CD Reviews: A Wild Bunch

All album covers from the Internet
Live FFoto (c) Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen

Wow, looks can be deceiving. When you meet PHIL MINISSALE, he is a nice, sweet lookin’ kid, but don’t be fooled because he is also a very talented folk blues guitarist and vocalist. It’s a well-known local secret that Huntington, Long Island is a hotbed for this sound (including the likes of Michael Soloway). On his self titled EP (myspace.com/philminisallemusic.com), Phil does four tunes, which shows not only an incredibly strong flash guitarwork, but he has a gravel voice that is mature beyond his years. His songs range from a dark humorous look at his life and how he imagines it is going (“Blues Boy”) to an appropriately named instrumental “Marsh Creek Tickle”. Though only 14 minutes, this is worth seeking out if you’re looking for someone of this style. This guy has mucho potential.
- Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen

J-WALKERS is a side-group project led by the New Mastersounds’ Joe Tatton and the Capri’s Benson Walker, and they have released another CD, All We Can Do (glp.caprimusic.co.uk). Their style, as is typical of this Leeds-based label, is a hot R&B funky sound with a bit of rock thrown into the mix. While this is a fun release, that I highly recommend, I must admit I like the material led by Walker a tad more. It definitely has an earthy sound, and Walker’s growl is just what this style needed to feed it. They start of very strong with “When I Got You In My Life”, a tune that could have easily come out of the Stax catalog (oh, wait; they’re British, so “catalogue”). Also strong is “You Don’t Know Me.” More of the songs are by Tatton, who has a very sweet voice that is more Motown, and he brings a softer side to the music. I’m in more of a gritty mood these days, I think. That being said, one of the strongest songs here is the finale, “There’s a Place,” which is, of course, one of Tatton’s. Go figure.
- Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen

THE JOLLY ROGUES of Boston return with a new collection of olde ditties, 14 Miles to Boston (www.jollyrogues.com). As with their last release, this is a mixture of British and New England music from the Revolutionary War period, and before. Again, this quintet is more a bunch of friends sitting around the living room singing the kind of music they enjoy, more than a slick, packaged group (e.g., Renaissance), which gives it a more personable feel, and in the long run is more accurate than filtered through a multi-million dollar studio. There is a lot of interesting music sounds, like “Revolutionary Tea”, “The Road to Boston”, “Martin Said to His Man”, and “Rakes of Mallow”. There are some classics here, too, like “Bonnie Charlie” and “The Fox”. An interesting listen and a bit of a music history lesson mixed in.
- Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen

MIRAH AND SPECTRATONE INTERNATIONAL has done something I have never heard before, which is cool. On Share This Place: Stories & Observations (krecs.com) they take a musical look at the lives of insects. But I get ahead of myself. Sweet-sounding vocalist Mirah is joined by Linda Goldstein (cello), Jane Hall (percussion), Kyle Hanson (accordion), and Kane Mathis (oud, which is a predecessor of the lute). Each cut takes a look at life from the perspective of a minute creature, including “Love Song of the Fly”, “Gestation of the Sacred Beetle”, “Emergence of the Primary Larva,” “Luminescence” (fireflies), and “Community” (ants). Stylistically, this alt pop flitters around genres like a bee, if you’ll pardon the allusion. The collection is very sweet, with Mirah’s sweet voice over the off-beat use of classical instruments. This can be a nice listen for a sunny afternoon.
- Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen

After listening to My Piano (darrellelondon.com), I want to offer Toronto-based DARRELLE LONDON a big hug. This is such a personal document that is so basic, so simple, that it just fills the room. Darrelle and, well, her piano, sings about seeking companionship in her instrument (sort of an “At Seventeen” vibe that is more touching than depressing), post-relationship personal growth, and of a plaintive love. Darrelle’s voice is so comfortable, so waif-like (without sounding weak), and so personable, that she comes across as accessible and touching. All six cuts are recommended.
- Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen

Yo, youse ever hear-a HER & KINGS COUNTY? Yeah, these guys are from New York, a center of alt country (especially Hank’s Saloon, in Brooklyn), though trying to pin down a descriptive phrase is unlikely. City Country (herandkingscounty.com) definitely has some country, but it’s not country. These songs have some strong rock phrasing, but they aren’t rock. They have a lot of fuck you punk attitude, but they are not punk. There is an element of pop (in a good way), but they can hardly be called pop. But somewhere between all of that is where they sleep, “15 feet from the highway / a million miles from Nashville”, as they state on their opening cut, “My Backyard”. And that distance from Tennessee is just as esthetic as in driving time. A perfect example of this mix is the title cut. Vocalist Monique Staffile looks like she stepped out of a “Catholic High School Girls in Trouble” video with her high hair and leather jacket, and a powerful voice that could be at home in just about any music style. Lyrically, they slide around styles as much as the music. One minute you’d expect a dog-truck-hoedown, and the next Monique screams out in a finger-poking way, “I ain’t your fuckin’ daughter!” As the front person Monique is going to gain the most attention, but please note that this is one talented band from end to end.\ There is some extremely cool stuff, with lots of fave cuts here, like the aforementioned “My Backyard,“ “Troubles”, “You Will Lay”, and just continue on through the last cut, “Roll Back Down.” I’m looking forward to hearing their next release, “1609”.
- Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen

REW* was one of the core founders of the Girls Rock Girls Rule tour, and I had the opportunity to meet her at a College Radio conference in her home burg of New York. That led to this opportunity to review her solo project (she’s also in the group RewBee), that*S*rite (luvrew.com). Backed by musicians like Television’s Billy Ficca, Rew* has a sound that’s slightly off-kilter in an endearing way. This would have fit in the pre-Brit punk heady days of CBGB’s, before much of the scene became more stratified. The songs here are pop rock with punk attitude, and are extremely earnest in a mostly stripped down sound. There’s nothing really complex, cryptic or opaque, and all is laid bare: it’s usually either “Something Rite” or simply “U Annoy Me”. Yet it does get mixed up sometimes, like on “U Suck”, the centerpiece of this release, in which Rew* states, “U suck / When can we fuck / again?” Rew*’s vocals are “unconventional” which brings what’s she’s saying right to your psyche because it makes it all that more accessible.
- Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen

It’s not often you get to see an African-American woman front a full-on metal band, but not only does MilitiA do that, she rocks the joint. SWEAR ON YOUR LIFE has released a 5-song EP, Burn My Crosses (swearonyourlife.com), which keeps the heavy in the metal. Crushing guitar (Marc Reischer), a bass (Ed Strohsahl) that rocks steady, a pounding drum (Chip Thomas), and MilitiA on a loud, yet somehow unconventional sounding vox, which enhances the experience. Her voice is clear throated rather than growling, which is a nice touch. And having met her, she definitely adds a lot in personality as the front of this band. From what I was told, they have since added an additional guitar, so look forward to that much more of a full sound. From the title cut through “Vengeance is Mine” and “Hate Out Loud”, this is – if you’ll pardon the cliché – a full-throttle engine revving on high octane, going 100 down a narrow road.
- Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen

[Please note that these reviews originally appeared at www.jerseybeat.com/quietcorner.html]