Albums and Singles/Video Reviews: November 2021
Images from the Internet
Note that these reviews are alphabetical by first
letter, and not listed in a “ratings” order.
Albums:
James Lee Stanley & Dan Navarro
All Wood
and Led
www.allwoodandled.com
This
release is just part of a series of covers of classic rock songs, where the
“wood” represents acoustic guitars, which have included albums of material by
the Rolling Stones and the Doors (both previously reviewed on this blog). As
Navarro says, “With absolute respect and admiration, we chose not to simply
duplicate the originals, but instead imagined, ‘What if Led Zeppelin had lived
in Laurel Canyon in 1967 instead of England?’” The folkie soul in me is quite
satisfied with the rocker part of this collection. While not a popular opinion,
I was never a Zep fan, and honestly, a lot of this material is new to me for
that reason, giving it some virgin ears. They nail such classics like the
obvious “Stairway to Heaven,” “Whole Lotta Love” and “Dazed and Confused,” but
they also do a stack of non-radio saturated numbers like “Good Times Bad Times”
and “Hey Hey What Can I Do?” True to their word, they reinvent the songs to
their own spirits and it works out incredibly well. The Doors was a pretty easy
translation, and the Stones’ blues riffs fit quite well into the model, but Zep
is more of a transition, but the hand-to-glove still works in surprisingly good
ways, mainly due (in my opinion) to Zep’s use of Olde English melodies in rock
form, such as “The Battle of Evermore.” If you are either a folk fan or a
curiosity seeker, this may meet your needs on multiple levels.
Full sample song HERE
Nine Pound Hammer
When the
Sh*t Goes Down
www.acetate.com
As the
sticker on my CD clearly states, “Original members Blaine Cartwright and Scott Luallen
team up with Ramones Super-Producer Daniel Rey.” Who in my shoes could not have
their curiosity piqued? Especially since I am not very familiar with the Kentucky
cowpunk (their description) band. I must say, after most of my life being force-fed
Southern Rock like Skynyrd with the occasional good stuff like Rank & File and
Nashville Pussy (which shares Blaine as guitarist), this is so refreshing. From
the opening, using a clip of Mel Blanc’s Foghorn Leghorn, you know they don’t
take themselves too seriously (meant in attitude, not aptitude). Starting strong
with “What Kind of God,” and especially the second, title cut, you can
definitely hear the Rey influence as the sound is laid bare and stripped,
though Cartwright’s guitar flairs brilliantly here and there. It’s almost like
the Ramones zeitgeist if they listened to country rather than surf and girl
groups. At gut-wrenching speed, most songs are quite short at about 2:30, with
a couple being longer. Their mindset can be seen in titles like “Street
Chicken,” “Mama Lied,” “Billy Lost His Feet,” “Get the Hell Off the Farm,” “Daviess
Co Tractor Massacre,” and “Lizard Brain.” I know I haven’t gotten the full
effect of the lyrics yet, but this one is so much fun and kicks so much butt, it
will certainly be replayed, so I’ll get there and enjoy the ride. Just wish there
was a lyric sheet included.
Full title cut can be heard HERE
Yod Crewsy
The
Longings of Paul Roalsvig
www.darkmarbles.com
Before he
was in bands like the Splatcats, the Sky Cabin Boys, the Dark Marbles and the
Bernie Kugel Experience, Yod was known by his birth name, Paul Roalsvig. This
two-disc collection is split into a “Love” group and “Peace” selection. There
are 31 cuts in total, being a mix of covers both infamous and obscure, and
originals. Some of Buffalo’s musical royalty appear on here, such as Dave
Meinzer, Russell Steinberg, and Cathy Carfagna. He starts off strong with
Icehouse’s “Crazy,” which follows one of Yod’s personal favorites, the poppy
theme to the film “That Thing That You Do!” Third cut in is when we get our
first original, “I’ll Keep Sending You Flowers,” proving that Crewsy knows his
way around creating both a melody and a strong lyric. Of course, I won’t be discussing
all the cuts, but will pick and choose. His cover of the Stones’ “Dead Flowers”
is almost projected through a folk lens which actually works quite well. More
somewhat obscurities with Dylan’s bluesy “I Threw It All Away” and the Monkees’
“Sometime in the Morning,” and then a deep version of Orbison’s classic “In
Dreams.” The more folk-oriented Peace disc starts off with one of my fave
tunes, “Eve of Destruction”; here it is handled more folk pop leaning towards
the Turtles cover rather than Barry McGuire, but the stanzas are intact. Included
are masterful covers such as Dylan’s snarky “With God on Our Side” (banjo led),
Nick Lowe’s “(What’s So Funny About) Peace, Love and Understanding,” and a raucous
Five Man Electrical Band’s “Signs,” But the gem here is the back half of this
second disc that is solid originals, including “Edie” (about Edie Sedgwick) and
the timely ballad “When They Stormed the Capital.”
Full sample song HERE
Singles:
Chesty Malone and the Slice ‘Em Ups
Turn to
Crime
1332 Records / www.chestymalone.com/
Despite
moving relatively recently to the hinterlands of Pennsylvania, CMatSEUs have
lost none of their drive or appeal. The main focus is still vocalist Jacqueline
Blownaparte and her partner in – er – crime, guitarist superb
Anthony Begnal, with a new bassist and drummer. Their aggressive hardcore both
brings reminiscence of the 1980s style of in-your-face madness with a touch of
harmonies that do not fall into the wishy-washy ‘90s Green Day kind of fluff. What
I especially like about the chorus is that it can be both chantable, and can be
used in the fist pumping way to build up adrenaline for the mosh pit (or in
lieu of it; I’m old enough to be a lieu of person, but I digress…). Possibly
the best comparison would be the flavor/attitude of the Cramps mixed with the
influence of the likes of GBH. This is just one side of their new single (7”-er,
remember them?). This is some of the better post-hardcore sound I have heard in
a while, and a high mark even for them, and they set the bar high.
Can be heard HERE
The Dictators
“Let’s Get
the Band Back Together”
2:25 minutes
Dictators Multi/Media
I have liked the Dictators (DFFD) since I heard their
introductory album, and even more when I saw them live (CBGB in 1975) for the
first of multiple times (including at The Bottom Line, The Left Bank, and
Irving Plaza). Over the years, HDM got most of the attention, but I always
thought that the songs Andy/Adny Shernoff voxed were amazing, as well. They had
a style that was metal and could be juvenile at the same time, which was part
of their charm. Songs were singalongs and often brilliantly silly (such as
“Master Race Rock”), but they could also be profound (“Steppin’ Out”). Over the
years through various incarnations of the band, they are back, with Andy on
vocals and bass, ace metal guitarist and right winger Ross “The Boss” Friedman,
Albert Bouchard (ex-Blue Oyster Cult) on drums, and for this recording, the recently
late, great rhythm guitarist Scott “Top Ten” Kempner. This song feels, in tone,
like it could fit somewhere between the first and second album. The “C’mon” in
the chorus, sung by Manic Panic/Sic F*cks’ own Tish and Snooky Bellomo, is
certainly chantable, layered with Andy’s New Yawk accent, sounds like fun. The phrasing
of the song is a bit melodic rock, even with Ross’s solo burst, but with
its occasional hint of early rock’n’roll on some parts, it is definitely an
enjoyable listen. While I look forward to the full album, as an aside, after
you have heard this Dictators’ song, it is also worth hearing an earlier, more
pop solo Shernoff version of it from almost a decade ago HERE.
Full song can be heard HERE
Gary
Louris
“Almost Home”
3:31 minutes
https://orcd.co/jumpforjoy
This
travel song has a nice “hoo-hoo-hoo” chorus to sing along with, with it’s poppy
and upbeat singer-songwriter tone. Of course, as should be, the rhythm is
steady like the wheels of the car (truck?) humming along a highway, not too far from
the final exit. Louris’ vocals fit the sound so well, and the video that
accompanies it is arty without being obtuse. It’s as simple as the driving beat.
Humorously, I wonder about the line “When I close my eyes, I see your face…”
Err, aren’t you driving? Still, the chorus is extremely catchy possible earworm
and a hoot. A good listen, but that should come as no surprise as he was in the
seminal band The Jayhawks, and a founding member of “supergroup” Golden Smog.
Can be heard HERE
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