Author Archives: Geoff Wilbur

Single Review: Amy Kakoura & Simon Scardanelli – “Only With the Heart”

Posted on by
Amy Kakoura & Simon Scardanelli - Only With the Heart

image courtesy of Simon Scardanelli

Single Review of Amy Kakoura & Simon Scardanelli: “Only With the Heart”

Amy Kakoura‘s rich, warm vocals are both powerful and delicate. Hers is the voice around which this duet revolves. She’s joined by Simon Scardanelli, whose classic, unique, quirky pop rock vocal delivery adds character to the tune. Simon’s voice is instantly identifiable, off-kilter but comfortably familiar in pop and rock realms, while Amy’s is more room-filling and theatrical. As a duo, Amy and Simon produce a memorable combination on “Only With the Heart.”

The song’s softness is driven home by the strings, while its power rises and falls like an ocean’s waves. Finally, it employs one of my favorite song tricks, seeming to end then returning for another powerful minute before finally fading away. “Only With the Heart” is an uplifting song well-conceived to play that role on a soft-touch playlist, likely also suited to a self-encouragement song collection.

Looking Ahead (and Back): Simon Scardanelli

You’ve seen us review Simon repeatedly herein – initially my review of his Dr Scardo release Dog Dark Days on Day Two of the Blog‘s existance as item number three of my “Road Back to Music Journalism” series; most recently RST’s review last summer of his single “It Really Is a Pity.” Before RST’s review, back in April 2020, Simon released “God Gave You Such a Winning Smile,” an edgy, jangling, thoughtful rock anthem I had intended to review, time-permitting, though my backlog was long and growing at the time. Definitely worth a listen, too.

You may occasionally find Simon performing live by checking the “Events” tab of his Facebook page. And, proving that lockdown time isn’t always wasted time, when I checked Simon’s page I noticed a link to this trailer for The Little Prince – A Musical, a new musical adaptation by Sam Chittenden and Simon Scardanelli. Simon’s always creating; always worth keeping an eye on.

Looking Ahead: Amy Kakoura

Though the calendar is empty now, check the “Dates” tab of Amy’s website to find out about future performances. You can also keep up with her on Twitter. And you’ll find a short clip of Amy singing on the Little Prince trailer mentioned in the last paragraph above.

Single Review: Natalie Joly – “Will You Ever Stop”

Posted on by
Natalie Joly - Will You Ever Stop

image courtesy of Nina Pickell, LLC

Backstory

It would have been a few years ago – 2018, maybe even 2017 – that I almost reviewed a Natalie Joly live gig, so this write-up is long overdue. I had planned to head up to Chopps American Bar & Grille in Burlington, MA after work, but work ran late that night, so I missed the chance. Natalie has been rising in the Boston area music scene for nearly a decade now, since she was 14, creating buzz and winning awards along the way, so I’ve been looking since nearly day one of the Blog for a chance to share her music on these pages. Scheduling hasn’t yet worked out to catch a live performance, but I am pleased to get a chance to review Natalie’s new single.

Single Review of Natalie Joly: “Will You Ever Stop”

Natalie Joly

photo courtesy of Nina Pickell, LLC

There’s a rich trademark tone to Natalie Joly’s vocals on this “Will You Ever Stop,” reminiscent of old-school edgy pop-rockers like KT Tunstall – and I hear a bit of Paramore’s Hayley Williams in Natalie raucous pop rock vocal ending – but right from the opening guitar riff this song in particular suggests a country-pop/rock vibe that would place Natalie on the radio alongside the Taylor Swifts of the world, borrowing heavily from the guitar-pop styles of the ’80s and ’90s but with updated vocal phrasing and tempo.

Throwing attitude through the verses and rounding it out with an expressive voice that hit some tonally wicked-cool notes, “Will You Ever Stop” confirms that Natalie Joly is radio-ready and poised to level up in her music career.

“Will You Ever Stop” drops today, January 29th, with the accompanying video scheduled for a February 5th release. This song is a follow-up to Natalie’s November 2020 release of catchy, syncopated, mid-tempo pop-rocker “Running Circles.”

Looking Ahead

There’s a full-length album in the works. And when Natalie has live gigs (or other events), you can find them on the “Events” tab of her Facebook page.

Album Review: Dan Israel – Social Distance Anxiety Disorder

Posted on by
Dan Israel

photo by Steven Cohen; photo courtesy of Dan Israel

Album Review of Dan Israel: Social Distance Anxiety Disorder

Minnesota’s favorite son, singer-songwriter Dan Israel, kept busy during spring quarantine by unveiling a new album, Social Distance Anxiety Disorder, released just 8 months after his 2019 release, Social Media Anxiety Disorder, which was reviewed here by Blog contributor James Morris.

Dan Israel - Social Distance Anxiety Disorder album cover

image courtesy of Dan Israel

In the past I’ve noted that Dan is a singer-songwriter with a folk-meets-rock delivery, while his wide variety of influences is evident to varying degrees on different albums. Social Distance Anxiety Disorder showcases many of Dan’s influences, and most of the disc would be best described as a singer-songwriter rock ‘n roll album. The opening track, “Wit’s End,” is markedly more pop than folk, with a peppy, word-thick delivery blending harmony and hooks. “Bewildered,” though, cranks things up a bit, as it’s more of a strumming ’70s rock-era protest song that complains densely in the verses before opening things up more in the choruses. And “Bustin’ Out” has a hint of Beatles influence, with a crunchy guitar opening, a rich music bed, and several opportunities to sing along with the “ahhhhh” in the background.

Dan Israel

photo by Steven Cohen; photo courtesy of Dan Israel

“Don’t Think They’ll Say” comes across as Dylan meets a travelin’ road song. It flows neatly into the smooth “Trying for a Long Time,” a strummer with a calming, mellow vibe.

Some nifty plucking opens “Guess It’s Time/Everyone” before the song’s chunky, steady-paced beat kicks in. Seemingly a simple melody at first, additional instruments and rhythms join, and the song evolves into an attention-grabber.

“Little Bit of Your Love” follows energetically, as thumping drums and a past-midpoint guitar solo drive home a rock ‘n roll vibe to deliver a tune you might hear on some Tom Petty or John Mellencamp records, complete with an off-balance, Petty-esque rock vocal vibe. Dan cranks it up a little more, even, on “Something for the Pain,” a bluesy, gritty, and kind of psychedelic rock number equally befitting a concert stage and a seedy dive bar.

“Vision in My Dreams” settles things down a little, closing the disc with a thoughtful vocal line and a broad, open, expansive sound.

The breadth of this disc causes it to be one of my favorite Dan Israel albums, as I can play it easily on repeat due to the variety of tempos, moods, and influences showcased throughout. Dan is one of the handful of great, regionally-renowned American troubadours – a singer-songwriter whose music is peppered with influences that enable him to appeal to multiple fan bases. It’s always a pleasure to review one of his well-crafted, engaging releases, like Social Distance Anxiety Disorder.

Dan Israel

photo courtesy of Dan Israel

Looking Ahead

Dan isn’t performing live at the moment, but when he does, you’ll find his gigs on the “Shows” page of his website or the “Events” tab of his Facebook page. He does seem to regularly livestream on the “Videos” tab of his Facebook page; you can find some old livestreams on there now.

Album Review: Blurred Vision – Redemption

Posted on by
Blurred Vision

photo by Eric Duvet; photo courtesy of Judy Totton Publicity

Album Review of Blurred Vision: Redemption

How does a band follow up a debut album the caliber of Organized Insanity? In the case of Blurred Vision, quite nicely, thank you. The gents don’t miss a beat on their second studio album, Redemption.

When I reviewed Blurred Vision’s London showcase, I leaned into the band’s obvious Pink Floyd influence. Then, later, when I reviewed Organized Insanity, I noted the broader classic rock influences, in addition to Floyd, that fleshed out the group’s sound. But the songs on Redemption package the band’s progressive and classic rock influences into an increasingly original Blurred Vision rock ‘n roll persona. Oh, sure, you can still pick out Pink Floyd, the Beatles, Electric Light Orchestra, and other influences, but Redemption is mostly just different flavors of Blurred Vision, variations on a theme. Whether it’s the band maturing or simply my increased familiarity coming into play – Sepp Osley‘s voice is unmistakable – it’s easy to identify the trademark Blurred Vision sound after just a few notes.

Blurred Vision

image courtesy of Judy Totton Publicity

The opening distorted electronic rhythmic beat of very first track, “One Day,” kicks things off strong, drawing the listener into the song and disc as the music builds into a somewhat haunting, rhythmic mid-speed soft-rocker.

“What Have I Become” follows, led by more aggressive drumming – not loud, but somewhat war dance-inspired – before the song rounds a corner into a singalong-styled openness. And perhaps the “I’m feeling numb” line is what suggests a “Comfortably Numb” comparison to me, not so much in the music itself as in its tempo and mood.

“Redemption” is similarly flavored, though features like the attention grabbing “I want to know” spoken mid-song and the enticing “waiting for the world to rise” lyric give “Redemption” an enticing uniqueness.

“Clever Dawn” ratchets things up a bit, with crunchy guitar and soaring bridges. The increased energy level serves as a nice transition to prepare the listener for the storm to come.

Blurred Vision

photo courtesy of Judy Totton Publicity

That “storm to come” is the first of the two energetic songs that most frequently get stuck in my head, “Magdalena.” It and “P.O.W.” are the songs I find myself singing to myself for days after playing Redemption. “Magdalena” is very nearly a clap-along number that always inspires involuntary dancing – in or out of your chair – and singalongs with “Whoo-hooo! Whoo-hooo! Whoo-hooo!” and “I wanna hear you sing it!” “P.O.W.” has a moderately tempoed, anthemic, high-energy, protest-song vibe. It’s not a singalong song; it’s a shout-along number! I imagine if it were ever released as a single, the natural short-version ending would be around the five-minute mark, but album rock fans will love the minute-plus creepy music interlude before a repeating siren-like guitar line begins the tune’s slowly building rocket-ride back to rockin’ awesomeness until “P.O.W.” clocks out at 8:36. I know Blurred Vision is a progressive classic rock band, but the three minute long instrumental sequence late in this song is probably the proggiest thing I’ve heard from these guys.

Sandwiched between those two tracks, you can hear the Beatles influence in “Mystic Garden,” though with a bit more ethereal, open, airy quality.

“Companion” and “Inside Out – Collision Course” close things out. Slow but steady tempoed “Companion” significantly reduces the temperature in the room after “P.O.W.” There’s an almost dreamlike sheen to its musicality, and it features some nifty, subtle dance-through guitarwork. “Inside Out – Collision Course” follows along the same sonic lines, then transitions via a drum run to a more energetic vibe – the transition between the “Inside Out” and “Collision Course” segments of this disc-closing number.

Blurred Vision, with its consistently high-quality songs and performances, has become one of my favorite bands over the last few years. And its position in a necessary but sparsely-traveled lane of the rock and roll highway, at least among currently active bands – the “peace, love, and rock ‘n roll,” classic, album-oriented rock lane, if you will – makes this band and album an absolute necessity, not just for fans of classic rock but also for people who appreciate great songwriting.

Looking Ahead

Whenever there are again tour dates in the future, you’ll be able to find them on the “Tour Dates” page of the Blurred Vision website.

The band has also hosted two annual John Lennon tribute concerts on Lennon’s birthday, October 9th, in support of the War Child UK charity, featuring Blurred Vision’s song for Lennon, “Dear John,” which appeared on Organized Insanity.

Album Review: Marina V – In V Minor

Posted on by
Marina V

photo courtesy of Marina V

Album Review of Marina V: In V Minor

Long-time readers know Marina V is a Blog favorite. Her expressive, soaring, sweetly clear yet powerful vocals combine well with her frequently-flowing songwriting. And, while she can and does show versatility and range when she stretches herself to faster-tempo and stylistically different songs seemingly effortlessly, Marina does have a musical sweet spot. It’s a designated lane on the soaring pop ballad musical highway that’s reserved for Marina and no one else, and it’s where her legion of fans expect a majority of her music to reside. In V Minor spends most of its time in this lane, perhaps more than her recent albums do, but it’s really hard to complain, especially as she swerves around within the lane quite a bit. And it’s fun to hear Marina release an album of new material mostly within her “greatest hits” zone sometimes. Plus, there are those aforementioned cool twists she puts on her subgenre, too. With depth and darkness, most of the time, you’re not likely to expect; she always does that. She’s Marina V.

Marina V - In V Minor album cover

image courtesy of Marina V

The first song in the collection is the beautifully, hauntingly drawn-out “Cold Cold Winter.” Marina’s piano skills combine with the guitarwork of special guest Jim “Kimo” West and the most beautiful edge of Marina’s voice to deliver a memorable ballad.

It’s followed by the sole cover on the album, a Marina V-tempoed rendition of “We Belong,” the Pat Benatar hit that was penned by the songwriting team of Lowen and Navarro. Marina blows the lid off of this track, and it features a truly special guest, as she sings it as a duet with the song’s cowriter Dan Navarro.

Marina V

photo courtesy of Marina V

Next up is another treat, a fan favorite, a rare (well, infrequent) Marina-penned full-on love song, “143.” It’s sort of the warm side of “Cold Cold Winter,” suitably placed with “We Belong” serving as a transition between the two tracks that are simultaneously similar and polar opposites. (Polar… winter… get it? Yeah, maybe not.)

“Rain My Love” opens with a semi-haunting piano, vocal, and string arrangement, a broad-sounding, soaringly-building sound that hints a bit at Scorpions’ “Wind of Change,” hinting at that sort of power but reining it in and polishing it with a softer edge. (Marina does a powerful rendition of “Wind of Change,” by the way, but it’s not on this album; it’s on Marina’s extended 2017 release of Inner Superhero.)

The power doesn’t dissipate on “Talk to You Sometimes,” it’s just redirected. Another song about strength and emotion – something Marina excels at writing and performing – this song will undoubtedly put a lump in your throat lyrically, and then it contains the best three-syllable delivery of the word “steel” I can recall, which helps release the tension. It’s all about the details.

Marina V

photo courtesy of Marina V

The third weather-titled song of the first six, “Love is Like Snow,” is a bit lighter, more playful, and hopeful. Still a slow song, but one you could move around a dancefloor to if you’d like, and the occasional twirl wouldn’t be at all out of place.

Next up is one of my favorite songs on the disc, “LKD.” And fortunately, like most of us, I’m not out in public much these days, or you might be concerned when you hear me singing the lyrics under my breath, “Live. Kill. Die.” “LKD” sounds like is was specifically written for a James Bond movie, with a breathy, cold, calculated delivery. Or perhaps it was created as an entry into a competition seeking a new theme song for the KGB. I actually researched the answer to this. After noting the Bond-esque edge to the song, I checked Marina’s song notes to see what inspired this track, and indeed, as an assignment in a songwriting group, “LKD” was written to sound like an end-credit song for a James Bond movie. I’m not sure how I feel, now, knowing that it was contrived bloodlust – not the actual thing – driving this song, but I’m pretty sure the word I’m looking for is “relieved.”

Marina V

photo by Justin Higuchi; photo courtesy of Marina V

Next up is another tune I often find stuck in my head, the encouraging “Back to Sunshine.” In addition to its hooks, the tune has Easter eggs for hardcore Marina V fans, as she slips old album and song titles into the lyrics of this song. It’s an neat trick, accomplishing that while writing a memorable, hopeful tune that’s engaging and catchy even without the insider information.

Marina returns to the dark side next with “Sick Sick Love.” The song cleverly builds tension and suspense musically, vocally, and lyrically, proving interestingly compelling, with just enough enthusiasm to suggest the song’s protagonist may not actually be interested in leaving this sick, sick love behind. Given the subject matter, this song is much more fun than it probably should be; I may be wrong, but I envision a mischievous glint in Marina’s eye while she recorded it.

Marina V

photo by Arsen Memetov; photo courtesy of Marina V

“No Time to Say Goodbye” returns to a semi-haunting tone. It’s actually the theme song for Bill Adler Jr.’s novella of the same name, and its sad desperation rather well matches the emotion you’d expect from the book’s plot summary. (No, I haven’t read the book, but I’m intrigued.)

Finally, the album closes with two lullabies. First, “My Love Lullaby,” a sweetly encouraging song about unconditional love. And then the Russian-language “Лунная Колыбельная (Russian Moonlight Lullaby).” No, I don’t understand the song, but thanks to the translation, it’s also quite sweet, and very much a sing-to-your baby song.

Marina V

photo courtesy of Marina V

That’s it. Over too soon? In V Minor is yet another dependably strong Marina V disc, as she has perfected the ability to release only top-notch material. This one, again, resides mostly within her sweet spot when it comes to tempo and taking advantage of her soaring voice and piano skills. The tone and mood ranges from very, very dark to light – to be fair, its touch is mostly soft and generally hopeful, but the breadth of emotion makes the album complex and enjoyable, like an interesting friend. Definitely a pleasure to have this disc as a listening companion during a pandemic.

Of course, as I mentioned at the beginning of this review, Marina has long been a Blog favorite. For more Blog coverage of Marina V, see my 2018 review of her album Born to the Stars. Before that, in 2015, as article #5 of my Blog-launching “Road Back to Music Journalism” series, I reviewed Marina’s Inner Superhero album and a 2014 house concert.

Marina V

photo by Arsen Memetov; photo courtesy of Marina V

Looking Ahead

Marina does twice-weekly livestreams – “The Marina V Show” – on Twitch. Started during her pregnancy, Marina perfected the format well before the pandemic hit, interacting with fans via chat and playing old and new favorites. Husband/guitarist/cowriter Nick and “Baby V” make appearances, as well.

If/when live shows return, you’ll be able to find information on the “Tour” page of Marina’s website. Currently, you’ll find dates and times of the twice-weekly “Marina V Show” livestreams. Generally, Sundays at 12:30 PM PST (3:30 PM EST) and Thursdays at 7:00 PM PST (10:00 PM EST).

Marina has also been on Patreon for several years. Her “2 Songs a Month Club” gives patrons two new songs (one original and one cover) each month for as little as $1 per song ($2 per month). Of course, higher tiers offer additional membership perks.

Album Review: Chris Pellnat – Rain

Posted on by
Chris Pellnat

photo courtesy of Chris Pellnat

Album Review of Chris Pellnat: Rain (Houdini Mansions Records)

Artistry and songwriting skills. These are at the core of Chris Pellnat‘s Rain. His delivery is very singer-songwritery. Softspoken and matter-of-fact. The instrumentation is light and airy most of the time – its quirky cheerfulness often belying the seriousness of the lyrics – with occasional well-placed additional instrumentation.

Chris Pellnat - Rain

image courtesy of Chris Pellnat

Speaking of well-placed additional instrumentation, “Hold Me Now” opens the disc in carnival-esque fashion, with crashing waves of music providing emphasis. “Vie Vie Vie Vie Vie” follows with a tempo that suggests the song is walking along at an uneven gait, perhaps followed by all of the town’s children, as if a pied piper. Next up, “Black-Eyed Susans and Queen Anne’s Lace” continues that tempo, but with intriguing bridges tying the choruses to the subsequent verses.

Chris Pellnat

photo courtesy of Chris Pellnat

The harmonica lead-in to “It’s a Cruel, Cruel World” hints at a musical change of pace, though it’s just a modest one. I dig the lyrics, too; no sugar-coating.

“Turning of the Zodiac” is a quirky number – you’ll find yourself singing along with the “boop” sound, for goodness’ sake! – and sports brief sixties psychedelic instrument cameos, as if drawn by the word “zodiac” to this musical summer of love.

Chris Pellnat

photo courtesy of Chris Pellnat

On the back half of the album, I’m probably most drawn to a couple of the tunes. “Anything At All,” for its dark melancholy. And “Honor Bound,” though perhaps mostly because I dig the harmonica bits.

I also enjoy the final song, “Rain,” a memorable song with a bit of a hook that includes a hint of the musical crashing found to open the disc, this time in the form of storm clouds, providing a bit of a stylistic bookend.

Throughout, Chris’ original delivery provides a cohesive, memorable canvas for this collection of songs. The songs themselves are so tight and carefully written, they’d be equally compelling with different delivery styles and lusher production. As I mentioned at the beginning, the dude’s a songwriter. A talented one.

 

Single Review: Todd Rundgren – “Flappie”

Posted on by

Single Review of Todd Rundgren: “Flappie” (Cleopatra Records)

If you’re looking for a demented bloodbath of a sweet little Christmas song, well, rock luminary Todd Rundgren has obliged with one. “Flappie” is Todd’s English-language cover of Dutch comedian Youp van ’t Hek‘s original. The most important takeaway is that, if a Dutch person tells you to avoid the bicycle shed, perhaps that’s a good idea. I suppose another useful lesson is not to mess with children’s pet bunnies.

Todd Rundgren - Flappie single cover art

image courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

Musically, it’s performed in a music box style, almost a jack-in-the-box style, lightly instrumented and tinny. Todd delivers his vocals in spoken-singing fashion. Stylistically, it is performed very faithfully to the original.

You’ve certainly not heard a Christmas song like this before – unless, I suppose, you’re Dutch. And it’s a little too dark and off-screen gruesome for me to listen to it with any frequency. But hey, it’s memorable, which may not be a good think if you’re easily haunted, and Todd did a great job with it, that’s for sure. And if you’re a big Rundgren fan, it’s available as limited-edition colored vinyl (250 each in red and green), signed by Todd.

Looking Ahead

Todd has been keeping busy. He has been releasing singles every few weeks from his upcoming album, Space Force, to be released in early 2021. He has also been planning the Clearly Human Tour, a series of 25 geo-targeted virtual concerts, beginning with Buffalo, NY on February 14th. You can get tickets to these shows, produced by NoCap, here: https://nocapshows.com/artist?name=toddrundgren.

Single Review: Electric Maestro – “On the Way Up”

Posted on by
Electric Maestro - On the Way Up single cover

image courtesy of Exodus Music

Single Review of Electric Maestro: “On the Way Up”

I was doing a little new music exploration back in June when I first listened to the music of Electric Maestro, a musical identity of electronic funk musician Waynebo. Interestingly, he and I were members of neighboring – likely overlapping – musical spheres for many years back when I was publishing Geoff Wilbur’s Renegade Newsletter out of East Lansing, but we never crossed paths. That’s my loss, as this dude has serious talent.

Waynebo/Electric Maestro has been releasing a fair bit of music during 2020, much of it back catalog material. This seems to be one of his new 2020 releases, and it’s quite a compelling piece of music.

Electric Maestro

photo by Wes Stephens, Keep On Clickin’ Photography; photo courtesy of Exodus Music

An instrumental piece of classic-reminiscent, electronic, synth-driven, dance club dance music, “On the Way Up” reels the listener in initially with a sparse note, then a rhythmic hook, and next a beat. It’s a terrific slow-build, as the song forms element by element, engaging the listener each step of the way. As the song progresses, different beats, rhythms, and scenic aural landscapes come and go, woven in and out throughout a much-too-short six and a half minutes. Knowing its length at the beginning, it’s surprising how quickly the song flies by. You’ll hear a funky rhythm, some light, airy pop beats, and several rhythmic hooks throughout the track, such a variety that it’s amazing, in retrospect, that “On the Way Up” is able to feel so cohesive from beginning to end. It’s in part, I’m sure, due to repeating and recurring hooks, but mostly thanks to the mastery of Waynebo, the Electric Maestro.

“On the Way Up” is a welcome addition to my personal playlist; I eagerly await future releases from Electric Maestro. Based on what I’ve sampled of his recent and past work, this is an artist you simply must know about.

Electric Maestro

photo by Wes Stephens, Keep On Clickin’ Photography; photo courtesy of Exodus Music

More from Waynebo

There’s a lot going on at Waynebo’s website. You’ll find links to his various projects, free DJ mixes, a link to his podcast, The Afterglow, and more. You’ll also find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Most recently – just yesterday, in fact – Electric Maestro released “Dance of the Refugee.” I won’t do a full review, especially not based on a single listen, but the beats on “Dance of the Refugee” are exceptional. I’m a sucker for “radio edits,” but I can see spending the full seven-plus minutes on the dance floor to the full version and wondering how it went by so quickly. So be sure to check out Electric Maestro’s newest track, too.

Single Review: Jamie Hart – “Shadow”

Posted on by
Jamie Hart

photo courtesy of Jamie Hart via Off the Stage Music

As you may have noticed, I’ve spent 2020 playing catch-up on some reviews I’d hoped to write the previous couple of years. Well, I’ve finally made it to music I received in 2020, starting with this single, a January 31, 2020 release by award-winning Boston-area artist Jamie Hart.

Single Review of Jamie Hart: “Shadow”

Jamie Hart - Shadow single cover

image courtesy of Jamie Hart via Off the Stage Music

This marked the second single since Jamie Hart dropped the “Lynn” from her moniker. (Worth mentioning in case you were already familiar with her as Jamie Lynn Hart.) And wow, did she ever come out swinging for the fences with this big single release! “Shadow” is one of those substantial pop songs you’d likely hear in The Voice auditions, if it were famous, that highlights a talented vocalist’s strengths. It’s a tuneful, catchy showcase for Jamie’s full range and skill set. Moving effortlessly from booming power to soft emotion, while traversing an appealing melodic path, you can hear Jamie connect with the emotional essence of the lyrics. And, as a fun bonus, you’ll find yourself singing some of the “oo-oo” parts along with her after a few listens. This is a song you’d turn up the radio for when you hear its first few notes.

Jamie Hart

photo courtesy of Jamie Hart via Off the Stage Music

Now, if this is your first introduction to Jamie Hart, yowza! I had sampled a little of her music before – not much, but enough to know she was on my short list of must-cover local artists. This, however, was the first song I’ve had the opportunity to give innumerable listens – the first I’ve gotten to know really well – and it’s an ideal introduction to this incredibly talented vocalist. So, enjoy the vocal showcase of “Shadow” and, if you’re like me, track down some more of her music, too, when you’re done.

I’m now looking forward to hearing a multi-song collection of Jamie Hart’s powerful pop masterpieces – I believe there was an EP in the works, but I haven’t heard more about it, so I assume this may be one of the many 2020 plans scuttled by the pandemic. And I can’t wait to get a chance to experience Jamie’s voice live sometime, too, when things get back to normal again.

Jamie Hart

photo courtesy of Jamie Hart via Off the Stage Music

More recently…

This fall, Jamie was featured on Steeple Doves‘ single, “Louder,” a soaring, rhythmically addictive, defiant anthem that takes great advantage of Jamie’s vocal power. Of course, if you want to go back to last fall, you can listen to Jamie’s impressive September 2019 emotionally powerful pop single “Get Closer.”

Looking Ahead

You can find Jamie’s live show schedule, when there is one, on the “Shows” tab of Jamie’s website or on the “Events” tab of Jamie’s Facebook page.

Oh, and for the full range of sites where you can hear “Shadow” for yourselves, here’s Jamie’s “HearNow” page: https://jamiehart.hearnow.com/.

 

Album Review: The Doughboys – Running For Covers

Posted on by

Album Review of The Doughboys: Running For Covers

Released late last year by New Jersey ’60s-flavored garage rock flagbearers The Doughboys, Running For Covers is an album of 13 cover songs, including covers of a couple of the band’s own old originals, all given an updated treatment in The Doughboys’ modern-yet-classic signature style.

The Doughboys - Running for Covers album cover

image courtesy of Howlin’ Wuelf Media

The album begins energetically with the classic-style guitar-buzz-driven “96 Tears,” a raucously enthusiastic – surprisingly upbeat, given the song’s lyrics – update of the ? and the Mysterians’ number one hit from 1966.

The rest of the disc includes The Doughboys’ renditions of the Kinks’ “The Hard Way,” The Band’s “The Shape I’m In,” the Rolling Stones’ “Play With Fire,” Herman’s Hermits’ “My Reservation’s Been Confirmed,” the Beatles’ “It’s All Too Much,” Lambert Hendricks & Ross’s “Moanin’,” Mose Allison’s “Your Mind Is On Vacation,” Neil Diamond’ “Solitary Man,” and more, plus reimaginations of The Doughboys’ own 1967 singles  “Rhoda Mendelbaum” and “Everybody Knows My Name.”

It’s a couple of the latter cover songs on that list that are really interesting, since they include particularly significant style changes. The Doughboys take blue jazz number “Moanin’,” for example, and infuse it with a timeless ’50s-meets-garage rock energy to completely change the song’s energy without disrupting its mood. And on “Solitary Man,” the band marches forth confidently, delivering this standard with a buzzy, almost Johnny Cash-meets-Hawaii Five-O flavor.

Other favorites include “Your Mind Is On Vacation,” with its bluesy style and harmonica bursts; the fast-paced adrenaline-filled, sped-up, wailing version of David Essex’s “Rock On,” a song also covered by Michael Damian, though still not at The Doughboys’ tempo; and the tunefully mid-tempo “Everybody Knows My Name.” The whole disc is solid, of course, and as a result, my personal favorites tend to change with my mood, so pay attention during your test drive because your mileage may vary.

You know, I always struggle with reviewing cover albums because, well, what do you say about them? About the good ones, you can say something like this: The Doughboys have delivered a disc full of great rock ‘n roll music, putting their distinct sound on classic songs, both famous and obscure. So, even though cover collections are difficult reviews, I really enjoy listening to this record, and I couldn’t resist sharing it with y’all. If you’re a fan of timeless, kinda raw but really tight rock ‘n roll, you owe it to yourself to take The Doughboys’ Running For Covers for a spin.

More Recently

Of course, Doughboys drummer Richard X. Heyman has assembled a renowned career as an independent singer-songwriter. I reviewed his 12th album, Incognito, in 2017. This past fall, he released the single “Choices We Make,” which you can check out via this YouTube video, from an unnamed upcoming 14th RXH solo album. I can’t wait.

Looking Ahead

When live gigs return, you’ll find The Doughboys’ on the “Events” page of the band’s website.

Also, here’s an interesting little nugget from the band’s bio, for those of us not old enough to have first-hand knowledge. The Doughboys were the house band of the legendary Cafe Wha? back in their heyday. I know this sounds like “looking back” rather than “looking ahead,” but this bar in the Village is one of the few remaining (surviving) iconic live music venues on my personal NYC “must see” list. Assuming it survives the pandemic, it’ll be a stop on one of my future trips to the City, visits I sorely miss right now and am looking forward (i.e., looking ahead) to resuming when some semblance of normalcy returns. So, in this paragraph, I’m looking ahead to my future, not the band’s.