tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81973205134360013732024-02-20T02:03:25.085-05:00Buzzard Tracks: Northeast Ohio Music News and ReviewsJeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-5487812052341947252018-10-01T12:55:00.001-04:002018-10-01T12:55:26.642-04:00David Smeltz. Recovered<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="s1"><b>David Smeltz. Recovered.</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>Smeltz Good Music, 2018. David Smeltz: </b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/david.smeltz"><span class="s2"><b>https://www.facebook.com/david.smeltz</b></span></a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">If you were around Northeast Ohio in the 70s or 80s you may have encountered the popular Cleveland reggae band I-Tal. David Smeltz was a co-founder of the group, and the band continues today. However, Smeltz has had a different journey as well, dealing with addiction and the long road to recovery. In the meantime, he has formed a nonprofit organization, Clean House, to help others with alcohol and substance abuse, written a book, <i>Clean: From Reggae to Recovery</i> (2014), and formed two other musical groups, the Smeltztones, and the Dave Smeltz Project. A bit older now, he sports a bald look rather than dreadlocks, does martial arts for body and spirit, and is more careful about his eating habits. He’s a busy fellow.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">All that is background to the present album, which is by Smeltz as David Smeltz rather than any of the three above-mentioned groups. He gives us nine songs, all in reggae style, accompanied by a rhythm section of I-Tal drummer Chris Dunmore and bassist Adam Rich. The recording was done live at Rich’s Love Muffin Studios, with some additional work at Mann Wolf Studios. The album has a crisp, clean sound (appropriate), and is pretty much what you might expect musically--a fine set of songs that are both easy to listen to and powerful in their statement.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">One can think of reggae as political music, spiritual music, party music, or all three simultaneously, which is what we have here. While one might try to separate these three aspects of the music, I’m not sure why one would bother. Case in point, the song “The Four Absolutes,” which suggests that honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love are pillars of a good life, is clearly a song that emphasizes the spiritual, while giving us some remarkable electric guitar licks and a great beat. “Rise & Fall” offers the advice that the political currents we are wrapped up in are part of a larger picture and all will change. The vibes throughout are positive and encouraging, despite the struggles we encounter. All the songs are of a single tapestry, with only one song from elsewhere, “Before the Beginning” (Peter Green), and the lyrics on “Corinthians,” taken from the Bible. and the musicians do an excellent job of putting them across. Smeltz’s voice provides a clear, strong tenor, with various other vocals assisting on occasion. Of course, without a rhythm section it wouldn’t be reggae, and Chris and Adam do exactly what is needed to anchor the melodies with a solid beat.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">In sum, I really enjoyed this album. The music, the atmosphere, and the messages are moving and positive in a time when we could sure use some uplift. The CD release party is scheduled for November 24th at the Beachland Tavern (15711 Waterloo Rd.), and half the proceeds from sale of the CD will go to Clean House. It will be on sale at Macs Backs in Coventry, and at any of the group’s gigs.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>Personnel:</b> David Smeltz (guitars, vocals, keyboards), Chris Dunmore (drums), Adam Rich (bass), with guests, DL Ware (spoken word on “Disorder,” and Eva Dilcue (harmony vocals on “The Four Absolutes).</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>Tracks:</b> Rise & Fall, Live While You Can, Many Paths, Before the Beginning, Corinthians, Surrender, Disorder, The Four Absolutes, My Life.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>Jeff Wanser</b></span></div>
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Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-83576274942557992732018-04-18T14:33:00.000-04:002018-04-18T15:17:18.510-04:00Swap Meet. Swap Meet<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Self-released, 2018. Swap Meet: https://www.facebook.com/swapmeetmusic/</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKO4-64F-shKSkUdVnm-S91QEVkrL7icY0qHOHV9EMJcYW-WaXxlDFchFYiOq8zcmGdFRpI3foYcQMqX-5j6VJ3boT49RGeY4VMnkysjbCJOw_OMGR3PL9VABnZh6ZA-jMJu1Hmovq5UQ/s1600/cropped-Swap-Meet-band-logo-trimmed-horizontal-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKO4-64F-shKSkUdVnm-S91QEVkrL7icY0qHOHV9EMJcYW-WaXxlDFchFYiOq8zcmGdFRpI3foYcQMqX-5j6VJ3boT49RGeY4VMnkysjbCJOw_OMGR3PL9VABnZh6ZA-jMJu1Hmovq5UQ/s1600/cropped-Swap-Meet-band-logo-trimmed-horizontal-2.png" /></a><span class="s1">Swap Meet describes itself on its Facebook site as, “</span><span class="s2">original acoustic music from the heart for your soul.” Yeah, we’ll go with that. They’ve been performing extensively around the area for a while now, in a variety of venues We originally reviewed their debut EP in late 2015, with six songs. You can go read that to find out that we liked it a lot, describing it as “Northeast Ohio Americana/country/gypsy jazz.” That continues in large part because five of the six songs on the EP appear here. But if by some chance you have the old recording, that shouldn’t stop you for a second in acquiring the music on this new release. I can’t always tell if the old tunes have been completely rearranged and re-recorded, or sometimes simply remastered with overdubs, but it is clear that the music sounds different, and even better than the first time around. Plus there are eight new songs to hear. Let’s check out the older material first.</span></div>
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<span class="s2">The first four tracks also appeared on the first release, along with “Gypsy Desire,” further along. All are strong tunes (Peter wrote them), deserving of wide listening and radio play (I hope somebody is playing this stuff!). They are, by and large, improvements on the originals. “Gypsy Desire” has lost the canned radio sound, which was interesting, but the new version really pops in a way that the older one doesn’t. The vocals sound stronger and the guitar solos stand out. “Waters Blue” is still a stunning beauty of a country-style song, as is “A Broken Heart Gets No Relief.” Curiously, my favorite of the older tunes, “Moonbeams Fall” is made significantly better by the emphasis of the flute for solo, which is just a knockout jazzy romp.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s2">As for the new songs, they mostly fit in thematically, but expand the band’s palette of colors, moving further into gospel, country, blues, and jazz, with a bit of comedy thrown in. “P.B.F.H.” (Psycho Bitch from Hell) takes care of the last part of the list pretty well. “Lana” moves jazzy, with a subject who is both intriguing and a bit scary (not sure if I’d ever want to meet Lana, but I love the song). “Before I Drown” takes us back toward country, as does “Double Nickels,” both of which are fine, enjoyable songs. It’s hard to pick personal favorites, because there are no clinkers, no filler here. The album ends on the beautiful and strong “Agree,” with a touch of politics and Kari and Michelle intertwining voices.</span></div>
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<span class="s2">The music has endless variety, owing partly to the multiple styles employed by the group, as well as the three vocalists, each of whom lends a different mood and color to the songs they’re featured in. They also blend together so nicely in harmonies, and the solo work on guitar and flute are spectacular. A highly enjoyable album, available on iTunes and Spotify, made better by the fact that they can be found in concert right nearby. Go listen.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Personnel:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Kari Rutushin (vocals, rub board, flute, ukulele), Michelle
Reyna (vocals, washboard), Spencer Paul (stand up bass), Stuart Abrams (lead
guitar), Walter Genutis (vocals), Peter Nario-Redmond (vocals, guitar).
Somebody’s playing mandolin?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Tracks:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> What’s So Good About Being Happy?; Waters Blue; Moonbeams Fall; A
Broken Heart Gets No Relief; Jesus; I Dig You; Before I Drown; Democracy
Hypocrisy; Gypsy Desire; Lana; P.B.F.H.; Double Nickels; Agree.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Jeff Wanser</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</style>Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-1333921472815216772017-10-22T09:51:00.002-04:002017-10-22T09:51:56.888-04:00Adam Rich. Sunshine + Puppies.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBd16Tq4RqybcnqOrWnLE8rOwJv6MvhYcMa5R-T4mwWGFXHrpbn4t-SkoOIuW6aXfSR6zqro2AIki08D-kTutQu6YUBAKv_sDywBFtXSe3HUrwqus-LT5kmlyBxDpDpHbz-MSClrCAy3s/s1600/adamrich5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBd16Tq4RqybcnqOrWnLE8rOwJv6MvhYcMa5R-T4mwWGFXHrpbn4t-SkoOIuW6aXfSR6zqro2AIki08D-kTutQu6YUBAKv_sDywBFtXSe3HUrwqus-LT5kmlyBxDpDpHbz-MSClrCAy3s/s1600/adamrich5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Adam Rich. Sunshine + Puppies.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Love Muffin Records, 2017.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Adam Rich: </span><a href="http://www.adamrichmusic.net/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.adamrichmusic.net/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-9ef805e7-4457-ee9d-dc51-b02b4f7b0737" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cleveland music scene veteran Adam Rich has assembled quite a crew of musicians for this latest release. I imagine that this is due to several factors. He knows lots of people and has been in a lot of bands. He’s an excellent musician and songwriter with good material for colleagues to work with. And he doesn’t sing, so he needs other folks to do that for him. Hence (I love that word), he has some 20 guests on the album, including old bandmates and other prominent musicians in Cleveland. The result is quite the strongest material that he’s ever done.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First, since the opening track is an instrumental (so are “HarrisJam” and “Super Shopper”), you’ll notice Rich’s very impressive guitar work. Runs influenced by Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson, there’s an 80s-90s vibe to the music, which is okay by me. He also surrounds himself with fine musicians, including drummer Kurt Bernardo. As for the guest singers, I find Madelyn Hayes’ R&B styling (“Wrong Side of Cool”), and Jerry Principe’s punkish voice (“Sunshine & Puppies”) are standouts.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course, the title of the album is ironic, as that hardly seems Rich’s outlook on life, although I think he wishes it was. Never let it be said that he writes generic songs. “I love you, baby,” “Don’t leave me,” and “I’m gonna party” are not part of his musical vocabulary. Not that he doesn’t address those themes in some fashion, but his songs are instead, intensely personal. The lyrics are about his actual life, real events, good or bad, normal or bizarre, with little left behind or hidden. I wish I had the guts to write like that. Sometimes the narratives are funny, as with “Too Many Tacos,” a song about a restaurant he frequented, or “Superfan,” about a girl who followed one of his bands. Other times they are very uncomfortable, as if one is peeking into his underwear drawer (“Wrong Side of Cool”), or in the case of “Mother’s Day,” visiting the graves of his parents, or talking about his deceased father’s chair (“One Black Chair”). Funny, sad, driving, sometimes all at once. Life on his sleeve and music as catharsis is what you get with Adam Rich. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve listened to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sunshine & Puppies</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> four times now, and it holds up. This is a fine album, and I recommend it as both a musical peak for Adam Rich, and a fine collection of rock music.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Adam Rich (guitar, bass, keys on “HarrisJam,” drums on “Bartender Girl”); Kurt Bernardo (drums on everything else); Stefan Johnson (guitar solo on “Today I Cried”); Rod Reisman (drums on “Move My Soul”); Chopper (first guitar solo on “Move My Soul”); Ed Marthey (keys on “Move My Soul”); Carlos Jones (additional percussion on “Move My Soul”); Dave Smeltz (guitar on “Move My Soul,” harmonica & alternate vocals on “One Black Chair”); Jennifer O’Neal (violin in “Mother’s Day”); Jeff Scott (bass on “HarrisJam”); Scott Rogers (guitar solo on “Superfan”); Jerry Principe, Debi Lewin, Oliver Buck, Open Range Torch Songs, Madelyn Hayes, James Daymond Carter, Curtis Bradley, Butchie B; Michael McFarland (all vocalists on various tracks).</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Fistula ; Wrong Side of Cool; Move My Soul; Bartender Girl; Superfan; Mother’s Day; Sunshine & Puppies; Nothing Left to Say; HarrisJam; Too Many Tacos (Ode to Mi Pueblo); One Black Chair; Today I Cried; Super Shopper; One Black Chair (Papa Dave version).</span></div>
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Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-89213281686016316182017-09-16T10:43:00.000-04:002017-09-16T10:43:40.627-04:00Angie Haze Project. Catching Bees with Honey.<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwi3wRZjJdA-krJU0t9pGDbGVytlzHo8-KcPeYivovA3wI3Z1n2nohI2UQym161yMUURUsan75X_wdPnOWGFHQTWkw2yZXvHL6CJRVSo0SuprIlfAdNVdHg0Bng-y15t1QNXBf2kdrJU/s1600/21032890_1684957068222023_7408959268139079260_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="959" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwi3wRZjJdA-krJU0t9pGDbGVytlzHo8-KcPeYivovA3wI3Z1n2nohI2UQym161yMUURUsan75X_wdPnOWGFHQTWkw2yZXvHL6CJRVSo0SuprIlfAdNVdHg0Bng-y15t1QNXBf2kdrJU/s320/21032890_1684957068222023_7408959268139079260_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Angie Haze Project. Catching Bees with Honey.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Self-produced, 2017. Angie Haze: http://www.theangiehazeproject.com/ </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-9ef805e7-8b1e-feb3-d629-73dda0e22b55" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Angie Haze has been doing a lot of things lately, and gaining acclaim for the effort. A finalist in last year’s International Songwriting Competition for “Wave Goodbye,” which appeared on the 2014 Addiction EP, the song has remastered and put on this release. The shortest song on the album, to me it is the most powerful, displaying the singer’s voice at its rawest, but also most delicate. With only Haze and guitarist Spencer Martin, it should sound sparse, but overdubbing with multiple instruments and voices makes it a rich experience. I especially like the piano break.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Three other songs populate the EP. “Blood on the Mountain” is the result of the documentary of the same name, for which producer Mari-Lynn Evans invited Haze to perform on the screening tour of the film, including the premier at the Akron Civic Theatre in May. Powerful and heartfelt, it relates the story of a coal miner in West Virginia. Simpler in instrumentation with vocals, banjo, and percussion, it gives us another glimpse into Haze’s musical vision. “All that Breathes” begins as an </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a capella</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> song, but moves into a more complex arrangement, with background vocals and a variety of instrumentation, including bagpipes. Uplifting in spirit, it shows Haze at her most optimistic. Finally, “Bad Habits” is a Jonah Koslen song, which she first performed at Koslen’s Stage Pass Now show. The theme is drug addiction, but Haze manages to put a hopeful spin in her voice and make it her own. By the way, Koslen liked it a lot.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Four songs, four different impressions of Angie Haze, all of which are fascinating and beautiful. Haze’s voice captivates, and takes the listener wherever she is going. My only complaints about the EP are that there are only four songs instead of a dozen, and that it is only available (currently) as a download. I’m old-fashioned, and still like CDs. Nevertheless, highly worth your time.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Angie Haze (lead and background vocals, guitar, mandolin, banjo, piano, bass synth, drum, percussion; whistle, chains, mining sounds); Ruth Chapman (bagpipes on “All that Breathes”); Chris Dudley (background vocals on “All that Breathes”); Spencer Martin (bass guitar, electric guitar, vocals, on “Wave Goodbye”); </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> All that Breathes; Bad Habits; Blood on the Mountain; Wave Goodbye (from </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Addiction EP</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, 2014).</span></div>
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Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-79138145925958365452017-05-02T10:44:00.001-04:002017-05-02T10:44:44.825-04:00A Midnight Syndicate Review (or Revue)<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4qfnXcmY7dEOayTadL0Y5LikODf92ruE9UoDB1LAeICaAIHKFpKEjU57JFyyvVicub2kwVeFRaRPWkCTxA-LvgxqS2ejInsgjD6VqsuLGzGBbWXbIu4DTWi-JZaVzKQENJXncWkAkYs/s1600/midnightsyndicate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4qfnXcmY7dEOayTadL0Y5LikODf92ruE9UoDB1LAeICaAIHKFpKEjU57JFyyvVicub2kwVeFRaRPWkCTxA-LvgxqS2ejInsgjD6VqsuLGzGBbWXbIu4DTWi-JZaVzKQENJXncWkAkYs/s320/midnightsyndicate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Midnight Syndicate. Monsters of Legend ; and Axe Giant: The Legend of Paul Bunyan.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Linfaldia Records, 2013.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Midnight Syndicate: </span><a href="http://www.midnightsyndicate.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.midnightsyndicate.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-9ef805e7-c997-0156-017c-44d97648e1ec" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The life of a ghoul is gloomy. You slink about performing your master's bidding, usually in the chasm of night, shambling forth to complete your labors with the closest thing to an undead smile upon your face. Tonight again I must complete by means of stealth and cunning more tasks to acquire the necessary materials for my wicked master's collection. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Such a sordid pleasure that a relative did send in parcel to me a gift of music complete with the portable means through which I could listen to it in full. In my unforgivingly drab existence I was morosely grateful with the pleasures of Midnight Syndicate's </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Monsters of Legend</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and its seduction of my long-shattered senses. When song can snatch even the ear of the rotting damned then something particularly mordant is at work, a thing possible from those wielding the might of the muse. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I rise. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Snatched from slumber in the root cellar beneath the ruined dormitory shed I step into the night air, driven by an urgency threatening consequences lest i fail in my deeds. Had my olfaction not expired long ago I might almost savor a sweetness in the zephyrs, wafting appetizers to proceed the inevitable pitfalls ahead. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the muck I trek through the filth upon the 700 roadway, an eerie clock tower in the distance tolling mournfully as the eleventh hour passes. The genesis track in my ears is diminutive and purposed, high piano keys like a finger run along the spine with low strings plucking away, the chill of a stalker concealed in a cornfield, perfidious promise of what is to follow. My return to work and "Return to Arcacia" serve well together, the melodic choir kicking in to secure the otherworldly milieu, the sheer dread of human voice at its paradoxically reverent, sacrilegious duty. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now then do drums beat and the spirit of adventure rise "Into the Valley of Shadows," the tempo increasing for a thrill one appreciates when moving uphill, texture in the work that nicely contrasts the gloomy feeling of what else often transpires in the flow of album. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fait accompli</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> though it might be to keep up with the passing traffic in their horseless carriages I dart forward, carried by the music and its rousing percussion, tickled perhaps even by the daunting measure of its pace. Woe that I promptly then am struck by an actual horse-driven buggy piloted by a bearded man with family in tow. They briefly stop before uttering some words in archaic German, only speaking in the local tongue to mumble something at me about "the infernal English" before driving off. Undead and undaunted I can only sigh, victim of yet another collision in these wilds. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The evening continues and "A Watchful Gathering" awaits me as I approach the intersection for roadways 700 and 46, the denizens of Troy even at this late hour milling about in overalls and beehive hairdos conversing about the merits of their town and its dirty supply of grubs, weevils, and rhubarb. I feel as though I would be at home among them, but the clanging foley effects on this brief tune bring to mind the fate that will await me lest I dawdle too much in the company of these persons. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Harpsichord and organ merge for supper at an abandoned curio shop known to those in the know as the "Inn of Weeping Sparrows," again joined by choral incantations, pocked notes of violins adding a pelt of elegance to what is a place I might have once stayed at when among the living. After not long I spy in the corner a fattened opossum carcass, appearing to be recently dead after some gorging on a foodstuff bearing the label "Sodexho." Were I to go by the countenance on its deceased face it may well have tasted horror itself before it perished, as though the creature realized it had been consuming something composed of the same pulpy mass as itself. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There on the horizon the moon sat in the sky, indifferent yet majestic when "Unwanted Visitor" begins, a somewhat perplexing bit of music due to its cloying lines of dialogue that, while not entirely unmerited, seem a bit intrusive to instrumentals that might have very well served on their own. Lounging at the counter I plot my next route and dive through the picture window of the establishment to set forth on the road again in search of the remaining items. The edifice collapses behind me as I pass a lonely fuel kiosk, stall within collecting dust and only the "Closed" sign appearing to be new. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My slog down the stretch of road resumes, now the music beginning to bear something of a rather jello-like semblance to itself from one piece to the next. The individual works are not, in a word, undesirable, yet their similarities are gelled together so much that it almost feels as though one long piece of music itself is playing. Such befits the decisions of those not desiring otherwise but the continuity wears heavy after some time, with a reliable pattern of violin, solemn choir volleys, organ, and background percussion repeating themselves. Had I encountered mere monotony? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Frustrated with my pace and the ho-hum music I defy protocol and approach a parked vessel in-between the roadways, occupant within sitting at the wheel eating something, its greasy face illuminated by faint light. The individual startles when I knock at the glass, spilling its meal upon its lap and bellowing in agony. It is obvious I have disrupted its favorite activity. The thing exits the vehicle, decries me as a "hippy" perhaps due to my appearance, trips over itself, and binds me with metal wrist stocks before shoving me into the back of its vehicle. At least now I have a means of transportation, I reflect, though I am carried in the wrong direction that I desired to travel. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fortune smiles upon even the worthless in times of despair, it seemed, as two fantastic songs ensued that assisted my droll ride back the point from whence I had started. "How to Build a Monster" and "A Terror Unleashed" break rank with the rest of the songs on the album, each powerful blends that satisfyingly, dramatically and very successfully summon a smooth blend of percussion and strings, nothing instrumentally unique but done with a gusto and tact that commands your attention. Your memory seeks the songs out over and over again even after their performances have ceased playing. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The thing in front piloting the vehicle continues wordlessly, snorting and dining upon well-stuffed coffers of food, merely eying me at random times. Among the junk in the back where I sit is made up mostly of boxes labeled "VHS," one of which is marked "Dash Cam Derrieres," along with a book titled "How to Catch A Witchcrafter," and other such rubbish. I sit neither in despair nor hope, merely wondering if the end times will soon be upon us. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sinister providence prevailed when the thing, attempting to further engorge itself by using both hands to shovel two slices of pastry into its mouth lost control of the vehicle and collided with a stone statue near a small chapel. Launched through a window from the impact I am catapulted into the body of the statue, stone arms holding me like an undead baby. Now realizing the loss of time and folly of my quest I implore whatever dark forces will listen to vault me from this wretched place and send me to my next desired end. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"With my arms of Greek and Latin so it is done."</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The statue spoketh! Wondrous! And there then I was flung by the animated statue, launched into the air as a blast rang out and struck the statue's head from its body, an emaciated woman back on the ground staring at my skyward departure, croaking "Good golly, I guess we'll just blame this on the students. Not like it's the real Garfield the Cat, anyway!" Whatever that meant, I was gone. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With nary but the final ingredient left I soar through the air for quite some time and land in a dumpster brimming with decaying dairy, a mass of fungus growing upon the grease-caked waste unit's inner walls. Brushing away rats and vermin I gather armfuls of the viscous material and stow it into my sack, now bulging and tellingly heavier. With exertion I shift the weight to my mortified back and prepare to depart on my return to the lair from whence I came. But then did sounds queer and ominous drift through the chill night air and into my rotting ear canals, tickling my curiosity in a way not felt for eons. I determined to scale the building and inspect the siren song closer, alighting upon the square chamber's roof. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now the racket's volume increased and with every step I could feel beneath me booming vibrations, hums of something prickling the soles of my feet and pulsing the gravel below. Captivated I paced forward a tad more and proceeded to unwittingly trip upon the latch of a trap door, crashing to the ground and through a service panel whereupon I plummeted into the building's interior and smashed through a table, brights lights and sound at once rushing upon me. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With hazed vision and rotted brain my surroundings further befuddle me: clothed animals with instruments upon a stage dancing and singing, all manner of open-face cheese pies strewn about carelessly, and smiling faces full of joy and surprise gazing upon me as though I were, accurately and unerringly, undead. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They are stunned. Yet it was I that had plunged into madness. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqOjaJr8WQOJBfa-dwDlt8I98avAK4gyRzhGrpnzr7JncZCab86IZ8rhpgz8F-1HWoILTdG4ihk6hOF_Ewln1_xyup07xw2o7MOLMILiZYPlQL4r_vDZMRVQglA0jj36Ug8DaGRtIAZE/s1600/AxeGiantSoundtrack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqOjaJr8WQOJBfa-dwDlt8I98avAK4gyRzhGrpnzr7JncZCab86IZ8rhpgz8F-1HWoILTdG4ihk6hOF_Ewln1_xyup07xw2o7MOLMILiZYPlQL4r_vDZMRVQglA0jj36Ug8DaGRtIAZE/s320/AxeGiantSoundtrack.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"This is the best Chuck-E-Cheese ever!" a woman blared, marveling at my "fantastic costume." She helps me up and piles several slices of the bizarre food into my hands. It appears that I have been mistaken for some sort of performer, nonetheless welcomed into their ranks and given a seat amongst the other humans in attendance, their eyes all fixed upon a projection illuminated against a wall. It is some type of moving picture entertainment, proceeded by the words “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.” The show commences and for some time I am subjected to a story no doubt intended for lunatics that ends as satisfyingly as it began. Upon completing this feature the clothed animals upon the stage then commenced playing tunes and works of song quite like that heard in the moving pictures feature, the creatures neither harming nor helping the artistic merits of the music.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I flounce for the exit at the conclusion of this flimshaw escapade. Never more have I wanted egress. For it all I can judge not more than that I was glad to be rid of it, and the seduction that bade me to seek it out in the first place must have been in origins the spawn of something sordid from my mortal life.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Perchance that I might find a ride with strangers I threw myself at the feet of two men, both dressed in similar formal attire and with goblets in hand. "Eric, fetch the car," the one that must have been the alpha of the two said, "this fellow clearly desires a learning moment about the glories of our institution." "Of course, Tom, at once!" replied the other, moving only a few paces away to bring the vessel to our side. Once seated within our horseless carriage I am subjected to an hour's worth of lecture about an educational institution they desire me to enroll in, and when within walking distance of my destination I throw myself from the vehicle and roll into a ditch. "We'll send a fundraising newsletter to your address!" one of the men calls from a window, the soundtrack of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Axe Giant</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> fading into the distance with the travelers. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I stumble through thickets and darkness, groping about and finding the concealed entrance beneath a shrine on Pioneer Trail, site of past perversions and forgotten ills. Navigating the tunnel beneath I find my way to the main chamber, emerging to find the Master sitting upon his throne unattended, a mirror in his right hand.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I approach him with modest satisfaction, his commandments for this night's questing fulfilled. He eyes me with disdain, another mere subject encroaching upon his time, merely suffered to be in his presence. I bow, empty my satchel, and utter my words meekly. "Dear Master, I have fulfilled my chores for this evening. Grant me even the simplest praise and I shall consider my rancid life yet full of one fleeting pleasure: thine approval." Such groveling should suffice. The Master pauses while examining me carefully, as though I were a large insect saturated in liquified offal. What were once my lungs contract with timid apprehension, for it is not wise to displease the Master. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"You are late.... too late," my Master says." I quiver and bow lower, speed forever my absent attribute. "But I have performed my labors, my Lord...." It is the best defense I am able to muster. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"So you have. So long as my will is done such is acceptable." Such praise! My bed of mold and rat droppings shall be extra luxurious on this eve, with moth-eaten sheets no doubt to feel far more slimy as well. "But there is far more desirable news to share with you, lowly minion." What's this? Mayhaps greater compensation ensue? </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"My Lord, what manner of news could this-" </span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Your festering impatience displeases me." </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My cursed petulant tendencies only condemn me to worse straits. I grovel and kneel, the favored tactic to again curry my owner's favor. He smiles wanly and resumes. </span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"On this day I have, by slovenly means of mass reasoning and inaction, been elected President of the United States." </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Truly? Could it be? For millennia none among the undead had ever managed to assume the ranks of higher office. The obstacles had been formidable. Money. Sunlight. Values. But no more would they suppress us! "My Master.... this is most joyous news! You deserve it all! Allow me to arrange for the transportation of your royal throne constructed of facsimile gold. An age of true darkness is now sure to follow." There then did follow a pause so marked, so sublime that I did chance to think I spied a raven in the sky, high above crossing the moon. I did begin to feel as though something wicked were about to descend upon me. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Actually," the Master said, raising a plastic goblet filled with some type of pink beverage that he sipped generously. I craned my neck to the side and raised a crusty eyebrow, the stench of treachery beginning to mix with my own musk and the master's as well. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Y-yes, my Lord?" I stammer. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Throwing his potable over the balcony behind him the Master directed a finger towards the largest pit of flames blazing in his Great Hall. His words echo as he delivers his verdict.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"You're fired." </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Such was his decree. Eternal death in sight, at least I had suitable music in mind to play during my demise. The contents of the review upon this scroll of parchment shall direct your attention accordingly. Farewell! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Rotting Robert</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>(Gojo)</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Monsters of Legend:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Edward Douglas (Composer, Instrumentals), Gavin Goszka (Instrumentals)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Return to Arcacia, Into the Valley of Shadows, A Watchful Gathering, Inn of the Weeping Sparrow, Unwanted Visitor, Requiem, Witching Hour, Unexpected Cargo, Black Woods, Twilight, Carriage Ride, Stone Guardians, Ancient Portal, Dark Tower, Building the Monster, Lord of the Realm, Forgotten Alcoves, A Terror Unleashed, Cloistered Cemetery, It Lives!, Beyond the Veil of Time.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Gavin Goszka (Instrumentals), Edward Douglas (Composer, Instrumentals) </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Axe Giant Main Title, Minnesota 1984, Babe's Grave, S.T.U.M.P. Medley, Bunyan at Babe's Grave, S.T.U.M.P.S Meets Bunyan, No Escape, The Legend of Paul Bunyan, Zach's Last Stand, Bunyan's Cave, Bunyan on the Move, Final Showdown, Legend's End, The Ballad of Paul Bunyan (Written and performed by Hickry Hawkins)</span></div>
<br />Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-5907042608504101032017-01-08T15:11:00.000-05:002017-01-08T15:11:01.735-05:00Housecleaning, Reinvention, and Oh, Hell.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieITwUiMYyAKii4YE9R_EE9LKoBiYDm3Ad-HxpRJgyGV5fp4uLMNC7EjAOZAGeSsXiS6qPmib5MSLbbn9-SkIoJDvoVidr3FOLqLW_Nbfb4Lh5kkcxCS5u1LS94nsq2KSCKpjjp9lLgoI/s1600/antoinedunn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieITwUiMYyAKii4YE9R_EE9LKoBiYDm3Ad-HxpRJgyGV5fp4uLMNC7EjAOZAGeSsXiS6qPmib5MSLbbn9-SkIoJDvoVidr3FOLqLW_Nbfb4Lh5kkcxCS5u1LS94nsq2KSCKpjjp9lLgoI/s1600/antoinedunn.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You may have noticed, or not, that there has been a scarcity of reviews coming through this blog for the past six months or so. It’s the result of a combination of factors, most my own fault. Overextension, classes, writer’s block, lack of writers recruited, procrastination, theft (yes, theft of CDs slated for review by certain unnamed individuals), illness, and bad luck have all contributed to the sluggishness of the blog. I am in the process of recruiting trustworthy writers, finding new music to review, and seeing what else I can do to make this site better. It deserves better. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-9ef805e7-7fad-4b47-ee9a-c71dca7fbeb2" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To that end, I have cleaned out the list of CDs for possible review, </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KxAUkvttTEfJv4dloSF2XFdYIjYJB1xiZ8zm1gsPHyUH73xoAci8KRfn9YINsF_8MBoa6sIMBdBpKWEj8G2pA1F7eMUk-3UfzmlCIRR8Vow8_IoExTafjUVbzNmEQPIh1pouFjfQB9o/s1600/Juke_Hounds_-_Bluesitude_cover_-_1600__x_1600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KxAUkvttTEfJv4dloSF2XFdYIjYJB1xiZ8zm1gsPHyUH73xoAci8KRfn9YINsF_8MBoa6sIMBdBpKWEj8G2pA1F7eMUk-3UfzmlCIRR8Vow8_IoExTafjUVbzNmEQPIh1pouFjfQB9o/s200/Juke_Hounds_-_Bluesitude_cover_-_1600__x_1600.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
and removed everything from before 2016. After all, what’s the point? Unfortunately, that adds up to more than two thirds of the list. Nearly all of those CDs will end up in the collection of the Hiram College Library, so no need to worry about their future. <br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the meantime, should you feel moved to write up a review or an article for Buzzard Tracks, please contact me and we can chat about what it is you’d like to write about. I’m open to all sorts of topics in any genre of Northeast Ohio music: reviews of online-only music, concerts, interviews with musicians, essays on a particular artist or genre, mad ravings over the state of music in the region. You don’t have to be a member of the Hiram College community to write for the blog, just sufficiently interested. There is no payment, only glory, and if you’re a student it’s a chance to pad your resume. </span><a href="mailto:wanserjc@hiram.edu" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">wanserjc@hiram.edu</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> gets you there.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jeff Wanser</span></div>
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All CDs pictured here are now retired, as they came out in 2015 or before.</div>
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Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-62683703289877943472016-12-24T22:07:00.000-05:002016-12-24T22:07:59.775-05:00Roger Hoover. Pastures<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMj3ucbuP2j7CW5DcPDSJzYb77u1Ot3kLjKRtt5vI2REp1EBrrafIdNSzeaWTOLwemT0IkVp7C6rpIV47EHiF4JjmGsuWtjDSvil4ngWzyaVl8JZjwgjAzapalBVgJZnqrHYrqg-wuDY/s1600/pastures-roger-hoover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMj3ucbuP2j7CW5DcPDSJzYb77u1Ot3kLjKRtt5vI2REp1EBrrafIdNSzeaWTOLwemT0IkVp7C6rpIV47EHiF4JjmGsuWtjDSvil4ngWzyaVl8JZjwgjAzapalBVgJZnqrHYrqg-wuDY/s320/pastures-roger-hoover.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Roger Hoover. Pastures.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last Chance Records, 2016. Roger Hoover: </span><a href="https://www.rogerhoover.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.rogerhoover.com/</span></a></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-9ef805e7-12c9-480a-bdaf-57c914a106d1" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve always associated Roger Hoover with the Whiskeyhounds, which tells you that I’m seriously out of date with his music and living in the past. He’s been with other bands and also on his own for years. I also think of him more as a rocker than the folk/blues/Americana singer-songwriter he really is (although he doesn’t want to be restricted to such labels), influenced by people such as Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen. I’ll try to catch up.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This new album has him singing a set of original songs, recorded in isolated places on Lake Erie and in Northwestern Pennsylvania. He’s out front and center on every song, although he has a fine group of musicians behind him, who seem to change duties from song to song, depending on whether their rockers, ballads, or something in between. In any case, Hoover describes the set as a song cycle, concerning the vicissitudes of life in the Midwest, with a touch of hope for the future. Subjects range from romance to work to more abstract questions about the meaning of existence and why we’re here. You can dissect the lyrics on the website, or you can just sit back and enjoy the music. Either way, the album is a success on every level.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The album itself had me bouncing back and forth: musically, I like the rockers and more raucous tunes, but lyrically, I prefer the ballads. “Dust” and “Life We Create” fall into the first category, the first being the only true rocker, the second more of a bluesy honky tonk, with some heavy piano work. But I can’t lay off the ballads, because the lyrics are touching and cutting, plaintive and hopeful. “Give What You Get Back” and “Cool Blue Starter” are among my favorites here. The one that combines everything perfectly is the title track, a loping, echoey, haunting song that speaks to desires for life and the future. In all cases, Hoover sings with an expressive, slightly gravelly tenor that simultaneously soars above the music and soaks into it. Hard to beat.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Roger Hoover will be appearing at the GAR Hall in Peninsula on December 30th, and at the Beachland Tavern in late February. I’m looking forward to seeing the show in person.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Roger Hoover (vocals, guitars, bass, percussion), Ray Flanagan (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, background vocals), Kevin Martinez (upright bass, background vocals), Russell Flanagan (piano, Hammond B3), Ryan Foltz (drums, percussion, trumpet, background vocals), Ysabel Hoover (background vocals), Danny Jenkins (drums), Doug McKean (electric bass). </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Give What You Get Back, Oh How Times Have Changed, Dust, Just a Little, Always on My Mind, There’s Something in My Heart, St. John, Devil in the End, Cool Blue Starter, Pastures, Life We Create.</span></div>
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Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-90638176219721790382016-12-17T11:53:00.000-05:002016-12-17T11:53:16.035-05:00Rock Salt and Nails. Trouble in Mind.<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHIP5X0HcXCmoL3qY0anv-ptLqLhjjoWNi9arbhH-WEjttoWNPkwiy40KB_woOT0HdNhUD37RjT8PK0ypTAuNOAy-QDt0gVVXdeSYOsTJULaYYoxKgw_kK9t4V1YmJGpJZAflDlxHVIs/s1600/Trouble2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHIP5X0HcXCmoL3qY0anv-ptLqLhjjoWNi9arbhH-WEjttoWNPkwiy40KB_woOT0HdNhUD37RjT8PK0ypTAuNOAy-QDt0gVVXdeSYOsTJULaYYoxKgw_kK9t4V1YmJGpJZAflDlxHVIs/s320/Trouble2.png" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rock Salt and Nails & Friends. Trouble in Mind.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Self-produced, 2016. Rock Salt and Nails: </span><a href="http://www.rsn-band.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.rsn-band.com/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-9ef805e7-0db1-125f-0547-2601cf459341" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We seem to have followed the career of this band from Alliance for several years, and reviewed both of their previous albums, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pickin’ Up the Pieces</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (2013), and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Run to the River</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (2014). With their third album, they continue down the trail of traditional music and Americana, a core trio this time, enhanced by three additional musicians with special skills. The group includes more material from other songwriters this time around as well, including Bill Morrissey, Randy Newman, Steve Earle, Tom Waits, and John Hiatt, but with plenty of originals (7 of 14). Each member of the trio is represented in songwriting, although Priscilla Roggenkamp has the lioness’s share of the credits. One of the marks of good songwriting is when you have to check the liner notes to figure out which songs are by big names and which are originals. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is certainly an enjoyable and mostly upbeat album. The variety of songs, the change in lead vocals from song to song, and the excellent musicianship make for a satisfying listening experience. The CD begins with an unexpected tune, “Big Legged Ida,” played with a jazzy feel (helped by Jim Perrone’s clarinet) and the sense that the group was about to start laughing any second. “Put Me on the Top of Your List” is Roggenkamp’s first song on the album, and continues the friendly and open atmosphere of a bunch of folks getting together for a good time. Each of the new songs sounds like old friends. I especially like “Blue Ridge,”, a lovely waltz, and the loping “You Know More than You Know.” “One Lie at a Time,” by Roggenkamp, is prescient in light of current politics. “Satchel’s Reel,” by Keith McMahon ends the album as an instrumental showcase. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The title track is a traditional blues, and like other songs they’ve done has somewhat downcast lyrics but is presented in an upbeat fashion. Harmonica by Mark Huddleson provides fine punctuation to the vocals. Of course, the songs by the big names are delightfully done. I particularly enjoyed Hiatt’s “The River Knows Your Name,” and Earle’s “Goodbye,” both somewhat mellow in tone, and gorgeously sung and played.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In all a highly worthy effort from a group folk music fans should get to know. The band isn’t scheduled for a concert until late January, in Alliance. Catch their show if you can. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Jim Dutter (guitar, mandolin); Keith McMahon (guitar, mandolin); Priscilla Roggenkamp (bass); vocals by all. With Mark Heddleson (harmonica); Jim Perrone (clarinet); Jon Scott (banjo).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Big Legged Ida, Put Me on the Top of Your List, Feels Like Home, Morning Bird, Blue Ridge, Greenville Trestle High, If It Hadn’t Been for Love, One Lie at a Time, Goodbye, The River Knows Your Name, Promise, I Hope that I Don’t Fall in Love with You, The Wind Calls You on, Trouble in Mind, Snowblind, You Know More than You Know, Satchel’s Reel.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3iJDEIyzzzprjeuZCewmnSwzutEINTfPmJvEEomAVJ_q6kNapV__88Y_YDzNhEIf8YgJKx7WT9FkiNUosQyNabwNUH25bxJk3AbpLnUXBrX38Ov54_soUm5WGfyIHAnqyT6RCcaJl1M/s1600/3420278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3iJDEIyzzzprjeuZCewmnSwzutEINTfPmJvEEomAVJ_q6kNapV__88Y_YDzNhEIf8YgJKx7WT9FkiNUosQyNabwNUH25bxJk3AbpLnUXBrX38Ov54_soUm5WGfyIHAnqyT6RCcaJl1M/s320/3420278.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-87663502976420529772016-10-25T10:04:00.003-04:002016-10-25T10:04:57.939-04:00Blue Lunch. Above the Fold<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnT0IRCZtwSz6pXk4voqLypsANgt6qeZxSaHFOFusGh0kraHq3x-diWeeRJfpfneri0FMEGRn2E4Nx58ZG06XRjc15gzJqvYR4ZDHPNXKWF5tSPyg7a70lmfaSSC-3kj4y7aNWdCuPxss/s1600/Above-The-Fold-2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnT0IRCZtwSz6pXk4voqLypsANgt6qeZxSaHFOFusGh0kraHq3x-diWeeRJfpfneri0FMEGRn2E4Nx58ZG06XRjc15gzJqvYR4ZDHPNXKWF5tSPyg7a70lmfaSSC-3kj4y7aNWdCuPxss/s320/Above-The-Fold-2014.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Blue Lunch. Above the Fold.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rip Cat Records, 2014. Blue Lunch: </span><a href="http://www.bluelunch.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.bluelunch.com/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blue Lunch is a Cleveland based octet of skilled musicians well into their third decade as a band. If the reader has not heard of them, the most likely reason is a result of being pigeonholed in the quagmire known as “genre”. In the case of Blue Lunch, you’ll find them listed under “Blues”. Ignore them at your own risk. Blue Lunch expertly delivers the blues. However, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Above the Fold</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> takes the listener on a serpentine ride across borders that often surprise and mostly succeed. Though Blue Lunch may be classified as a "blues band", they are equally adept at jazz, funk, gospel, and swing. And they may jump from one category to the next and the back on the same track.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bob Frank is credited as the composer on seven of the 15 songs on this CD. He is one of those guitarists blessed with the ability to front the band when called upon, and the generosity to step back and support the ensemble. His playing versatility is likely his strongest suit. As an example, on his composition The Long Game, an up-tempo blues serves as bookends for a shift mid song into funk and back again. If Mr. Frank has one weakness it is his erratic vocals. On “Woman I Bleed,” and the others written by Frank, there are hints Frank has the ability to vocalize. However, he tends to vacillate between spoken word and singing. It starts to leave one wondering if that is the band’s greatest limitation. However, that suspicion is dispelled the final track, “Good News.” This traditional gospel piece is sung acapella by a quartet of the band’s members and proves back-up vocalists are there for the taking.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“One Fine Day” is a very fine instrumental composed and arranged by saxophonist Chris Burge. Add Mike Rubin on trumpet and Bob Michael on trombone and this brass section will take you back to the days of Blood, Sweat, and Tears and Chicago Transit Authority. They are just that good. Throw in some well-played harp fills by Peter London and Blue Lunch owns this piece.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The band is grounded by its rhythm section of Scott Flowers on drums and Ray Deforest on upright and electric bass. Some slight adjustments on the EQ helps bring their talents as well as keyboard man Mike Sands. Tweak that EQ a tad more and guest Sammy DeLeone’s congas pop into the mix.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is such a thing as a small-big band. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Above the Fold</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> provides ample opportunity for every member to solo. It is the entirety of Blue Lunch’s repertoire that should push Northeastern Ohioans to seek them out.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Performers:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Bob Frank (guitar, vocals), Peter London (vocals, harmonica),Chris Burge (saxophones, harmony vocals), Mike Rubin (trumpet), Bob Michael (trombone, harmony vocals), Mike Sands (piano), Ray DeForest (bass violin, bass guitar, bass vocals), Scott Flowers (drums). Guests: Evelyn Wright (vocals on Track 8), Tim Longfellow (Hammond organ on Tracks 5 & 8), Sammy DeLeone (congas on Tracks 2 & 8).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Ain’t Trying to Kill Nobody, One Fine Day, The Long Game, Everybody’s On the Phone, Woman I Bleed, No Time Like the Present, Seven Times, Where Do You Think It’s Going, Lake Erie Highball, Venita, Love No More, All I Needed, Tossin’ and Turnin’ and Burnin’ All Up Inside, Katt’n Around with Moe, Good News.</span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-9ef805e7-fc26-eba6-2084-8c6ec3d9b1fc"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eric Ess</span></span><br />
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<span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-8269791468060501222016-08-27T20:52:00.001-04:002016-08-27T20:52:32.913-04:00Hingetown Hoedown Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVy6oBCBQXX2oEvQIbZ0i6-bplenHYlYKQfYjFDBfapgzflx6CHKTBXbafQmE9RsA_H94Snrw9h27UpLLoF3_KXKtYxoKcyVbSJWO0CckRPcPPtaCVl4aGLwGvTUMgR1SPHC_dbJ-964/s1600/untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVy6oBCBQXX2oEvQIbZ0i6-bplenHYlYKQfYjFDBfapgzflx6CHKTBXbafQmE9RsA_H94Snrw9h27UpLLoF3_KXKtYxoKcyVbSJWO0CckRPcPPtaCVl4aGLwGvTUMgR1SPHC_dbJ-964/s320/untitled-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
SECOND ANNUAL HINGETOWN HOEDOWN FESTIVAL<br />
BRINGS BLUEGRASS AND FOLK MUSIC FROM THE<br />
MOUNTAINS TO OHIO CITY SEPTEMBER 10<br />
Website: <span class="s1"><a href="http://www.hingetownhoedown.com/">http://www.hingetownhoedown.com/</a></span><span class="s2"> </span><br />
<br />
CLEVELAND, August 23, 2016 -- Grab your boots, friends and family and get ready to stomp at the second annual Hingetown Hoedown -- Cleveland’s first and only free folk and bluegrass music festival to be held<br />
September 10 in Ohio City’s Hingetown neighborhood at the intersection of West 29th Street and Detroit Ave.<br />
The Hingetown Hoedown fills a void in Cleveland’s music scene by hosting a dozen bands with distinct bluegrass, folk, Americana, roots and string band sounds. The first Hingetown Hoedown last October was called a roaring success with more than 1,200 attendees braving the pouring rain to enjoy the show. This year’s event will be held from 1-10 .p.m., and will again be complemented by food trucks, vendors, craft beer from Great Lakes Brewery, and family-friendly activities. Admission is free and open to the public with street parking available nearby.<br />
“Cleveland’s bluegrass scene continues to grow and Hingetown is the perfect city neighborhood for us to gather the community and introduce new listeners to the music of the mountains,” said Adam Reifsnyder who helps organize the event and is in the band Honeybucket who plays the Main Stage at 8 p.m. “We’ve seen Honeybucket’s music grow in local popularity thanks to CIFF and other Cleveland-area shows, so it only makes sense to play here with other great Ohio string bands -- it’s going to be a banjo-pickin’, boot-stompin’ good time!”<br />
Hingetown’s main stage will feature a slew of Ohio’s finest musicians. Among the many scheduled to perform are:<br />
● Hailing from Southeast, Ohio, The Wayfarers are sure to play a high-energy set of traditional American roots music.<br />
● Known for their rock n’ roll inspired live performances, The Hocking River String Band will bring their powerful lyrics and bluegrass sounds up from Hocking County, Ohio.<br />
To kick off the day, Vision Yoga & Wellness will lead a free, 60-minute, all levels Vinyasa yoga class onsite beginning at 1:00 pm. Once again the Hoedown is a family friendly event and welcomes all ages. There will be children’s activities including sidewalk chalk, Hoedown-themed photo ops, and jumbo games. The Music<br />
Settlement’s Bob Stop is generously providing a “Musical Petting Zoo”, showcasing instruments for children to try out, hoping to spark an interest in music and the community!<br />
For more information please visit hingetownhoedown.com, Facebook, and Twitter.Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-78652330141766070692016-07-30T13:41:00.000-04:002016-07-30T13:43:13.569-04:00Ernie Krivda. Requiem for a Jazz Lady<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTjBXlnxxaz8Dmb-QftmDAjMkE6ThuWo4am06HsmmO7GopT9qvM1ppQqi8C95ATUa_ei5M-uks5BjjycOKoTO42r7cyxwX1oRcfbmiFn-qr1iBLh98U1YEzy_iPPt8jSCJlRss_7FK2Y/s1600/19309045-mmmain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTjBXlnxxaz8Dmb-QftmDAjMkE6ThuWo4am06HsmmO7GopT9qvM1ppQqi8C95ATUa_ei5M-uks5BjjycOKoTO42r7cyxwX1oRcfbmiFn-qr1iBLh98U1YEzy_iPPt8jSCJlRss_7FK2Y/s320/19309045-mmmain.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ernie Krivda. Requiem for a Jazz Lady.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Capri Records, 2015. Ernie Krivda: </span><a href="http://www.erniekrivda.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.erniekrivda.com/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-9ef805e7-3cdc-288c-0d30-02f8ab5fa412" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whether with his quartet or with the Fat Tuesday Big Band, Ernie Krivda is ubiquitous. He plays all around the region, from festivals to clubs to summer bandstand concerts, with an event in the area just about every week. He’s also prolific, having put out a new recording pretty much every year since the early 1990s. Try to keep up. This time out, the saxophonist works with a group of Detroit musicians with whom he’s had a long-term relationship. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The backstory of this album is fascinating. In the early 1960s, Krivda worked the jazz clubs of the region, one of a number of white musicians who played with black artists in a landscape that was racially complex. During that time, a young woman from his town of Garfield Heights was murdered, and he was recently contacted for information about her. This brought back a flood of memories for him and set him on the direction of this album, one that he calls “reflective.” I’d call the music </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">noir</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, as it reminds me (as does the murder) of films from the postwar era in that black-and-white genre, but he might disagree. In any case, the style of music fits nicely in the bop milieu of the early 1960s, with elements of swing and R&B as well, forming what Krivda calls a “gumbo” that reflects all the various influences of music in the Rustbelt cities of the time.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3i-lHXnbv25G0MV8a7RaXEqmxbCaY9rD94LQIkPbVZQGCT7RyRP4XjFRa4zlfll_VK0hJqwnYG_WXDtb1ZUt0t046ZnaX-KQ9KVRwCyDtszRpQqapjTgej3c3Xx3BGPjhlbKa36VEKGo/s1600/new-krivda-web-site-photos-2-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3i-lHXnbv25G0MV8a7RaXEqmxbCaY9rD94LQIkPbVZQGCT7RyRP4XjFRa4zlfll_VK0hJqwnYG_WXDtb1ZUt0t046ZnaX-KQ9KVRwCyDtszRpQqapjTgej3c3Xx3BGPjhlbKa36VEKGo/s200/new-krivda-web-site-photos-2-002.jpg" width="168" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ernie in the 60s</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He describes in the booklet both his life at the time and the songs he’s written or chosen for this album. Each has its own tempo, mood, and presence, but they all fit nicely together as a portrait of time and place. From the exuberance of “Questions” with its funky beat to the insistent push and strong melody of “The Remarkable Mr. Black” (dedicated to a Detroit pianist, with excellent solo by Lafayette Carthon), to the haunting ballad of the title track, it may be a gumbo but it’s all of a single tapestry. And a beautiful tapestry it is. The level of musicianship is consistently remarkable, and Krivda’s thick sax sound drapes over the whole affair like syrup. I love the sound, and have played this album numerous times at this point. It doesn’t fade in subsequent turns. I highly recommend this one for its evocation of the Cleveland jazz scene of earlier times, and for its all-around excellent playing.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Ernie Krivda (tenor saxophone), Lafayette Carthon (piano), Marion Hayden (bass), Renell Gonsalves (drums).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The Remarkable Mr. Black, I’ll Close My Eyes, Questions, Emerald, Great Lakes Gumbo, Little Face, Requiem for a Jazz Lady.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jeff Wanser</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrcU0ZQHGEPH1_ydEqbepAEnkw85WPd5Vrycmgq-X1-7RRjsTGI-_NfLHryknmXLQJeJQNx-1VLIoKCi5nMcRYB_WCGHAh0be6G9KqK_ii_BAlZo8sg7SWTIPLFqLPwVlFvFXSfGUXaU/s1600/133015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrcU0ZQHGEPH1_ydEqbepAEnkw85WPd5Vrycmgq-X1-7RRjsTGI-_NfLHryknmXLQJeJQNx-1VLIoKCi5nMcRYB_WCGHAh0be6G9KqK_ii_BAlZo8sg7SWTIPLFqLPwVlFvFXSfGUXaU/s320/133015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="goog_338571004"></span><span id="goog_338571005"></span><br /></span>Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-91357321916029912062016-07-03T11:14:00.001-04:002016-07-03T11:14:26.206-04:00Red Sun Rising. Polyester Zeal.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNVWWWb-vvRC-1Qu9OmMAGWkdW1puVo1Ap78dKnT-N-7pjmyPQkQ6Xb-y5Zlfo3Egvu-5oS6X22REXVbUdXCl625IWyWHrArw7_JJsS40XLa_DN7BX93lxjw6CX5W7bPujq39BEFpolI/s1600/1922357_10150496356869982_4590843895139523200_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNVWWWb-vvRC-1Qu9OmMAGWkdW1puVo1Ap78dKnT-N-7pjmyPQkQ6Xb-y5Zlfo3Egvu-5oS6X22REXVbUdXCl625IWyWHrArw7_JJsS40XLa_DN7BX93lxjw6CX5W7bPujq39BEFpolI/s320/1922357_10150496356869982_4590843895139523200_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Red Sun Rising. Polyester Zeal.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Razor & Tie, 2015. Red Sun Rising: </span><a href="http://redsunrisingmusic.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://redsunrisingmusic.com/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-9ef805e7-b14f-2e69-a113-244b0c59ec78" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This alternative hard rock band from Akron has been around for about ten years and this is their third release (plus an EP), but the first on a big label, so Yay for them. As a band on their way up, they are rapidly developing a fan base, some 47,000 strong on Facebook, and have even created their own Twitter hashtag, #WeAreThread, which is supposed to describe their music. I can’t vouch for that, since I haven’t a clue about what “Thread” is (Shred in a thong?), nor a clue about hashtags frankly. But their sound seems to be a contemporary combination of postgrunge, arena rock, and 80s metal, which is certainly a fine thing if one does it right. I’d say that they’re pretty much doing it right on this album.</span></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-9ef805e7-b152-7695-9ec1-e7752026c50a" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Soaring vocals, slight echo added, nice hooks, lots of guitar, solidly structured songs, and use of several chords are all clues. They have both skill and variety going for them. Songs are tight, and nothing overstays its welcome, although perhaps one song should have had some extended soloing, since like I said above, skill. “Push” is a great opener, a speedy, edgy song with lots of energy that displays their instrumental abilities. “Amnesia” moves the band to mid-tempo, and showcases their vocal chops. Arena rock influence shows itself well in “Unnatural,” with its anthemic atmosphere, while the metal sound makes an appearance in “Awake,” a nicely jagged hard-rocking tune with a couple of soft edges. Every album needs its ballad, and “Bliss” takes care of that, with appropriate rev-up in the middle. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personally, I like the fast tunes, and “Imitation” fills the bill, a great closer. It seems to be about how being like everyone else is a sure path to destruction. I don’t think these guys need to worry too much. They’ve got a sound that is very different from the current pack of bands, and should carry them along well. They are touring the Midwest this month, and their next appearance in Ohio is at the Ohio State Reformatory (!), or you might want to wait until late August when they hit Akron.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Mike Protich (vocals, guitar), Ryan Williams (guitar), Tyler Valendza (guitar), Ricky Miller (bass, vocals), Pat Gerasia (drums).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Push, Amnesia, The Otherside, My Muse, Emotionless, Blister, Worlds Away, Unnatural, Awake, Bliss, Imitation.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jeff Wanser</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktHzDt17LOeflS8ENaQje9DYASNmUEdlRxWFk82mbAiGPRzXDtnynjQt_zUsDinfU7SHvUyFXui2a-D4MvmW_Etcb7dyz_HKIxpqD0ZTJun9kI-pRI45qpHOuPWoG4Tqzmt9dwyKGAe8/s1600/CkJXMCvUYAAhnVh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktHzDt17LOeflS8ENaQje9DYASNmUEdlRxWFk82mbAiGPRzXDtnynjQt_zUsDinfU7SHvUyFXui2a-D4MvmW_Etcb7dyz_HKIxpqD0ZTJun9kI-pRI45qpHOuPWoG4Tqzmt9dwyKGAe8/s320/CkJXMCvUYAAhnVh.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-26880691440588267902016-05-30T10:35:00.004-04:002016-05-30T10:35:48.591-04:00Scarlet & the Harlots. We Can't Seem to Get Enough.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwHhk942g6N8_NBk5OX1WJNzH0tJqO1_42z8B3ekhWDdapTp45WYwT6IWzgwca8YZWIQ7ITCBNLP5p9rkKFuvXahkHbBUeKqHobABIJiFECIFll4oMUofHiZgzBT8XW_RQAIMNXR_-sI/s1600/static1.squarespace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwHhk942g6N8_NBk5OX1WJNzH0tJqO1_42z8B3ekhWDdapTp45WYwT6IWzgwca8YZWIQ7ITCBNLP5p9rkKFuvXahkHbBUeKqHobABIJiFECIFll4oMUofHiZgzBT8XW_RQAIMNXR_-sI/s200/static1.squarespace.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Scarlet & the Harlots. We Can’t Seem to Get Enough.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Self-produced, 2014. Scarlet & the Harlots: </span><a href="http://scarletandtheharlots.squarespace.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://scarletandtheharlots.squarespace.com/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-9ef805e7-0214-740d-4341-ad2dae23c411" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This album is a bit old for review, but since the band hasn’t put out a new one yet we can still call it their fresh debut. I’m too old to know where the boundary line between nerd and hipster is these days (it shifts year by year), but this band from the Kent area lies somewhere in that territory, and that is intended to be a compliment. The cover suggests a parody of an old Leon Russell & the Shelter People album--a curious assortment of gender-bending and overdressed characters indulging themselves with food, drink, and drugs. A carnival is in town and they’ve taken over an Italian restaurant. One might think they’re trying too hard to impress with their decadence.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">No batch of amateurs though, these folks know their stuff, with real horn charts backing the strong, bluesy vocals of their lead singer, Scarlet (no last names, please). The mix of rock, jazz, and blues is sophisticated, with some really great singing and playing. The sound is a bit retro, once again bringing to mind Russell and his crowd, as some of the music has a distinct and eclectic early 70s flavor. The songs are uniformly enjoyable, yet in no way uniform. Each takes a different approach. For example, “Moonshine Ghost” featuring Scarlet’s vocals upfront, a great mix of Janis Joplin and Bonnie Bramlett, with a blistering guitar solo that’s hard to beat. “There Once Was a Girl” takes a jazzier approach, with some cool vocal runs (and clever lyrics) recalling Manhattan Transfer, and sweet sax breaks. The title track gets a bit funky, but combines that with some boogie. “We Are in Control” lets the drummer out, and the sound gets more Blood, Sweat & Tears (or even Ten Wheel Drive, for the obscure sophisticate), with the horns vying for domination with the percussion. The band gets heavier with “What to Do,” with a monster beat and all the musicians driving forward hard. This one’s my favorite, a real headbanger. They close with a slower tune, but hardly a wistful ballad, with an insistent, familiar refrain that I can’t quite place. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is a fine start for a fine band. They have plenty of talent and skill, and a style that will appeal to several generations of rock fans. Their next appearance will be at Beachland on June 4th for the Prince Tribute Night. No telling what they might cover, but it ought to be quite a show.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Scarlet (vocals), Trevor (guitar, alto saxophone), Ryan (guitar), Toussaint (bass, vocals), Chris (trombone, vocals), Tim (tenor saxophone), Dylan (drums).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Moonshine Ghost, There Once Was a Girl, We Can’t Seem to Get Enough, We Are in Control, What to Do, Follow.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jeff Wanser</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgad97dIvXJFoOgyTYrYhl05PD6wYvBic-lg-jr5UuhmAllXQ1HciOu2csO1388jVKIpBaYodZVYtJrM8nchfuBUDZTzRBU7ZSmeGoxr_mtZJJqeKXkECK3LNns4gfIbOrRsJX5eqRoWhM/s1600/DSC_4613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgad97dIvXJFoOgyTYrYhl05PD6wYvBic-lg-jr5UuhmAllXQ1HciOu2csO1388jVKIpBaYodZVYtJrM8nchfuBUDZTzRBU7ZSmeGoxr_mtZJJqeKXkECK3LNns4gfIbOrRsJX5eqRoWhM/s320/DSC_4613.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-67407874482950556382016-04-24T11:17:00.002-04:002016-04-24T11:17:49.217-04:00Steve Hauschildt. Where All Is Fled.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqz1HPp8WlWHZ5IwlaXAQy7tFkKxxGPrspNz1p_WWSSI7ko8T7cOGuibnxbW6QXqpuBIauugby8XgG1fj9DxCkvpCGFv0vN57b3IsOHXf4yKJzp5js4plnHS1kSbbFt29agG_TjV4wUk/s1600/MI0003924170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqz1HPp8WlWHZ5IwlaXAQy7tFkKxxGPrspNz1p_WWSSI7ko8T7cOGuibnxbW6QXqpuBIauugby8XgG1fj9DxCkvpCGFv0vN57b3IsOHXf4yKJzp5js4plnHS1kSbbFt29agG_TjV4wUk/s200/MI0003924170.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Steve Hauschildt. Where All Is Fled.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kranky, 2015. Steve Hauschildt: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Steve-Hauschildt-296304210396894/timeline/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.facebook.com/Steve-Hauschildt-296304210396894/timeline/</span></a></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-9ef805e7-48d7-01d1-971b-cc3a0ea7ba31" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I came home last week after a hard day/hard month, and sorted through the pile of CDs that needed to be reviewed for </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Buzzard Tracks</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I was looking for something that was different, and something that would give me a break from everything I didn’t want to think about. I chose this, not randomly, but not really deliberately either. When I put it on, I was transported, no joke. The music is joyous, quiet but exhilarating, and damned near left me weeping because it was what I needed to hear at that moment. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is Hauschildt’s third solo release, if you don’t count his compilation, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">S/H</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. We’ve reviewed three of his four albums here at </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Buzzard Tracks</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and would be happy to review everything he puts out, forever. Not to say he can’t make a mistake or release a turkey, but I haven’t heard one yet. This album may be his most accomplished so far, a combination of many different kinds of sound, from synth washes to orchestral instrumentation to natural sounds blended into soundscapes that are simultaneously surreal and very real. The sound is quite different from his previous album, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sequitur</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (2012), with a darker tone, an emphasis on pulse rather than beat, and a move toward a richer, more symphonic sound. The fourteen tracks are quite varied, as if one is moving from dream to dream, each a delight in its own way. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The opening track, “Eyelids Gently Dreaming,” is a great example of this move towards a different sound. The music progresses in a drifting manner, shifting from one plane to another smoothly before fading. “Arpeggiare” makes a different statement, with rapid pulsing featured over a piano melody. “A Reflecting Pool” is what got to me, with its evocation of water dripping and rippling. By the time of “Edgewater Prelude,” the shortest track, I was completely lost in the sounds Hauschildt was producing. I found “In Spite of Time’s Disguise” delightful, a synthesizer melody drifting and morphing through a tangle of washes and pulses. Several later tracks such as “Caduceus” and “Sundialed” take a more insistent approach with strong, rapid beats. The title track is near the middle of the album, and sets provides a soft piano melody against a variety of background sounds. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As one might tell, I thoroughly enjoyed this excursion into ambient electronic music that Steve Hauschildt does so well. You can partake of this as music alone, or with accompanying visuals on YouTube--they are stunning creations.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Steve Hauschildt (electronics and other stuff).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Eyelids Gently Dreaming, Arpeggiare, A Reflecting Pool, Anesthesia, Vicinities, Edgewater Prelude, In Spite of Time’s Disguise, Where All Is Fled, The World Is too Much With Us, Aequus, Caduceus, Sundialed, Lifelike, Centrifuge.</span></div>
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<br />Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-39119983404594361662016-04-16T09:53:00.000-04:002016-04-16T10:08:27.734-04:00The Ohio Weather Band. Crooked Light.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjg_VIwZW_7WafuJxQXus_8OGd46VS4hgkqDATOzbU2l92UW2GhDlydIEFbtrKsfkjhPBL5v-nwrSHsHuTqc-DGcheTOhh8UXc1omzbvAiECdv_JY8h4aCHavo1sdqFSKrN2xg-4QapM/s1600/a2236801568_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjg_VIwZW_7WafuJxQXus_8OGd46VS4hgkqDATOzbU2l92UW2GhDlydIEFbtrKsfkjhPBL5v-nwrSHsHuTqc-DGcheTOhh8UXc1omzbvAiECdv_JY8h4aCHavo1sdqFSKrN2xg-4QapM/s320/a2236801568_10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Ohio Weather Band. Crooked Light.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Self-released, 2016. The Ohio Weather Band: </span><a href="https://ohioweatherband.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://ohioweatherband.com/</span></a></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-9ef805e7-1f55-1c68-bf20-60c4ce10e9d9" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Ohio Weather Band continues the success of their first album with this new effort. We reviewed their first album in 2014, and found it to be quite enjoyable. Sophomore slumps are legendary, but they don’t seem to have succumbed to the ailment. A little more ballad-heavy than the first album, songwriter Corey King is getting more deeply into his lyrics with good results, occasionally heading for Bob Dylan territory, and not being uncomfortable there. This album in a way is a showcase for King the singer-songwriter. Musically, lots of other comparisons are more appropriate, ranging from Mr. Gnome to Stealer’s Wheel, which just shows how eclectic they are. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I tend to gravitate toward uptempo songs, and so will concentrate on those, but the ballads are also very good, and here is where King shines lyrically. They range from the desolate (“Ohio Weather”) to the quasi-religious (“Fate is a Man”), to the obscure (“Sunburn”), with none in the land of the joyful, although that may just be my interpretation. Tunes are generally simple, but sweetly played, and they've grown on me with repeated listenings. Most slower songs clock in at more than four minutes, while the faster tunes are over in a heartbeat. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And those faster tunes are where the band comes in strong. The opening track, “Boardwalk Act,” is a tuneful, rambling song that sticks in the ear. “Messenger Bird” effectively uses echo and interesting chord changes to evoke mystery, reminding me of an old tune, “Spooky,” by the Classics IV (although the song is about something else entirely). “Zeros” moves towards an insistent, bluesy rock, with some nice guitar work and good harmonies. “Advice” recalls Dylan sensibilities combined with Stealer’s Wheel quirkiness in a curious amalgam that I find very satisfying.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I enjoyed listening to this album and look forward to the group’s continuing evolution. The band is in town right now, having just toured key cities in the south, and at the end of the month they’ll be headed for New York. Catch them when you can.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Corey King (guitar, vocals), Derek Strata (bass, vocals), Ray Lumpp (keys, vocals, accordion, percussion), Pete Childerson (drums, percussion).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Boardwalk Act, Messenger Bird, Ohio Weather, Barflies, Zeros, Waitin’ Like a Canine, Advice, Purple Polished Nails, Sunburn, Fate is a Man, Ohio Weather (reprise).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jeff Wanser</span></div>
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<br />Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-49184238268062658862016-03-12T14:17:00.001-05:002016-03-12T14:17:09.355-05:00Maura Rogers and the Bellows. In Light.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtyDiYGbwpJTuNBdmp-58Mn5G2jB3Qaa3gF5aD0fwhbNaZtz_WaAYaElUh2R6d5cRKP5xRPEffBE2FquFuJ0LQlVy-Ddol-d70PdNqT95kX9LHj4m0319ufvrW5_FZ9KRATYAl8I3opM/s1600/InLight.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtyDiYGbwpJTuNBdmp-58Mn5G2jB3Qaa3gF5aD0fwhbNaZtz_WaAYaElUh2R6d5cRKP5xRPEffBE2FquFuJ0LQlVy-Ddol-d70PdNqT95kX9LHj4m0319ufvrW5_FZ9KRATYAl8I3opM/s200/InLight.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maura Rogers and the Bellows. In Light.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Self-released, 2015. Maura Rogers and the Bellows: </span><a href="http://www.maurarogers.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.maurarogers.com/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have been remiss in reviewing this in a timely fashion, and so we are getting to it just before the band’s new EP is released next week. I guess that’s timely in its own way. This is the band’s third release (we reviewed their previous album, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Good Heart Will Break</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, back in 2014), and so they seem to be on schedule, even if we’re not. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Americana, alt.folk, and other terms are thrown around to describe Maura Rogers’ music. They are all accurate as far as they go, but fuzzy words are inadequate to tell you how her songs sound and feel (she wrote them all). Musically, the band is dominated by Rogers’ strong and expressive vocals and Meredith Pangrace’s accordion--they are the most out front to this ear. But in listening behind them, one can easily find some fine guitar work by Istvan Medgyesi and others. This is particularly evident on the opening bars of most tracks (such as “Georgia” and “Blooming”), where a guitar leads in. The opening track, “Battle Cry,” is a deeply emotional song that Rogers simply slays with her anthemic vocals. The mood changes quickly with “The Chance,” a country waltz, framed as a real cry-in-your-beer weeper. As I listened to this song and the next, “Georgia,” I noticed that the lyrics are not specific with regard to gender, or even place. Georgia could refer to the state, but it could also be a person. This sort of ambiguity continues throughout the album. Fascinating choices, and good songwriting.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Blooming” is a heartbreaker, and one of my favorites, a song that contrasts roses in bloom with rejected love and/or fear of relationships. The atmospheric music created by the accordion and guitar in combination creates a sense of desolation. “Thank You” is a catchy, if spare, tune, and is certainly one of the more upbeat songs on the album. The most controversial song is “Damn Angels,” about a lover who leaves in the wake of religious fervor, from the perspective of the one left. Powerful stuff. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Seriously good songwriting. The music and the lyrics work as one to transport the listener through various stages of heartache, hope, anger, and moroseness. After nine songs, I feel like I’ve been through an emotional washing machine. This is a richly rewarding album, and I urge you to check out the band’s music. They will be having an EP release party on March 19th at the Beachland Ballroom, which I suspect will be quite an evening. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Maura Rogers (vocals, acoustic guitar), Meredith Pangrace (accordion, vocals), Istvan Medgyesi (electric, slide, and acoustic guitar), Brent Stow (bass), Shelby Sangdahl (cello), Jeff Babinski (drums, track 5), Nick Perry (drums), Ariel Karaś (violin, tracks 6 & 7), Al Moses (acoustic guitar, tracks 3 & 7).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Battle Cry, The Chance, Georgia, Lion, Blooming, Good Lover, Thank You, Damn Angels, Hold On.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Jeff Wanser</b></span></div>
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Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-25432400067247306862016-03-06T09:11:00.000-05:002016-03-06T09:11:50.363-05:00John Fedchock Quartet Live. Fluidity.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56CMLop4flEByaptHkKPAHvs1PNRO72woJIy9YyYL-SQ-n70FHxBKDAwpJUrFGYvHDwXRbT_l8vdMS96p93bWOxEpw6OI7hqhE9xJKAkx2phDUqaUUYx8b0K5iYzxpxWbwLFiUcYif2k/s1600/653cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56CMLop4flEByaptHkKPAHvs1PNRO72woJIy9YyYL-SQ-n70FHxBKDAwpJUrFGYvHDwXRbT_l8vdMS96p93bWOxEpw6OI7hqhE9xJKAkx2phDUqaUUYx8b0K5iYzxpxWbwLFiUcYif2k/s320/653cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">John Fedchock Quartet Live. Fluidity.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Summit Records, 2015. John Fedchock: </span><a href="http://www.johnfedchock.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.johnfedchock.com/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-bee27f08-4c42-eeb9-b125-acf85478e302" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">John Fedchock describes himself as a New York musician, but his roots are in Northeast Ohio. Born in Cleveland in 1957, he attended Ohio State University and the Eastman School of Music, joined the Woody Herman Band in 1980, and has been a prominent trombonist in several big bands. He leads John Fedchock’s New York Big Band (seems reasonable), which has four CDs to their credit, and also works in smaller group contexts, including a sextet, and here, a quartet. He’s won lots of accolades and awards for his playing and arranging. Let’s see what he’s done this time.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On this release, Fedchock plays mostly standards, with two originals and a Joe Henderson cover. Among the composers are Victor Young, Henry Mancini, Frank Loesser, and Jule Styne, so it’s clear that he delves extensively into the Great American Songbook. He takes the tunes in a bop direction and moves them along in a gentle, dreamy fashion. This is a live album, so there is a bit of audience applause, but it doesn’t distract from listening, and in fact, provides a nice backdrop to the band’s motivated performance. Fedchock’s playing is really quite impressive; I’ve seldom heard a trombone played with such, well, fluidity. His slide technique and articulation are superb, as is evident in such slow tunes as “Havana,” and “Make Someone Happy,” where he is out front and on display. Most of the songs feature one or more of the other players in solos, and they are very effective as well. I am particularly fond of John Toomey’s piano work, both in solos (especially “I Hear a Rhapsody”) and in his support behind Fedchock. Two mid-tempo tunes, “I Hear a Rhapsody,” and “Homestretch,” are my personal favorites here, with great solos and delightful interplay among the musicians.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you love jazz ballads, small combos, or trombone, this is an album to listen to over and over.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: John Fedchock (trombone), John Toomey (piano), Jimmy Masters (bass), Dave Ratajczak (drums).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: East of the Sun, Havana, I Hear a Rhapsody, Make Someone Happy, Under the Radar, Weaver of Dreams, The Days of Wine and Roses, I’ve Never Been in Love Before, Homestretch.</span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jeff Wanser</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-53033323949573223182016-02-12T22:49:00.001-05:002016-02-14T14:27:58.311-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgt-Mhhn67j6kqpd5mZksttKO9ppUtSzmxj23maQw90in1wej2OYi2P-s0VOn267xotdpfwguHgt7zj4K6IfrdtZtuBD0o_UAqZqw4tYgEgZiiIA691L-uj7YlsKoEDqCkh2Jg5204QF4/s1600/AV2329_AF_Sugarloaf_cover_1500-e1429791771441-250x250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgt-Mhhn67j6kqpd5mZksttKO9ppUtSzmxj23maQw90in1wej2OYi2P-s0VOn267xotdpfwguHgt7zj4K6IfrdtZtuBD0o_UAqZqw4tYgEgZiiIA691L-uj7YlsKoEDqCkh2Jg5204QF4/s1600/AV2329_AF_Sugarloaf_cover_1500-e1429791771441-250x250.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Avie, 2015. Apollo’s Fire: </span><a href="http://apollosfire.org/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://apollosfire.org/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-628465ec-d8b5-d927-3cd6-0d8d146884e6" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2015, Apollo’s Fire released </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sugarloaf Mountain: An Appalachian Gathering</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. When I think of Apollo’s Fire, baroque music immediately comes to mind. I was unaware that the group had delved into the folk tradition. The following is a description of this “crossover” tradition from the CD liner notes, which helped me to understand the background of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sugarloaf Mountain</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Since 1999, Apollo’s Fire have developed a unique ensemble of crossover artists who are steeped in the folk traditions as well as the improvisatory idioms of the 17th and 18th centuries. Exploring British Isles, early American, and Sephardic traditions from a historical perspective, the ensemble strives to break down the modern barrier between art music and popular music to revive the “crossover” spirit of the 17th century, when great composers regularly wrote artful variations on street tunes and tavern songs."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is their fourth crossover album, with </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Scarborough Fayre</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Come to the River: An Early American Gathering</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sacrum Mysterium: A Celtic Christmas Vespers</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> preceding this. A new album, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sephardic Journey</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, is just coming out. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On to the content of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sugarloaf Mountain</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">--a series of ballads and reels brought to the Southern Appalachian region from the British Isles, combined with American minstrel tunes and African American spirituals. And who better to interpret this music than Jeannette Sorrell (having lived in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley from age 14), and Amanda Powell (who lived in the same valley within sight of Sugarloaf Mountain). The musicians, including Sorrell and Powell, play these airs, jigs, reels, ballads, and spirituals on period and folk instruments, including fiddle, wooden flute, pennywhistle, cello, lute, hammered dulcimer, guitar, gourd banjo, long-neck dulcimer, and harpsichord. The music is arranged in sections, invoking first the melancholy and sadness of leaving home (the British Isles), and last the enthusiasm of begging those still in the old country to come to this lovely land. Let me take you on this journey and comment on some of the highlights.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Prologue</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. “The Mountains of Rhùm” sets the sorrowful mood of the leavetaking--”how can I leave you, my mountains of Rhùm?” (from the traditional Scottish). </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Crossing to the New World</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. “Farewell to Ireland/Highlander’s Farewell” introduces a different atmosphere, with dance music (Irish and Appalachian reels), while “We’ll Rant and We’ll Rave/Farewell to the Isles” is a sea shanty with lovely fiddle and voices filled with false bravado--a looking forward to the shores of America. Dark Mountain Home. “Cruel Sister”--now this is where the Scots-Irish darkness takes hold. In this ballad’s bizarre telling, there are two sisters, the younger of which is courted by a young man. The jealous older sister pushes the younger off the cliff into the sea. The younger sister begs to be saved, but is ignored by the elder. Later, the suitor finds the body, makes a harp of her breastbone, and strings of her yellow hair. He takes the harp to the father’s house, and plays a song. “Hang my auld sister,” it cried. Cruel sister indeed. For me, a dismal story, but beautifully performed.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cornshuck Party</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. “Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night” is quite vivacious--lots of fiddle, flute pennywhistle--and a great story! I picture Peter Spier’s illustrations in a children’s book of the same name. “Oh Susanna!” is a song most of us will recognize, but do we realize that it’s a minstrel song from 1845, written by one Stephen Foster of Pittsburgh, PA? Love and Loss. “Once I Had a Sweetheart” is a haunting piece laced with misery, which morphs into “Wayfaring Stranger” by way of a slow fiddle, moaning low and mimicking a spiritual (</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentucky Harmony</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, 1816). “Just Before the Battle, Mother,” from 1864, is a lovely but mournful solo interwoven with another Southern spiritual, “Go March Along.” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Glory on the Mountain</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. “Glory in the Meeting House” is a lively, upbeat Kentucky fiddle tune accompanied by hammered dulcimer and flute, while “Oh Mary Don’t You Weep,” a Souther spiritual, is sung by male and female voices. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Appalachian Home</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. In “Sugarloaf Mountain” the contented immigrant tries to convince his love and his family to join him. “Oh, leave our sad island, its troubles unending…. Come to our mountain and stay with me.” (Adapted from the traditional Scottish). </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And finally, there is happiness! Interwoven into these appealing vocals are several instrumental interludes, showing the various talents of all the musicians. My absolute favorite is the enchanting hammered dulcimer. Those of us who pay attention to Northeast Ohio traditional music should be humbled by Tina Bergmann’s prowess on this instrument. I remember hearing her way back when she was a teenager at the Cuyahoga Valley Folk Festival, and she was good even then. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was captivated by everyone on this CD. I now want to go back and listen to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Come to the River: An Early American Gathering</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, from 2010. If you like this traditional vein of music, give this a listen. If not, try it anyway, because you never know.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Apollo’s Fire, Jeannette Sorrell (harpsichord, direction), Amanda Powell (vocals), Ross Hauck (vocals), Tina Bergmann (hammered dulcimer), Susanna Perry Gilmore (fiddle), Kathie Stewart (wooden flutes), Brian Kay (lute, guitar, banjo, long-neck dulcimer), René Schiffer (cello).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Prologue: The Mountains of Rhùm. Crossing to the New World: Farewell to Ireland/Highlander’s Farewell, We’ll Rand and We’ll Roar. Dark Mountain Home: The Cruel Sister, Se Fath mo Buart Ha (The Cause of All My Sorrow), Nottamun Town (Round #1044), Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair, I Wonder as I Wander/The Gravel Walk/Over the Isles to America. Cornshuck Party: The Fox Went out on a Chilly Night, Oh Susanna!, Pretty Peg/Far from Home. Love & Loss: Once I Had a Sweetheart, Wayfaring Stranger, Pretty Betty Martin/Katy Did/Red Rockin’ Chair, Just Before the Battle, Mother, Go March Along. Glory on the Mountain: Glory in the Meeting House, Oh Mary, Don’t You Weep. Appalachian Home: Sugarloaf Mountain.</span></div>
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Jeannette Sorrell</div>
Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-82427300081523721072016-01-18T15:11:00.000-05:002016-01-18T15:14:09.854-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3kmxk0A0GvcXo3vOQQ0x2MVGZHPxFlppAeMWacuXGVhGa_L_OMSllAOO2JDYp39cdXwO6uNCP6alGCFElvtzTdvO2A1MdIg4rD9FYQ5H5vEk4sHz4tYKxntIo9twtJfgy-ZXKpSbg4JI/s1600/homepage_large.70a6da9a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3kmxk0A0GvcXo3vOQQ0x2MVGZHPxFlppAeMWacuXGVhGa_L_OMSllAOO2JDYp39cdXwO6uNCP6alGCFElvtzTdvO2A1MdIg4rD9FYQ5H5vEk4sHz4tYKxntIo9twtJfgy-ZXKpSbg4JI/s320/homepage_large.70a6da9a.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Burn Rubber City, Burn! Akron, Ohio: Punk and the Decline of the Mid-West 1975-80.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Soul Jazz Records, 2015.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-c5f34daa-565a-0d9b-0820-202cf4dd249b" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was not here for the fluorescence of the punk scene in Akron or Cleveland. During the late 1970s I lived in Binghamton, New York, another dying manufacturing city, but a town that didn’t know it was well-suited to the genre. It relied instead on metal, disco, hard rock, and whatever was transported from New York City to the Southern Tier by college students (mostly Springsteen, I recall, followed by New Wave). Thus, I cannot claim first-hand experience, as many around here can (or some who may claim to but can’t). I was, of course, familiar with Devo and the Waitresses through their hits, and the Bizarros because of their connection to New York. As a result of my poking around in Northeast Ohio music history, Rubber City Rebels, Tin Huey, and the Numbers Band have become familiar (and enjoyed). Most of the rest are largely unknown to me, some having a moment in the sun, others not. Thus I enter the discussion with a bit of trepidation.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This album is the fifth punk compilation from the British label Soul Jazz. The first four concentrated on the British and American scenes, proto-punk, and Cleveland (we’ll get to that one soon). As such, it is a late-comer to the dissection of the late-70s Akron punk/art rock/New Wave scene that coalesced in the wake of Akron’s industrial decline. There have been other releases, notably Stiff Records’ </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Akron Compilation</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and two films, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s Everything, and Then It’s Gone</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If You’re not Dead, Play</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. There have been reunions, cover bands, and much mythologizing, and everyone seems to have a slightly different version of what happened, ranging from the glorious to the “who cares?” So, what does this CD add to the pile?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First, for the newbie, or those too young to have experienced these bands in the raw, the CD provides an entryway into a particular time and place (late 1970s, Akron/Kent) and the heady mix of local bands influenced by the art scene (and shootings) at Kent State University, the decline of the rubber industry in Akron, and the local music scene (that also included Cleveland) of the time. The accompanying booklet is pretty good in outlining major events (although they spell it “tyre”), although it could have done much more. But it’s the array of music and styles that are the real draw here. Akron “punk” was far more, and not easily categorized, except by music industry. It included a great deal of art rock, experimental rock, garage rock, and blues, put in a blender with the top off, resulting in fascinating chunks of music going in all different directions. Little holds it all together except point of origin, common history, a certain sense of aggression, and the fact that the bands influenced each other (and even shared personnel). Quality of sound is very good, and given that the Stiff Compilation is out of print (as are most of the original albums of the artists, other than Devo’s), this is the place to go for this material. Rachel Sweet is missing, but there are compilations of her material elsewhere.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are some wonderful surprises. Jane Aire & the Belvederes is a great band. They apparently followed Chrissie Hynde to England to join the music scene there, and their albums seem to have never been reissued in CD. Denis DeFrange did some fascinating experimental work with synthesizers (not exactly a punk instrument). Chi-Pig, on the scene since the 60s in one form or another and the only all-female band, combines punk with elements of experimental music to considerable effect. The lesser known artists are surrounded by the Bizarros, Rubber City Rebels (my favorite), Tin Huey, and couple of demos by Devo, all of whose tracks provide great listening, especially as juxtaposed here. The Numbers Band rounds out the album with their usual combination of experimental rock and blues. The result is an indication of the creativity and complexity of the music scene in the region for a time when much was bleak, but anything was possible. In all, this is an excellent compilation, and well worth the time.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel/Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The Bizarros/I Bizarro; The Waitresses/The Comb; Hammer Damage/Laugh; Devo/Mechanical Man; Tin Huey/Squirm You Worm; The Bizarros/Lady Doubonette; Chi-Pig/ Ring Around the Collar; Devo/Auto Modown; Rubber City Rebels/Kidnapped; Denis DeFrange and Mark Frazer/The Minkin Shuffle; Jane Aire & the Belvederes/When I Was Young; Tin Huey/ Puppet Wipes; Chi-Pig/Apu Api (Help Me); The Bizarros/Nova; Rubber City Rebels/Such a Fool; Denis DeFrange/Sector Wars; Ralph Carney/Closet Bears; 15 60 75 The Numbers Band/Narrow Road.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jeff Wanser</span></div>
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Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-75832021795029627232016-01-11T11:07:00.001-05:002016-01-11T11:07:36.177-05:00Chimaira. Crown of Phantoms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPBBzttK6OlzkO2WUIEEazC1ahtpehyphenhyphen505bT3knH0XoxkelHsQ4wsJt1dO8bHtFzmbnLd5QdMwlWeIZH3nWrgIklgvu0pZXfJbSoWB5S76kIwPNKSmzBzC5vyVRyvJNOrRIy5YX0yRXA/s1600/url.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPBBzttK6OlzkO2WUIEEazC1ahtpehyphenhyphen505bT3knH0XoxkelHsQ4wsJt1dO8bHtFzmbnLd5QdMwlWeIZH3nWrgIklgvu0pZXfJbSoWB5S76kIwPNKSmzBzC5vyVRyvJNOrRIy5YX0yRXA/s1600/url.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chimaira. Crown of Phantoms</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">eOne Music, 2013. Chimaira: chimaira.com</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-a709a410-316f-878f-e0c8-111061f2b75a" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One head howls. The other shrieks. Another growls. The legendary monster known as the chimera has always commanded allure among the creatures in Greek mythology, and with so much ferocity amongst the bestiary to name yourself after any of them takes gall and daring to live up to the source. Unfortunately, with their final album </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Crown of Phantoms</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the late Chimaira meets their end with a plain, acceptable departure. This album is not the ichor and excellence of legends but at least at the beginning…</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“It's alive.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The opening track detonates into a blast of promise with a gale of electric guitar riffs and pounding drums to boil the notes for </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Crown of Phantom</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">'s genesis.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“We have died a million times before Every struggle opens a door.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the start it's like a climactic showdown, and the solos ring with an amped uproar, a true blitz of sound that foretastes something grim and grand. Isolation, resentment, ire at the artificiality of the entertainment industry, there's plenty in the targeting reticles of the imagery for Crown of Phantoms.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“No more lies, no more lies, no more god damn Hollywood vampires.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Disgust abounds. Many a band has slammed the gaudiness and predatory glamour of Hollywood for all the fraud, faux wisdom, and seduction that its altar is built upon, and the indictment contained in the above lyric from "No Mercy" is reminiscent of songs like "Lost in Hollywood" from System of a Down.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“All that's left is blood.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“It's just a holiday in this plastic wonderland.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A familiar metalcore story slinks into your ears, a gray tale about hardened souls stacked against the inevitable, punishing trials of life, with never a hint of surrender in the words. Would that it all developed into something more interesting.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Instead, this release felt like a capped venture. Think of a movie touted by an awesome preview that, upon viewing, actually ends up being an okay experience. Therein lay a comparable feeling for what Crown of Phantoms offers. While not something to be completely discarded the album suffers from anything really distinguishing it from the pack of the overall rock genre. If you were killing time in your car on a lunch break or wanted to liven up a senior living center then these tracks could serve such purposes, the latter possibly being met with some objections.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aside from the very tempting track at the beginning the impact fades. There's nothing amateur here so much as uninspired, and while for the most part everything is well-played by the group and finely screamed by Mark Hunter the flames of allure diminish with bright spots in the blandness. The instrumentals are tactful and sharp, notable for the line-up since most of the personnel on this album were all recent additions to Chimaira's line-up. No one fails to perform their roles well but it's simply that the total end product is not anything all that memorable.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A comparison to past albums does not amount to much because there is simply little to explore here. Metalcore enthusiasts may very well be perfectly happy with this release the same way a college fraternity would be satisfied with a case of cheap vodka being thrown onto their porch. That's not intended as a put down since the high-octane followers of this subgenre reward hard punches of music, and there's no lack of those with Crown of Phantoms. Have chasers ready from other Chimaira albums and you could possibly pull some songs from here to make a playlist for a buddy or a road trip.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In ancient lore all the heads of the monstrous chimera were different, be they breathing fire, snaking a long tongue, or snapping a beak. From the perspective of this heavily belated review the defining characteristic for this album's head is that it appears to have peacefully nodded off. As the last chapter in the story of this band they could have done worse.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rest in piece, Chimaira, and rest assured that this is not a bad album, just an average one.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Crown of Phantoms</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Jeremy Creamer (Bass Guitar), Austin D'Amond (Drums), , Emil Werstler (Lead Guitar), Matt Szlachta (Rhythm Guitar), Sean Zatorsky (Keyboards, Additional Instruments, and Backing Vocals), Mark Hunter (Lead Vocals).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The Machine, No Mercy, All That's Left Is Blood, I Despise, Plastic Wonderland, The Transmigration, Crown of Phantoms, Spineless, Kings of the Shadow World, Wrapped in Violence, Love Soaked Death.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRG_OkFvBFUhGcCtBoZ688Rio4b9Nm4NDnYSnHKpYd0IPcGZ1aw9JH52r-x2p_qqAmqnF3rUoakhLZ9XO6Gi4rO4sezWlkxaAp-baWYnSiJ1mE62IgYMD7DCQcXnI28-xa-kez_6DY0pM/s1600/chimaira.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRG_OkFvBFUhGcCtBoZ688Rio4b9Nm4NDnYSnHKpYd0IPcGZ1aw9JH52r-x2p_qqAmqnF3rUoakhLZ9XO6Gi4rO4sezWlkxaAp-baWYnSiJ1mE62IgYMD7DCQcXnI28-xa-kez_6DY0pM/s400/chimaira.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-68755128720338527132015-12-31T09:41:00.002-05:002015-12-31T09:41:42.648-05:00Allison Bencar. First Call.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhso5gDG3tFQ0HEo0Yah7hgPNlkSj3lkWb7njjDsOFFMDDe3okoROR7ibK6gNu1SmDiWmPxX3uaHg5-vsmE3jJ-xUxms4KzpNPlRvmqjylFcig620OXgwsavFQi3XCrqJl6kx7CHRQOca0/s1600/imgres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhso5gDG3tFQ0HEo0Yah7hgPNlkSj3lkWb7njjDsOFFMDDe3okoROR7ibK6gNu1SmDiWmPxX3uaHg5-vsmE3jJ-xUxms4KzpNPlRvmqjylFcig620OXgwsavFQi3XCrqJl6kx7CHRQOca0/s1600/imgres.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Allison Bencar. First Call.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Self-released, 2014. Allison Bencar: </span><a href="http://allisonbencar.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://allisonbencar.com/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-a709a410-f879-c8b1-19da-a2f33f7d8657" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You’d think a librarian would remember that thing about books and covers. I hesitated when I looked at the pictures on the CD from this fresh faced Cleveland-raised, Nashville-based singer. Never having heard her, I thought, “modern hippie, singer-songwriter. Not my thing. Hand her off to another reviewer.” But I decided to give it a listen. Boy was I wrong. I’ve kept the CD. It’s quite remarkable. Bencar is anything but what I conceived her to be. Her frame of reference is different from almost anyone else her age. This is a musician who grew up listening to Roy Orbison and Patsy Cline, but sounds like this decade at the same time without falling into contemporary pop cliches. Her voice is a rich and strong alto, her songwriting is seriously sophisticated, and the variety of styles represented here suggests a breadth of talent that demands attention. Country, rock, ballads, pop, and stuff in-between make for a rather heady stew, and her backing band (including Clevelander Rob Muzick, with whom she co-wrote a couple of songs, and co-produced the album) is excellent.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While her influences are listed in her bio on the website, it was pretty easy to guess some of them while listening to the album. The first obvious one is Roy Orbison, in the track “Where Do the Lonely Go,” which seems like more of a tribute than an imitation. I think he would have been happy to sing along with this. “Before I Die” is haunted by Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac in her more bluesy vein, complete with keyboards, and Linda Ronstadt’s sound shows up in “Light It Up,” a song eerily similar to “You’re No Good” (which Bencar covers in a YouTube video). This is not to say she’s derivative. Lots of people are influenced by others (or maybe they wouldn’t have become musicians), and you can hear it in their songs. But nobody yells at the Rolling Stones for having tried to sound like Sonny Boy Williamson.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other songs by Bencar are quite different, but clearly relate to sounds from other times and places, and that’s a good thing. This is part of her charm, because she sounds like nobody else around now. Her tunes are hook-filled, too country for rock, and too rock for country, which could damn her to the purgatory of Americana. “The Party” is a good example, part country, part cabaret. “Broken Porch” is another, a bit of a country weeper, but with chord changes that sound like indie pop. She starts to really rev up with “Before I Die,” and continues to rock out with “Won’t Be Coming Home,” country rock with a hard kick. The last two songs, “Anywhere with You” and “Who I Am,” have a gentle feel and soft flow that might make the hearts of older gentlemen melt. The band she has assembled is beyond reproach, adding just the right touches when needed, and playing well in any style.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bencar shouldn’t be surprised to find a wide demographic for her music. I hope she gets some airplay on the radio for her songs. She deserves a huge audience. Her music is familiar but fresh, her voice endlessly listenable, and everything about this album is top notch.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Allison Bencar (vocals), Rob Muzick (guitar, pedal steel), John Senchuk (bass), Corey Hughes (drums), Eric Fritsch (accordion, toy piano). All songs written or co-written by Allison Bencar.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> First Call, Going Out, Where Do the Lonely Go, Sorry, The Party, Broken Porch, Before I Die, Won’t Be Coming Home, Light it Up, Anywhere with You, Who I Am.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jeff Wanser</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2qq6fHjH89XFP7Mw8rH2cLZlgzCmTX5q01OcBPrmQIBuOPB4zdVtAurVuMv1hfiUN8vDO7qVDG0Nwt3UHxMUVttVZzgQiBS3j9naHW9Z4I4FdVWy2UtdZEE047HB3Fd53xa_zMSKH9I/s1600/AllisonBencar_Acme-Insert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2qq6fHjH89XFP7Mw8rH2cLZlgzCmTX5q01OcBPrmQIBuOPB4zdVtAurVuMv1hfiUN8vDO7qVDG0Nwt3UHxMUVttVZzgQiBS3j9naHW9Z4I4FdVWy2UtdZEE047HB3Fd53xa_zMSKH9I/s320/AllisonBencar_Acme-Insert.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-9647954883339670392015-12-27T18:27:00.000-05:002015-12-27T18:27:36.344-05:00Swap Meet. Trailer Hitch<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Swap Meet. Trailer Hitch.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Self-released, 2015. Swap Meet: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/swapmeetmusic/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.facebook.com/swapmeetmusic/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHtFoqJAVNQSatfmobHW-5RLlrCdwV6ML0IsEMmyRa4MPbx0Tq04rSjlJEQx2o0TkifDoc_65V382P0N7WJeuCsd9fZXvh9AiIpMnocHXEoSzA_c9lZIuy3qlvhNXCfFCoXfiyf03kbM/s1600/100x100bb-85.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHtFoqJAVNQSatfmobHW-5RLlrCdwV6ML0IsEMmyRa4MPbx0Tq04rSjlJEQx2o0TkifDoc_65V382P0N7WJeuCsd9fZXvh9AiIpMnocHXEoSzA_c9lZIuy3qlvhNXCfFCoXfiyf03kbM/s200/100x100bb-85.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This six-song EP is a most welcome holiday season debut. The Northeast Ohio Americana / country / gypsy jazz group has been making the local rounds lately, from Wilbert’s in Cleveland, to the Lime Tree in Warren, to the Regency Wine Store in Akron. It’s tough work for folks who have day jobs, but they seem to be managing well. They’re certainly a talented and skilled group with a different sound--multiple guitars, two women vocalists and four-part harmony, percussion delivered via rub board and washboard--with a mix of styles that fit together nicely.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Gypsy Desire” starts off the album, with a sound reminiscent of an old radio broadcast, Michelle Reyna’s deliberately distorted vocals providing a 1930s nightclub atmosphere, leading to vocals by the others. They quickly switch to country music with a spiritual flavor with “Waters Blue,” with really sweet guitar work here (and that extends to all the other tracks), provided by the combination of Peter Nario-Redmond and Stuart Abrams. “Drunk This Morning Again” takes us in the other direction, with some surprisingly raw lyrics about drinking and sex (I don’t see one of those parental warnings on the CD). A Doobie Brothers riff begins the bluesy “Moon Beams Fall,” with sexy vocals by Kari Rutushin and great guitar solos. Back to country on “A Broken Heart Gets No Relief,” which despite its title, is quite a lot of fun with its great harmony vocals. They finish up with a rouser, “What’s So Good About Being Happy,” where the title refrain is shouted, and makes one wonder about irony. They seems to be having too much of a good time.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In all, a fine batch of songs sung and played with great enthusiasm and comraderie. I enjoyed every track, and recommend the band to anyone who likes Americana music. They’re having a CD release party somewhere in Cleveland Heights on January 12th. Check their Facebook page for updates.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Kari Rutushin (vocals, rub board, flute, ukulele), Michelle Reyna (vocals, washboard), Hoseff Garcia (stand up bass), Stuart Abrams (lead guitar), Walter Genutis (vocals), Peter Nario-Redmond (vocals, guitar). All songs by Peter Nario-Redmond.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Gypsy Desire, Waters Blue, Drunk This Morning Again, Moon Beams Fall, A Broken Heart Gets No Relief, What’s So Good About Being Happy.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[Full Disclosure: The reviewer is a colleague of one of the singers and an employee of the same college. But if I couldn’t be honest about the review I wouldn’t have done it.]</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-wnBaxFJY-ZhWOGFsk1ERqd-8AY0rxBofVUkKcRiEpatuotsEuk9OoPYg_iywKa5bEO0ppNUNXstBmaTCBDq63CnTBuCUP20pphrThUz8hXPYjJEzQHQKuoLt7NbL475Ds_K0TwsAk0/s1600/11143713_927106837327696_1107153124877561904_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-wnBaxFJY-ZhWOGFsk1ERqd-8AY0rxBofVUkKcRiEpatuotsEuk9OoPYg_iywKa5bEO0ppNUNXstBmaTCBDq63CnTBuCUP20pphrThUz8hXPYjJEzQHQKuoLt7NbL475Ds_K0TwsAk0/s320/11143713_927106837327696_1107153124877561904_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-37903645963242426912015-12-12T11:26:00.003-05:002015-12-12T11:26:37.724-05:00Rachel Brown & the Beatnik Playboys. Once Again.<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rachel Brown & the Beatnik Playboys. Once Again.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Self-released, 2014. Rachel Brown: </span><a href="http://www.rachelandthebeatnikplayboys.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.rachelandthebeatnikplayboys.com/</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwAM8iy9JQuXOboCH-ghxlbVDetZKh4RLVYZJiYAW-AkdywVb0Rq8Q48AB2xWI_3FxPBXnfJRdxqJp5ZABAI9SY9PHRgdZP7fK9A5PmcCnjNlcDGIcgiEJWTfNzv8JMRqdWEX0VKH_so/s1600/rachel9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwAM8iy9JQuXOboCH-ghxlbVDetZKh4RLVYZJiYAW-AkdywVb0Rq8Q48AB2xWI_3FxPBXnfJRdxqJp5ZABAI9SY9PHRgdZP7fK9A5PmcCnjNlcDGIcgiEJWTfNzv8JMRqdWEX0VKH_so/s200/rachel9.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This album had me confused at first, thinking that Rachel Brown had gone all Charles Ives on us, and was overlaying two songs at the same time. It would sort of make sense, then suddenly not, while she would sing two parts of different songs, then quick rhythms would come in over a slow beat. Very pretty, but dissonant and rather oddly modernist. Then I realized that while I was listening to her CD on my laptop I also had her website up, and it was playing her songs too. Nevermind. Pay no attention to my Saturday morning ravings.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We reviewed her previous album, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just Look My Way</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (2012) in 2013, so we seem to be right on time (or late as usual) with her 2014 release. Brown has the same band, and the combination of Watson, King, and Huddleston are more than able to keep up with their dynamo lead singer and pianist in the variety of styles she works in. Loosely described as Americana, she works in country, blues, jazz, gospel, and pop, sometimes all at once (although not in the way I described above), and approaches them all with a sense that is both casual and natural, like it’s no big deal, but still maintains the posture of a consummate professional. It’s hard to do both. She wrote all the songs except “Gone is Gone” (Nathan Bell), and “It’s Not Easy,” by bandmate Bill Watson. Thirteen out of fifteen ain’t bad.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The album begins with the title tune, a real cry-in-your-beer country ballad, showing off Brown’s sweet/sad vocals at their finest. “Mama & Daddy” harks back to the style of early Johnny Cash, (and even old folk songs) with Huddleston supplying deliciously ominous guitar. Classic honky-tonk is the style of “Maybe Tomorrow,” with some great piano by Brown, and a fine guitar break by Mr. Huddleston. “It’s Not Easy” takes us in a bit of a swing jazz direction, with Brown sounding a bit like Patsy Cline. A bluesier style appears with “Pretty Damn Damaged,” one of my favorites, and as you can see, we’ve covered a whole batch of styles in only the first half of the album. This versatility extends to the second half, with some Latin phrasings in “Mary Lynd,” a gospel number in “Bittersweet By and By,” a sweet duet with Alex Bevan on “When it Comes to You,” and delightful country/folk with “I Wish You Well,” Two tracks toward the end I found especially enjoyable. “Wind in My Hair” is a real earworm, with a really nice hook, a cool electric guitar break, and some great blues piano. The last track, “Gone is Gone (When You’re Dead),” is a fine driving closer, funny, thoughtful, and a great finish (no pun intended) to a great album.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, the songs are excellent, the musicianship first class. But what holds the album together in all its variety is Rachel Brown’s riveting voice, strong, rich, and endlessly enjoyable. The band will be playing at the Music Box Supper Club on December 26th, and the Barking Spider in early January, while Ms. Brown will appear with some friends at the G.A.R. Hall in Peninsula a couple of times. Go listen.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Rachel Brown (lead vocals, piano, acoustic guitar), Bill Watson (string bass, electric bass, vocals), Roy King (drums, percussion), Dave Huddleston (electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, vocals), Chris Hannah (organ). With special guest, Alex Bevan (vocals, guitar, on “When It Comes to You”).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Once Again, Mama & Daddy, Maybe Tomorrow, It’s Not Easy, Jimmy C, Simpler Times, Pretty Damn Damaged, My Best Friend is My Song, Mary Lynd, When it Comes to You, My Namesake, Bittersweet By and By, Wind in My Hair, I Wish You Well, Gone is Gone (When You’re Dead).</span></div>
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Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-40795478023377638872015-11-08T11:24:00.000-05:002015-11-08T11:24:05.115-05:00Mr. Gnome. The Heart of a Dark Star.<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ygdGUkeW-oodchxMdESjRNCCnKWuBbYPtF6l2FDC6mZAHaQ63YzAGsc3fN7tdSdsExYwhEJ53nzO_QJdgfwd-ZMLXYgjgA8nhFGmHm1kq6O_S4MXjOoUbRUGfApIBEQZZUB3fRdbsMY/s1600/url.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ygdGUkeW-oodchxMdESjRNCCnKWuBbYPtF6l2FDC6mZAHaQ63YzAGsc3fN7tdSdsExYwhEJ53nzO_QJdgfwd-ZMLXYgjgA8nhFGmHm1kq6O_S4MXjOoUbRUGfApIBEQZZUB3fRdbsMY/s320/url.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mr. Gnome. The Heart of a Dark Star.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">El Marko Records, 2014. Mr. Gnome: </span><a href="http://www.mrgnome.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.mrgnome.com/</span></a></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-028b6ff4-e7e1-4725-5fd8-6e5f7481304d" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This album is a year old, and so has already been reviewed in numerous places, including </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Consequence of Sound</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cleveland Scene</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and even NPR. It made the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rolling Stone</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> College Album charts, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CMJ</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> charts, and probably several others. They are now officially cool. The duo have a biography in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">AllMusic</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (surely a sign of having made the big time), where they’re described as alternative rock, indie rock, art rock, and sadcore. I’m not sure what these categories mean anymore, but I would describe their music as simultaneously hard and delicate, noisy and lovely, ever-shifting and hypnotic. We reviewed the excellent </span><a href="http://buzzardtracks.blogspot.com/2012/12/madness-in-miniature.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Madness in Miniature</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> back in 2012, and so forgive me as I try to come up with new and clever things to say about this latest offering.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The band is consistent in both sound and presentation. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Madness in Miniature</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> was similar in some respects, but it seems that their musicality is a bit more sophisticated, as is their studio work. Layering is an important quality to their work, with multi-tracking of the vocals a major feature of their work. That is not to say that the music is less present, because it’s upfront in many tracks, and often the swell of guitars overwhelms everything else. They seem to like to alternate longer and shorter tracks, with a couple clocking at 4-5 minutes and others a minute or less. Combined with their tendency to shift rhythms and moods within songs, it’s difficult to tell without watching the time (I’m using a laptop) or reading the lyrics where we are. I like this. It makes for a coherent listening experience despite its pastiche approach that often disorients. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I hear a stylistic differences as well, particularly in the way they are now incorporating more elements of folk and gospel into the psychedelic swirl. The last track, “The Sea,” is reminiscent of gospel music, and “Odyssey” takes a folky start before the electric guitars come in and add considerable fuel, ending up in a strange mix that suggests the Pogues on acid. “Rise & Shine” has a similar feel. “Follow” is one of my favorite tracks, with the layered vocals giving the song a 60s feel, combined with the anthemic qualities of arena rock, without being retro in the slightest. I also enjoy how it blends right into the next track, “No Place like Home,” as if it were a coda to the first song. This happens elsewhere, also to good effect.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But I’m at the end of the album. Let’s go back to the first track, “Melted Rainbow,” as it sets the tone. Echoing the lyrics, I can’t explain why this song reminds me of early Moody Blues, but there it is. Perhaps it’s the combination of spacey atmospherics and gently layered harmonies. Others will hear other things, and I betray my age and musical references. “Mustangs” has more of a dance feel to it, but specifically 80s dance music. “Star Stealers” is harder rocking, with an almost punk/metal quality to it, although the psychedelic elements are never far away and take over in the bridge (if we can identify it as that). Flamenco sounds build into a curious hard rock piece in “Storm,” which then fades to almost white noise. “Light” is the longest track, and one of the slowest tunes, with interweaving vocals and a drifting, hypnotic atmosphere. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I found this a rich and rewarding album, complex and gorgeous, one best listened to in its entirety, which I believe is what Mr. Gnome had in mind. A concept album in the 2010s? Unbelievable. They are currently touring the Midwest and West, but will be back in town for a concert at the Beachland Ballroom on December 19th. I can’t wait to hear how they do all this live.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Nicole Barille (vocals, guitar, piano), Sam Meister (drums, piano, vocals), Jonah Meister (guitar on “Star Stealers”). Somebody does a lot of handclapping.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Melted Rainbow, Dark Star, Rise & Shine, Mustangs, Folk Lonely, Star Stealers, Storm, Light, Hangunder, Odyssey, Follow, No Place like Home, The Sea.</span></div>
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Jeff Wanserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540336327936637696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8197320513436001373.post-45701488099223175692015-11-01T10:36:00.000-05:002015-11-01T10:36:21.415-05:00Michael Stanley. And Then...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKW0YLrX1wJNUFz_F7p5NXKeJEy953w7eY7i9OkpKFvOnSoDmRCX-zrY61lMsyMdBDY9g0T2gak52du-kwQ9hE2nwAqKqzDKrlwE1UOgQoJrdNiu3u6EWpUZ_Eot8sD7G9o5BWbdb8fyg/s1600/Michael_Stanley_And_Then_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKW0YLrX1wJNUFz_F7p5NXKeJEy953w7eY7i9OkpKFvOnSoDmRCX-zrY61lMsyMdBDY9g0T2gak52du-kwQ9hE2nwAqKqzDKrlwE1UOgQoJrdNiu3u6EWpUZ_Eot8sD7G9o5BWbdb8fyg/s320/Michael_Stanley_And_Then_Cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Michael Stanley. And Then...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Line Level Music, 2015. Michael Stanley: </span><a href="http://www.michaelstanley.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.michaelstanley.com/</span></a></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-028b6ff4-c3ac-a5f9-c42e-15ef0ffcab80" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Quite some time back, Neil Young suggested that “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.” I guess that could be good advice for some, but it seems that there are alternatives. Michael Stanley has found a third way, one that was followed by luminaries such as Benjamin Franklin. In his later years, Franklin was Ambassador to France, participated in the Constitutional Convention, and wrote abolitionist works. Continue what you do, and if it’s good and honest work it will be rewarded and remembered. In recent years, despite more than 40 years in the music business, the Cleveland heartland rocker has produced such a consistently fine material that it reminded me of old Ben. One album after another, from </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Hang</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Ride</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Job</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, he’s turned to an autumnal renaissance of excellent music. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And Then…</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> continues the annual feast.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The new album is in some sense typical for Stanley, but unusual in the world of popular music of the moment, in not having been written by a stable of Swedish songwriters. No cheap pop here. Stanley wrote most of the songs, with credits for one shared with Marc Lee Shannon and one other borrowed from David Grissom. There’s a lot of variety--anthemic rockers, power ballads, softer ballads, a bit of Americana--but it all fits nicely within his aesthetic and musical sense of the world. Lyrics speak to separation and loneliness, love and loss, hope, and more than one political comment. It feels a bit more uptempo than </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Job</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, but less so than </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Ride</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Most of the rockers are in the first half of the album, with the more pensive material towards the back, but it’s a good mix. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m a fan of uptempo songs so I tend to concentrate on those, but I have to mention “Long Ohio Winter,” a beautiful ballad on a subject many of us relate to, which of course he uses as a metaphor for missing someone he loves. Bob Pelander does some gorgeous piano work here. A couple of the other ballads are heartbreakers too, especially “In Your Kiss,” with Ed Caner on viola in the background. Of the rockers, I particularly enjoyed “Snakes,” and “Don’t Say Nothing,” both of which I interpret as social commentary (although I’ve been know to be wrong). Both have a hard edge that shows off the power of the band. He throws some R&B flavor into the mid-tempo songs where the whole band shines. “All Together Now” is anthemic, with a singalong part that will be a big hit in concert. “Shifting Gears” is one of my favorites, partly because of the vocals (nice trick with the background vocalists finishing the verses), and the prominence of Pelander’s organ work. The odd song out, but not in a bad way, is “Sweet Spot,” which has a country flavor courtesy of Ed Caner’s violin. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The ensemble is strong, nearly a big band except for horns, and the guitar work is great throughout. There are no weak tracks. The only weird thing is the cover, which as you can see is a bit creepy. It was not photoshopped, which is even more creepy, but appropriate for the Halloween season. Fans of Stanley need not be convinced, but if you like solid rock & roll, give this music a try. As for concerts, he’ll be playing Hard Rock Live at Northfield later in December. Get your tickets now, because he always sells out.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personnel:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Michael Stanley (vocals, guitar, bass), Tommy Dobeck (drums), Bob Pelander (piano, organ), Danny Powers (guitar), Jennifer Lee (vocals), Marc Lee Shannon (guitar, mandolin, vocals), Rodney Psyka (percussion), Ed Caner (violin, viola), Don Dixon (vocals).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracks:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> All Together Now, Radio Waves, Sound of a Train, Shifting Gears, And Then, Snakes, Sweet Spot, Long Ohio Winter, Hang on to this Heart, Don’t Say Nothing, Good Day for the Blues, In Your Kiss, Circadian Rhythm.</span></div>
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