TonyDoug's CD Reviews

by tonydoug wright

David Bernabo, Word Roses (Sort Of)

The Artist: David Bernabo

The History: David Bernabo is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania singer-songwriter. He has been a member of the bands Boxstep, Vale and Year, and Assembly.

The Review: There are certain roadblocks one encounters on the rock and roll path. Sometimes it is the ear piercing feedback from experimental bands and other times it is the unnecessary animal-like growls and screams of the Korn influenced “metal” bands. Perhaps the most common roadblock is the unusual singing voice.

Bernabo does not have a terrible singing voice, it’s nothing more than a very small roadblock, but he definitely has a voice that works for indie musicians recording their albums at home. Word Roses is a good album featuring all of the acoustic-piano-digital noise on top of poetic nonsense lyrics that come from the dark side of life. The core sound is that of Americana and folk music. ‘Pick a Phone’ is Bernabo at his best and listening to this album you can definitely hear an artist that is moving in the right direction.

Website: www.sortofrecords.com

Bob Dylan Uncovered (Paradiddle Records)

the Artists: Cadillac Moon, Russ Seeger, The Walkers, Caroline Doctrow, Drew Olsen, Denise Donahue, Marc Andrew, The Lone Sharks, The Don Olsen Gang, Iridesense, The Little Wilson Band, Codiak, and Johnny Cuomo

The History: A group of artists, mostly Long Island artists on the Paradiddle Records roster, were asked to take a Bob Dylan song and make it their own.

The Review: Many moons ago, this reviewer was an aspiring rock and roll star and I spent many afternoons and evenings jamming with friends and recording lo-fi songs on my four track. I knew this one guy, we’ll call him Woody Korea, and he was a huge Dylan fan. Korea was an odd singer songwriter and his voice was a somewhat decent Dylan vocal imitation. I spent some time jamming with Korea, but the relationship ended when I scoffed at his lyrics for the would-be-hit ‘You’re Love is Mace in My Face’. Korea moved overseas and was assaulted by a bodybuilder in some foreign donut shop. I wonder what would sting more: the punch or mace in the face.

Good ol’ Korea would like Bob Dylan Uncovered because the artists have done a decent job of making each song their very own. There are thirteen Dylan covers and they are performed by artists who have performed in the smokiest of Long Island bars. If you are one of those snooty listeners that believe any reinterpretation of a Dylan classic is blasphemy then maybe you’ll want to avoid this release. For example, The Walkers version of ‘Tangled up in Blue’ is slowed down and has been turned into a toe tappin’ blues number. Denise Donahue’s version of ‘Master’s of War’ has been turned into a track from the Evanescence portion of the rock universe. All of the artists on this album deserve credit for doing their own thing and Bob Dylan Uncovered is worth a listen maybe two.

Cat-a-Tac, Past Lives and Former Lives (Needlepoint Records)

The Band: Andy Tennant, Jim McTurnan, Connor Bailey, and Warren Wonders

The History: This Denver, Colorado band was formed in 2003 and Past Lives and Former Lives is their debut album.

The Review: Machine guns in comic books generally had a Rat-a-Tat caption to let readers know that someone was spraying bullets. Usually, it was a mobster or a soldier firing upon a superhero or enemy. The one thing they all had in common was that they were all lousy shooters. If a comic book had a Cat-a-Tac caption during a shooting spree then that would not work well. Maybe if it was a platoon of cat soldiers firing upon their dog enemies. Inspired by the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Luna, and The Jesus and Mary Chain, Cat-A-Tac’s Past Lives and Former Lives brings back the good ol’ days of 90’s college rock that features fuzzy distorted and clear dreamy sounds. Each song features a good pop foundation layered with the Shoegazer stuff that may force listeners to find their lucky pair of Doc Martens. ‘Respite’ and ‘We’re All Gone’ are definitely two of the best tracks on this album, but choosing the best two songs on Past Lives and Former Lives is like choosing the two shiniest bars of gold at Fort Knox. Cat-A-Tac’s first release is truly an impressive debut so this is one of those bands you may want to check out because they will be making headlines if they play their cards right.

Website: www.cat-a-tac.com

The Mother Hips, Kiss the Crystal Flake (Camera Records)

The Band: Tim Bluhm, Greg Loiacono, Paul Hoaglin, and John Hofer

The History: Kiss the Crystal Flake is The Mother Hips first full-length album since the 2001 release, Green Hill of the Earth.

The Review: You can kiss a crystal flake or you can kiss Flo’s grits. What is a crystal flake? It sounds like something you find in a forest inhabited by fairies and elves. You’re walking down some enchanted path and then some witch tells you to find the crystal flake and when you find it you are to kiss it so that a princess can awake from a crazy sleeping spell. Let’s be honest, it’s cooler to kiss Flo’s grits. Less hassle and maybe Mel will cut you a deal on the meatloaf.

Are you looking for a good rock album with a polished sound? Give Kiss the Crystal Flake by The Mother Hips a spin or two and you’ll be bopping to some smooth Northern California rock sounds. Songs like ‘No-Name Darrell’ and ‘Confirmation of Love’ are comparable to Sloan because both bands have the talent to create a great song using any of the popular rock styles. Can they do a Brit-Rock tune? Yes they can. Can they do an old 70’s AM love hit? Yes they can. Can they do an art rock piece? Hell no, brother. This is radio friendly stuff right here and hopefully it does not take another six years for The Mother Hips to drop another record.

Website: www.motherhips.com

New Ruins, The Sound They Make (Hidden Agenda)

The Band: Elzie Sexton and J. Caleb Means

The History: The Sound They Make is the debut CD from this Illinois duo.

The Review: New Ruins is the union between the acoustic guitar guy and the keyboard dude. This is regular acoustic guy and not the pretentious acoustic guitar guy who bores everyone with his appalling attempts at becoming the next Michael Hedges. Nor is this hippie acoustic guitar guy who only performs the “hits” of the jam band scene. Keyboard dude is a regular keyboard dude and not super techno keyboard programmer boy who spends hours upon hours working on his special blend of German industrial rock with Eurotrash house beats.

So we have a nice unification of music with Elzie Sexton and J. Caleb Means who put together an impressive debut album called The Sound They Make. New Ruins is what you would expect from an indie group that places an emphasis on the acoustic guitar and some keyboards. Oh wait; indie groups use organs not keyboards. ‘I’ll Sleep in Your House’ is truly the highpoint of The Sound They Make, an album full of laid back tunes that draws comparisons to a fellow Illinois band Grenadier.

Website: www.myspace.com/newruins

The Preakness, Demon 7” (Eskimo Kiss)

The Band: Brandon Arnold, Tracy Clark, and Tim Genius

The History: The Preakness is an Atlanta, Georgia trio.

The Review: The Preakness have their own page on the unholy site known as MySpace. Their musical influences include Yo La Tengo, Guided by Voices, and Pavement. Well that’s strike one, two, and three. This reviewer is pulling your leg, folks. Those bands are super sweet.

The Demon 7" features four wonderful songs that are more Yo La Tengo than Guided by Voices or Pavement. Brandon Arnold and Tracy Clark mix well vocally and they have something good going on with ‘Demon’ and ‘What They’re Saying’. It’s a noisy release at times and a nice acoustic release at times. You can’t go wrong with this 7”. That’s what she said. What?! Inappropriate!

Website: www.preakout.com

Protokoll, self-titled (I Heart Comix)

The Band: Jose De Lara, Ben Greenspan, Danny O’Neill, and Reid Calkin

The History: Protokoll is another band from the great rock and roll city of Boston, MA.

The Review: Interpol and The Killers have that new wave with a dash of disco influence from the early 80’s and the end result has been money in the bank. Bands have decided to jump on that revival train to Successville. Some make it, while many get off on the stop at Craptacular City.

Protokoll’s self-titled EP is definitely influenced by the new wave sound and they have sadly got off the train at Repetitive Town. The retro thing is cool but it gets old quickly. Protokoll has five good pop influenced songs that score a six or seven in the dance category but they all blend together creating a forgetful release. Hopefully Protokoll can get back on track and bring us an album that’s unforgettable.

Website: www.protokoll.us

Snowgoons, German Lugers (Baby Grande)

The Artists: The Snowgoons (Producers) featuring Sean Price, O.C., Living Legends, Rasco, Chief Kamachi, Last Emperor, Afu Ra, Jus Allah, El Da Sensei, Wise Intelligent, Reef the Lost Cause, Doujah Raze, MED, Craig G, Celph Titled, Baby Blak, Pumpkinhead, Wordsworth, Edi Amin, Edo G, Breez Evaflowin, Majik Most, Kreators, Born Unique, Mitchell Hennessy, and Virtuoso.

The History: Det, Torben, DJ Waxworks, and DJ Illegal (a.k.a. The Snowgoons) are well-respected European hip-hop producers. German Lugers is a Snowgoons collaboration featuring some of the best underground rappers from the U.S.

The Review: When cartoons ruled Saturday mornings there were special episodes where the cast teamed up with another cartoon cast or teamed up with animated celebrities. One of the most infamous episodes was the 1982 episode of Thundarr the Barbarian where Arnold and Willis from Diff’rent Strokes visit the world of Thundarr the Barbarian. In this episode, Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla save Arnold and Willis from being implanted into the anus of a massive slug like creature. (Editor’s Note: Apparently, this episode never happened. Numerous hours of research prove that the author of this article is confused or mentally unbalanced. )

Germany meets the American hip-hop underground on German Lugers. The Snowgoons have come up with some slick beats and the long list of MC’s has stepped up to the plate to deliver some hard hitting rhymes. The upside of German Lugers is that this album features some of the best underground rappers from the U.S., while the downside is that it has a few tiresome thug anthems. There are a couple of tracks that are violent to the point that it is silly rather than an examination of violence in our culture. Overall, the majority of the tracks on German Lugers are good and they will definitely appeal to fans of Wu Tang Clan.

Website: www.snowgoons.de

Whiting Tennis, Three Leaf Clover (Tarnished)

The Band: Whiting Tennis, D.W. Burnam, Kevin Warner, and Tom Price

The History: Whiting Tennis is the leader of this Seattle band that has been together since 2004.

The Review: They did something different to Lucky Charms. There is a different taste and it may be due to more sugar or whole grain oats. It’s frustrating when they mess with one of your favorite cereals.

There is no need to for Whiting Tennis to tweak his musical recipe because Three Leaf Clover is a haunting album with semi-clear-non-distorted guitars and Tennis’ somber vocals. This is a great album for fans of The Velvet Underground, Galaxie 500, and Luna. Listen to the song ‘Summer’ and you’ll hear something that The Velvet Underground recorded in a Nashville studio. Every song comes off as effortless and there is no unnecessary filler. Tennis’ Three Leaf Clover is a pleasant album although it is extremely mellow in its delivery.

Website: www.tarnishedrecords.com