EP Review: Axminster – Tightrope

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Axminster

photo courtesy of Axminster

The Backstory

Back in the early ’90s, when I was getting my start as a music journalist in Boston, Steve Sera was the frontman for the band Wildside, one of the best melodic hard rock bands in Boston at the time. I covered a few Wildside shows and reviewed the band’s EP Sheet Music. Before Wildside, Steve was in the band Axminster. Well, in the decades since I write about Wildside, Axminster reformed. Axminster’s lineup consists of Benny Fiorentino (guitar, vocals), Steve Sera (vocals, guitar), Danny Callan (bass, vocals), and Xanon Xicay (drums); the band devotes a page of its website to a tribute to its late drummer Mike “Maddog” Lamm.

EP Review of Axminster: Tightrope

What you’ll hear on Axminster‘s Tightrope EP is classic hard rock, delivered with enthusiasm, fully embracing the playful bluesy rock influence that has underpinned the sounds and styles of many of the best melodic hard rock bands for decades.

Axminster – Tightrope

image courtesy of Axminster

Like so many classic hard rock albums, Tightrope kicks off with a show of power on “Broken Nails.” Going all-in on intensity, Axminster establishes its hard rock street cred with this opening track. The song surges mostly straight-ahead but features a little sidewinding axework, offering a glimpse into the band’s more expansive capabilities, in a way foreshadowing the breadth of influences yet to come on Tightrope.

The second track, “Down to the Bone,” is my personal favorite. It leans into its funky rhythm early on, drives continually toward its catchy, memorable, raucously singalongable chorus, and closes with a repetitive push toward close that’ll have you singing the echo of the “cuts right” lyric. You know, in my early days on the Boston hard rock beat, this city was known for its funky metal – well, one local band, in particular. Axminster may be channeling some of that vibe here on this song but wisely resists going full-on Extreme. The result is a catchy original that’s undeniably stylistically Axminster.

“Kids These Days” follows, driving home Axminster’s musical philosophy that straight-ahead rock doesn’t need to steer itself in a straight line. Better yet, there’s some variance to draw the listener in, a chance to show off vocal skills, and room for some well-placed guitar runs. It’s as if this song is a rock ‘n roll master class from some knowledgeable veterans sharing their tricks with the kids these days.

“Tightrope” is a guitar-driven rock number whose axework could be better described as playful than shredding, with Fiorentino’s guitarwork meshing with Sera’s vocal phrasing to provide a lighter vibe to an otherwise heavy rocking song.

“Put Ya Money” has a vocal line that surges and ebbs with the beat that, like so much of this EP, leaves room for some impressive guitarwork, particularly late in the song.

Finally, “Trippin'” comes out aggressively. And, though I’ve tried to avoid making the comparison, this song forces me to succumb. Indeed, particularly on the back half of this EP and most of all on this song, the songwriting, thumping rhythms, and vocal delivery remind me quite a bit of classic Y&T. Sera seems to channel Dave Meniketti during “Trippin'” more than he does anywhere else on this EP, and it results in a frenetically entertaining EP-ending number – quite clearly my second-favorite song in this collection.

More Recently

Axminster was nominated (and is a finalist) for the New England Music Awards in the “Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Act of the Year” category. Voting for the New England Music Awards runs through October 1st.

Looking Ahead

Per this Facebook post, Axminster is teasing a new EP, Bada Boom!, “coming soon.” I can’t wait!

 

 

Album Review: Zach Phillips – Goddaughters

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Zach Phillips

photo courtesy of Zach Phillips

Album Review of Zach Phillips: Goddaughters

A couple years ago, I reviewed Zach Phillips’ The Wine of Youth. Well, the soft rock singer-songwriter is back with his latest release, Goddaughters.

I really like Zach Phillips‘ sound. It’s a breath of fresh air. Well-crafted songs with a familiar but entirely original sound, typically with a lot more rock ‘n roll infused into the music than seems apparent ay first glance. It’s always (by “always,” I mean “twice so far”) a pleasure to review one of his albums; it’s fun to peel the onions that are his songs.

On Goddaughters, Zach kicks things off with a wall-of-sound instrumental opener, “Cassiopeia,” quickly establishing his rock ‘n roll street cred, something a song-driven rock artist needs to do from time to time, lest his listeners confuse him with a singer-songwriter of the folkier variety.

The introductory instrumental flows into an energetic, richly instrumented mid-tempo ditty, “Worshipers,” that settles neatly within Zach high-ish vocal range.

Zach Phillips – Goddaughters

image courtesy of Zach Phillips

With Zach’s rockin’ roots clearly established, the third track, “New Star,” is ethereal, though it’s really more soft psychedelic rock than anything else.

“Harmony Grove” follows, opening with distorted axework, leading to a catchy whitebread-funky rhythm and an almost country-rootsy vibe. The result of this really cool amalgam is a catchy seventies rock-styled number.

“Psychics” carries a similar vibe but with more organ and – eventually, after a long lead-in – its very own faster tempo. How do I describe this sound, found in spades on “Psychics,” but also here and there throughout Goddaughters? Acid rock on valium, but not quite that mellow, I suppose.

The song “Goddaughters” rides in on an organ, but the opening vocals are supported just as much by the acoustic guitar-picking. As with the rest of the disc, Zach’s rich vocals, which require the sort of full production treatment they receive, carry the day. Well, that and the songwriting. Lyrically, Zach’s ode to goddaughters is tentpoled by the line “Goddaughters don’t ask for anything but get everything.” Well-selected to serve as the album’s title track, it’s one that’ll stick with you.

Next up, “Curses” is a song with a rhythmic engine that gets things moving again. After swaying your way through it, with its hooky rhythm guitar and the predictably recurring appearance of a heavier background riff carrying you along, you’ll find yourself stopping and saying to yourself, “Wait, that song was called ‘Curses.’ Why did its tempo make me smile?”

The quality of the songs remains high throughout the rest of the disc, though I’m at risk of reusing too many adjectives and descriptive phrases if I review each in depth, so I’ll zip through them: “The Hour When I First Believed” is driven by a steady rhythm and Zach’s soaring vocals; “Courtesy of a True God” is a crunchier number with a steady, plodding tempo, a Tom Petty guitar sound and song structure, and a mid-’80s Talking Heads vibe; “The Big Mountain” blends a soaring, expansive sound with a playful, minimalist guitar riff that’s one of the most memorable on the album; and “Ocean of Song” opens briefly, if you listen closely (and only if you really want to hear it), with an acoustically strummed Judas Priest “Living After Midnight” riff that recurs with the chorus. You may not hear that riff the way I do, but you’ll definitely appreciate the energy of the instruments and the hint of an edge in Zach’s voice in a couple spots during “Ocean of Song.” It’s a powerful penultimate track, building toward the end almost right up to the closing fade.

Zach closes the disc by completing the circle, with the instrumental “Cassiopeia in the Stars” harkening back to the opening track.

As a whole, the album is pleasant, energetic, and joyful. It’s a great mood-lifting disc. It’s not too loud, but it’s a rock ‘n roll record – or roots rock, if you prefer, since that’s where Zach is typically categorized. A great voice. Well-written songs. Terrific arrangements and recordings. And several songs capable of being memorable takeaways, specifically depending on each listener’s personal preference. My two personal favorites are “Harmony Grove” and “Curses,” though others, like “Goddaughters,” “Worshipers,” and “The Big Mountain” leave me with just as big an impact in the moment, particularly in the context of a full album listen. I’d be curious to hear which songs are other listeners’ personal standouts because I’m sure they’ll differ from mine.

Additionally

There’s a little bit (but not a lot) of extra info about Zach at his website. You can also follow Zach on Instagram or Threads.

Single Review: Simon Scardanelli – “Fish Out of Water”

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Simon Scardanelli – Fish Out of Water

cover artwork by Bettina Rombout; image courtesy of Simon Scardanelli

Single Review of Simon Scardanelli: “Fish Out of Water”

Multi-talented singer-songwriter Simon Scardanelli recently released “Fish Out of Water,” an eclectic, storytelling-styled, sea shanty-rhythmed romp. I picture the coast of Ireland, a troubadour dressed like a sea captain in an ill-fitting costume, with a scruffy beard, regaling a small dockside audience that sways along to the song’s rises and falls. Then again, I can also picture the song being performed in front of a swaying bunch of drunks at a neighborhood tavern, so this mostly just proves that I have an odd and vivid imagination.

Lyrically, the song is a master class in discouragement, full of clever turns of phrase, something you can dependably expect from a Simon Scardanelli release.

Simon Scardanelli

photo by David Myers; photo courtesy of Simon Scardanelli

Liner Notes

The song was originally penned by Scardanelli from his Lower East Side apartment in New York City in 1993. An acoustic version of the song was released in 2005 on Simon’s HOBOHEMIA album. A 2011 recording of the song failed to meet with Simon’s approval and was never released. However, Simon recently returned to that 2011 version, added flute, violin, and accordion, and with those addition, this fully-instrumented version was released late last year.

Looking Ahead

Simon has a few upcoming live performances currently scheduled. If you’re in France, you can catch him on Friday, September 29 at Maman Poule in Trélevern, on Saturday, October 14 at l’île-aux-oiseaux in Guern, and Saturday, November 18 Ty Gavroche in Saint-Brieuc. For more information on these shows and future gigs, as they’re added, visit the “Concerts” page of Simon’s website.

Album Review: Ghosts of Sunset – No Saints in the City

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Ghosts of Sunset

photo courtesy of Head First Entertainment

Album Review of Ghosts of Sunset: No Saints in the City

Melodic hard rock with fast-paced guitars, high-pitched sidewinding vocals, and a hard-pounding rhythm section. Ghosts of Sunset are a feel-good rock ‘n roll band whose comfortably familiar but uniquely original sound would be equally well-suited to a dive bar or an arena stage.

Song-by-song, here’s what you’ll find on this cohesive-yet-diverse album, No Saints in the City.

The record kicks immediately into overdrive, opening with “Tonight,” the kind of gettin’-pumped-up-for-a-night-out anthem that’s a great table-setter for any hard rock album.

Ghosts of Sunset – No Saints in the City

image courtesy of Head First Entertainment

Next up is my personal favorite song in the collection, the title track “No Saints in the City.” The guitar hook reminds me of Sleeze Beez’s “Stranger Than Paradise” (an underrated rocker from melodic hard rock’s heyday), but that’s where that comparison ends. The steady beat, the slow builds toward the chorus… this is a total crank-it-up rock song!

“Look Me Up” keeps the energy high as the band’s lyrical content remains focused on the untrustworthy, dirty city streets, driving the song with some recurring hooks and energetic late-song axework.

Next, Ghosts of Sunset slows things down with “If You’re Not Coming Back” because what good is rock album without a ballad? Of course, you can count on this band not to serve up any old standard heartbreak ballad. This one’s dark and gritty.

A faster tempo returns briefly with “Queen of Used to Be” before the band slows things back down with the Skid Row-reminiscent ballad “Love Ain’t Enough.”

Ghosts of Sunset

photo courtesy of Head First Entertainment

“Bastard of the Bowery” brings a new vibe – a stripped-down, funky rawness – to the mix.

“Puzzled Heart” follows, with a modern spin on the classic psychedelic sixties/seventies rock sound.

Softer, more lightly instrumented, melodic “Tonight You’re Okay” stands out for its airier touch. It’s a tuneful track that’ll become a quick favorite, easily justifying its inclusion among its heavier album-mates.

“Us Against Them” is a chunky rocker that returns to a seedier storyline before the album closes with the heavy, gravelly-vocalled ballad “Something to Believe.”

You’ll feel the power of the songwriting on No Saints in the City perhaps even more than you’ll feel the power of its rhythm section. Ghosts of Sunset is definitely a band you need to check out – a unique voice even in a crowded classic-based melodic hard rock market – and No Saints in the City is an album you owe it to yourself to test-drive.

Liner Notes

Ghosts of Sunset are John Merchant (ex-Dutch Henry frontman) and multi-instrumentalist Todd Long (ex-The Verve Pipe). However, for the lead guitar parts on most of the songs on No Saints in the City, the duo tabbed a parade of top rock ‘n roll axemen. Guest guitarists include Scotty Griffin (Riley’s LA Guns) on “Tonight,” Alex Kane (Life Sex & Death and Enuff Z’Nuff) on “No Saints in the City,” Eric Jayk (Wildstreet) on “Look Me Up,” Mark Tremalgia (Little Caesar) on “If You’re Not Coming Back” and “Something to Believe,” Denny Smith (The Great Affairs) on “Queen of Used to Be,” Lou Musa (The Verve Pipe) on “Love Ain’t Enough,” Mark Knight (ex-Bang Tango) on “Bastards of the Bowery,” James Stevenson (Gene Loves Jezebel) on “Puzzled Heart,” and Loren Molinare (Little Caesar) on “Us Against Them.” Merchant provided all of the axework on “Tonight You’re Okay” himself; so hey, that means one of my favorites on the disc was sans guest shredder.

More Recently

Since the release of No Saints in the City, Ghosts of Sunset released another album, Breathe, in March of this year. The band also has a YouTube video for  “Afterthought,” one of the songs from Breathe.

Single Review: The Baby Breaks – “Dopamine”

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The Baby Breaks

photo courtesy of The Baby Breaks

Single Review of The Baby Breaks: “Dopamine”

Aussie alt-rockers The Baby Breaks serve up a catchy number with potential mainstream crossover appeal with “Dopamine.” Stylistically, on this track, the band showcases a loose, raw sound, with a lot of instrumental interference intruding upon the primary melody. Intentionally so, of course, to create a “party-in-a-song” delivery style. That party-band style arrangement – and the presence of a horn – give “Dopamine” a bit of a ska-meets-college rock vibe. This song itself sounds like something you might hear at a Los Goutos concert here in Boston. (Hey, maybe a great double-bill if The Baby Breaks tour out this way one day.)

Regardless, “Dopamine” is a playful, fun number. I’d recommend giving it a listen and exploring a little deeper into The Baby Breaks’ song catalog, as well.

More Recently

Since the release of “Dopamine” in 2021, The Baby Breaks have dropped three more songs on Spotify – “Carousel of One” in 2022 and “Think” and “St. Lennies Blues” in 2023 – with “St. Lennies Blues” sporting a release date of just earlier this month. That most recent release sports a full-on semi-psychedelic wall of sound, by the way, so don’t necessarily think that everything you’ll hear from The Baby Breaks sounds like “Dopamine.”

Looking Ahead

I don’t see any upcoming shows listed for The Baby Breaks, but you can keep an eye on the “Events” tab of their Facebook account for future gigs as they’re scheduled.

Album Review: Samantha Preis – Through Fog

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Samantha Preis

photo courtesy of Samantha Preis

Album Review of Samantha Preis: Through Fog

If you’re a longtime reader of the Blog, you know how much I love Samantha Preis’ prior full-length release, Good News. That was a mostly piano-based release that featured Samantha’s skills as a jazz vocalist. Those same rich, crisp vocals with their penchant for well-placed thin wispiness are back, but on Through Fog, they’re accompanied by acoustic guitar, serving up a different musical palette.

The quality and attention to detail on Through Fog, guided by Samantha Preis‘ steady, precise vocals, provide a quality listening experience beginning to end. The songs are pleasant to listen to, but they’re subtle and complex, and it takes a few listens for favorites to emerge.

Album Cover: Samantha Preis – Through Fog

image courtesy of Samantha Preis

Throughout the disc, listeners are treated to Samantha’s deeply emotional vocals, with pacing, vocal emphasis, and cadence delivering an enthralling, deeply moving listening experience, with the guitar picking and strumming serving as melancholy accompaniment. Much of the content, lyrically, is quite heavy, though I’ve not gone into great detail in the review; I’ll leave that for you to experience during your first listen.

The music and singing are enthralling, making Through Fog a satisfying beginning-to-end listen. And favorites develop, especially after multiple listens.

Opener “The Gun and the Gold” is one such song, a developing favorite, with Samantha’s “wo-oah, wo-oah, wo-oah” providing engaging vocal bridges.

Next up, “Romance,” deftly utilizes that old jazz vocalist’s trick of changing tempo with almost every word, placing emphasis where it deserves, blurring the line between speaking and singing very tunefully. Notice – and you won’t be able to avoid noticing – the pattern of the “making eyes” section of the song.

“Mexico Sun,” which follows, is mostly soft and meandering, lyrically deep and thoughtful, with a well-placed musical storminess in a couple of spots as both the guitar and vocals intensify before trailing off again, providing an emotional journey that seems to let off musically right where it started. Stylistically, “Men I Don’t Recognize” kind of does the same thing, though with a very different vibe, darker and quite a bit more haunting.

“Crow” is a bit thicker instrumentally and more vocally insistent and varied than the norm on Through Fog, with strings providing well-placed emphasis, as this song extends the dark, heavy nature of this portion of the album. In the context of this musically low-key song collection, this is what passes for cranking up the volume.

On “Spaceship,” Samantha goes a bit more singer-songwritery than usual, with verbal picture-painting, thoughtful musings, and some cool, almost seventies-ish “oo-ooh” vocalizations. Where much of the rest of the disc might be introspective, somewhat experimental vocal jazz, this is clearly meant for a quiet room full of people, almost to the point that you expect to a few random claps from listening room patrons who simply can’t help themselves as the song comes to a close.

“Decorate Ourselves” has a little richer music bed, with the vocals taking a bit more of a starring role, staccato at times, playing the role of percussion at those times in particular.

“The Goodnight Song” rises and falls like the waves, guided by rhythmic strumming and vocal peaks and valley, suggesting a new, very mellow take on a drinking song, featuring – and closing with – “and we’ll meet further on down the road.”

Piano makes its appearance as the featured – and only – instrument on final track “Fleur de Lisa,” a melancholy, purely instrumental epilogue to an album that’s surprisingly emotional and powerful for such a quiet, calm collection of songs.

My three personal favorites on this disc – if I were to listen to them individually – are probably “The Gun and the Gold,” “Romance,” and “Spaceship.” However, I’d recommend taking in the entire album in one sitting. Samantha Preis has a powerful journey for you on Through Fog. It would be a shame miss any parts of the experience.

Looking Ahead

Samantha doesn’t have any upcoming shows scheduled at the moment, but when she does, you’ll find them here on the “tour” page of her website. You can also be a part of Samantha’s musical journey by becoming a member (shouldn’t it be “patron”?) at her Patreon page.

Single Review: Leah Belle Faser – “Trash Talk”

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Leah Belle Faser

photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

Single Review of Leah Belle Faser: “Trash Talk”

Leah Belle Faser is going to be one of your favorite country music artists. I already suggested as much in my review of her Hermi’s Bridge EP in 2021. Well, it’s still true.

This fun, catchy single is just more proof. With “Trash Talk,” Leah delivers an energetic pop-country number with a message targeted squarely at young adults who are buried in dating life. And she delivers it with an attitude and a phrasing very Taylor Swift-like. I mean, it’s pure, unadulterated Leah Belle Faser, with her easily identifiable voice and cadence, but she’d definitely fit on a T-Swift-heavy playlist.

Leah Belle Faser – "Trash Talk"

image courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

Digging deeper, Leah’s delivery of the phrase “un-laaa-dy-liiike,” punching the syllables so they jump off the record, is one of the many small details that sets Leah apart from other up-and-comers.

As for the song itself, in very Swift-like fashion, “Trash Talk” obliterates a former beau. And if this is really autobiographical, all I can say to the object of this character assassination is, dude, this may be exaggerated, and it may be unfair, but if there’s even a hint of truth to it, you’d better hope your name never gets out because you’ll be undateable, and deservedly so. Man, these lyrics are scorchin’. Of course, if the song isn’t autobiographical, well, then Leah sure delivers it as if she means it.

If you’ve not yet heard Leah Belle Faser sing, you’re missing out. Hermi’s Bridge was a great EP, and this song, despite its scathing review of an ex-boyfriend, is light, clever, catchy, and memorably delivered.

More Recently

Since “Trash Talk” came out in 2022, there are several more recent videos on Leah’s YouTube page. Slow, swaying crooner “Because” is Leah’s most recent single. And in-between “Trash Talk” and “Because,” it appears Leah released “If He Was a Truck,” a clever, slow-ish but lively-voiced, slide guitar-drenched number. And if you do explore the YouTube channel (rather than Spotify), you’ll find some nice recent covers, too.

Looking Ahead

Leah’s next show is Saturday, September 16th, delivering an acoustic opening set for LeAnn Rimes in Douglasville, GA. After that, she has a lot more performances scheduled around Georgia over the next few months (plus February, July, and September 2024 dates booked at the Chateau Meichtry Family Vineyard and Winery). Outside Georgia (and returning to 2023), she has a Nashville show scheduled on October 18th. Click here for more information and to see additional performance dates as they’re added.

Leah also checks in regularly on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, so if you follow here on one or more of those platforms, you’ll always know what she’s up to.

Album Review: Dirtbag Republic – Tear Down Your Idols

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Dirtbag Republic

photo by Matt Leaf; photo courtesy of Head First Entertainment

Album Review of Dirtbag Republic: Tear Down Your Idols

Dirtbag Republic‘s vocals are raw but its instrumentation is full and rich, giving the band’s catchy, memorable, (sometimes) singalongable, energetically straight-forward hard rock just a hint of a punk edge. Add fun, unapologetic lyrics, classic rock guitar runs, and an in-your-face delivery to the mix, and you’ll discover a new favorite band. My first inclination was to compare Dirtbag Republic with the London Quireboys and Dogs D’Amour, but no, if you dig a little deeper, this is a top-shelf, talent-heavy Sunset Strip-caliber hard rock outfit with its own inimitable style. This band checks so many boxes – with plenty of bonus “style points” – that I can only categorize its potential fans base as “fans of guitar-driven rock ‘n roll.” And, I might add, why are you not already listening to these guys?!

There’s so much to write about this album, I’ll do a song-by-song, as-I-listen review.

The disc opens with a guitar riff that screams “rock and roll!” as “Main Objective” kicks of with a frenetic-paced journey through Dirtbag Republic’s original sound, sporting classic rock guitar riffs, rough-as-broken-glass vocals, a vocal line that stylistically moves around the pocket, rarely landing directly on the beat, a couple Enuff Z’Nuff-ish distorted harmonies, the anthemic lyrics “as long as I am still alive, rock and roll will never die,” and a guitar line that simply does not stop, slow down, or break to take a single breath.

Dirtbag Republic – Tear Down Your Idols

image courtesy of Head First Entertainment

Whew, when that song’s over, you want a break? Ha! You wish! The tempo doesn’t slow a bit on “Skinny.” There is just the slightest hint of space in the not-quite-so-wall-of-sound sound bed, but man, the lyrics are biting, culminating in the oh-yes-you-will-sing-along chorus “She’s too skinny, look a little closer. She’s too skinny, anorexia nervosa.”

So, yes, two songs in, and you’ll be hooked. You’ll know this is one of your new favorite bands. As a reward, you get a little break from a tempo that is now a little less way-too-fast. But the songs are still as rockin’, and the lyrics and delivery just as much fun. “Wannabes,” for example, is next, and it’s all about… well, being a rocker.

On “Days Are Gone,” about wasted teenage years, you’ll find yourself singing along with the chorus “long gone, those days are gone.” See, I told you there’d be lots of singing along.

“Don’t Answer to No One” is another would-be hit single (if you could find hard rock on the radio). It’s yet another Dirtbag Republic song with a monster hook and a singalong chorus. Do you detect a pattern? Yeah, but it’s a catchy-as-hell, fun, rockin’ pattern. And there’s a moderately-nuanced distorted guitar bridge just past the midway point that you should listen for – it’s one of those guitar parts that, if it’s done properly (and this one is) lets you know “there are no new lyrics, but that’s OK because you’ll enjoy our musical arrangement as we repeat lines from the chorus a few more times until the end of the song.”

What’s next? Oh, yeah, it’s the title track “Tear Down Your Idols.” It’s another rollicking, hooky, memorable song you’ll find yourself singing along to during and long after listening to the album. Gotta say, though, based on the lyrics, it sounds like maybe your idols have kinda turned into money-grubbing losers who deserve to be torn down, or at least knocked down a peg or two.

When you listen to how the band sings “Sorry,” you almost can’t tell they’re Canadian… except that they have a song called “Sorry,” which is the most stereotypically Canadian song title of all time. It is also, though, a rhythm section-driven, hard rockin’ number you’ll dig. Next up, “Did All I Could” utilizes somewhat sidewinding guitarwork and more finesse-driven drumming to provide a cool new vibe without sacrificing tempo.

The next song, “Superficial” is another standout. I’m not sure if it’s the music that’s so catchy or if it’s just fun to sing along with the word combination of “superficial unconditional.” Regardless, I’m starting to wonder if I’ll run out of fingers counting how many of the songs on this 11-track disc are memorable, though I think maybe I counted the first two songs twice, so that contributes to the digit scarcity.

Penultimate song “When I Was Young” opens with a bit of a raw, Green Day-ish vibe before developing into a straight-forward, driving guitar rocking number, reaching a tempo and pace that continues through the end of the album on disc-ender “Turn Back Fast.”

Whew! What a disc. If you like rock ‘n roll but don’t like Dirtbag Republic’s Tear Down Your Idols, then you don’t like rock ‘n roll.

Looking Ahead

According to this Instagram post, Dirtbag Republic is mixing its new album, slated for a 2024 release. I can’t wait!

Single Review: Dead Posey – “Can’t Take Me Down”

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Dead Posey

photo courtesy of DRPR

Single Review of Dead Posey: “Can’t Take Me Down” (Position Music)

Dead Posey is comprised of lead singer Danyell Souza and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Tony F. The single “Can’t Take Me Down” was a March 2022 release from the band’s then-upcoming EP Blue Monday.

Dead Posey – "Can't Take Me Down"

image courtesy of DRPR

“Can’t Take Me Down” is catchy, hooky, distorted, melodic industrial hard rock. It has the danceable energy of a dance club floor-filler, the raw emotion that has typified the best industrial rock for decades, and a more mainstream hard rock appeal, likely in large part to Danyell’s powerful-yet-clear hard rock vocal skills. And did I mention that hook? Oh, you’ll remember this song, probably sing along to it, and definitely enjoy its raw energy. Of course, as with so much of the music I choose to write about in this blog, this is a song that’ll appeal to listeners both within and beyond fans of its core genre.

More Recently

“Can’t Take Me Down” was the third song released, at the time, for an upcoming “album.” With the release of the band’s cover of New Order’s “Blue Monday” providing the fourth song, a 4-song EP Blue Monday was released in September 2022.

Dead Posey does have a cool, newer March 2023 single, “Bad Things (Come With Me),” which you can find here on Spotify.

Looking Ahead

The “tour” page of Dead Posey’s website doesn’t currently list any upcoming dates, but be sure to check back.

 

EP Review: Ian Jones – The Evergreens

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EP Review of Ian Jones: The Evergreens

Ian Jones‘ emotionally expressive, mostly-crisp, broad-ranging voice is the heart of his Americana style, one that’s earnest and heartfelt, while being light and hopeful.

The Evergreens is a disc with a cohesive song collection that provides a great beginning-to-end listen while still producing a couple of potential crossover hit singles.

The EP-opening title track, “Evergreens,” is a softly pleasant place-setter that paints a vivid picture of a landscape of, well, evergreens.

Things turn quickly to a slightly darker tone on “Born Again Sinner,” a lyrically introspective yet outwardly hopeful song that’s augmented with one of those haunting guitar lines that I way-too-frequently compare to Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.” This one’s not full-on “Wicked Game,” but it’s in the same zip code. Regardless, this is one of the songs you’ll remember long after your most recent spin of the disc, and it’s one of Ian’s songs with the potential to appeal to fans well beyond the Americana singer-songwriter genre.

Next up, “Liars, Criminals, Beggars, and Thieves” is a very folky storytelling-style song, one that’ll be a quick favorite of folky singer-songwriter fans. I would expect it to be an oft-requested number for Ian, particularly from his most ardent fans.

“Hallelujah” is an uplifting, hopeful track with a lilting guitar line that supports Ian’s earnest vocals, while “Promised Land” is a reminiscent love song with well-crafted lyrics (“The road’s long but it always feels right, like it does when you’re holding me tight”) and a twangy, dancehall-flavored production style.

Finally, the EP ends with the rollickingly memorable, energetically uptempo country ditty “Last Call.” A mainstream country audience would really dig this fun number. At the very least, I’d expect some country bars to use it as a night-ending, “I don’t care where you go, but you can’t stay here” kind of closing-the-bar number.

The two songs on this EP that stay with me for days are “Born Again Sinner” and “Last Call,” though a couple of the other songs rival them as favorites while I’m listening to the record. It’s only 6 songs long, but The Evergreens is an exceptionally solid, must-hear collection.

More Recently

Since the release of The Evergreens in October 2021, Ian has released a full-length album. Results Not Typical dropped in April 2023.

Looking Ahead

Check the “Tour” page of Ian’s website for upcoming live performances. He currently has three gigs listed for later this week: tomorrow (Thursday), September 7th at the Madison Avenue Pub in Everett, WA; Friday, September 8th at Whistlin’ Jack’s in Naches, WA; and Saturday, September 9th at Slim’s in Seattle, WA.