like that. Sure the vocals add a bit of difference,
but when they're boring and gruff you can image why their name is Buzzsawyer.
-- Grog Mutant (2003)
The Eric Byrd Trio + 4 - Brother Ray - CD
(Eric Byrd) This is
a classic jazz trio straight out of the hip early 60’s, being backed up
by a four piece horn section. Eric and band owe a great debt to Ray
Charles and to a lesser extent the other masters of jazz. One of my
favorite tracks on this disc is the tune “I’ve Got News For You” about a
lying wayward girlfriend. The lyrics are excellent and the mutterings from
the band members really makes it come alive. If you have a deep love of
the songs from the beat generation and other classics then get this disc
and search out the Eric Byrd Trio who I’m sure gives a great live
performance.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)