Local CD reviews

Atomic Duo & Friends, 'Long Time Coming'

Jeff Nations — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:25:21 GMT

By Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

Long Time Coming is the title of Atomic Duo & Friends' debut EP. It's an appropriate one because the band has been together in various forms for years yet this is only their first release. Founding members Gary Corbin (vocals/guitar) and Bill Belt (bass/vocals) began as Atomic Duo performing acoustic music but in recent years have added "Friends" with whom they've played with in other projects: Dennis Ripplinger (guitars/fiddle/vocals), Kurt Sellmeyer (drums/percussion) and Gerry Blood (guitar/harmonica/mandolin/vocals). Corbin and Ripplinger serve as the two main songwriters.

Atomic Duo & Friends blend old-school country, bluegrass and folk styles with undertones of rock and blues. Corbin's voice is seasoned and his range and sense of harmony is beyond impressive. Ripplinger fills out a lower register, vocal-wise, with a more restrained delivery. Gerry Blood is probably the best harmonica player you've never heard although his recently found mandolin skills take presidence over his harp on this recording. These songs will make you think you've stepped back to the 50s and are listening to an artist similar to that of Carl Perkins or Johnny Cash and that is part of the appeal of ADF. These guys are able to write a style of music that hasn't been prominent for 40+ years yet they do it effortlessly and make it catchy, updated and authentic. The members of Atomic Duo & Friends are all in the 50+ age range and they have no problem conveying their life experiences, via song, as musicians, husbands and friends. Standout tracks are "Shirley", "Sunset Hill", "Family Farm" and my personal favorite, "The River". I've been playing in a cover band with Gary for the past 10 years and asked him WHY he hadn't played me "The River" sooner. It's a gorgeous song with great melodies and vocal harmonies and perfectly placed guitar leads and accents.

In the end, this is a great album to take you waaaay back. The tunes are well arranged and very well written and each one tells its own unique story in its own unique way and the liner notes even give a brief back history for each song. Long Time Coming was recorded at home on a minidisk unit so the production value ends up coming across sounding more like a live venue recording over a studio effort and some things get lost in the mix here and there and there is a little bit of hiss on the last couple tracks. Keep in mind though, these guys aren't looking to get famous (although I'm sure they wouldn't mind). They're playing music for the sake of playing music and Long Time Coming proves that they do it extremely well.

The Idle Commission, 'The Idle Commission'

Jeff Nations — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:54:15 GMT

By Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

The Idle Commission is a band that I knew nothing about when they contacted me for this review so I went into this one with a clean slate. The Idle Commission is a 4-piece band from STL and their debut eponymous EP consists of five songs that, for me, are a throwback to the heyday of mid/late 90s modern rock which brings back fond memories from grade school and first learning how to strum a guitar. The songs on this EP however don't quite have the same effect on me.

The EP opens with "On A Soldier's Back (100 Days)", an obvious tribute to our men and women in the military. Listen, I'm behind our troops, I appreciate what they do and the sacrifices they make but military tribute songs are about as cheesy as you can get and this song is no exception. I appreciate the message and intention behind these types of songs but they are usually riddled with cliched images and themes and no matter how the lyrics are written they always come across as elementary. The Idle Commission flows through four more tracks of the same styles. Singer Shawn Petroski's voice reminds me most of Gordon Vaughn of Cool For August (who had moderate success with their single "Walk Away" back in '98. A very good, underrated song in my eyes) though his voice brought to mind a handful of other vocalists from that late 90s era and has that Eddie Vedder annunciation style that too many singers try to emmulate (remember, Eddie Vedder is the only guy that sounds good doing that!). Zach Haley's guitars do their best to snare in the listener but a lack of tone change and lead work runs off the interest I may have had. While there is a catchy vocal melody or guitar riff here or there, there is not enough going on musically to hold my attention and most of the songs drone on for too long and don't have enough changes to warrant their length.

The production overall is very sub-par. Their guitars are thin, flat and compressed and sound like they are being run through a cheap amp. The drums sound the same way with minimal depth and no distinction between tom sounds although the cymbals cut through the mix nicely most of the time. The bass seems to get lost in the mix here and there but Petroski's vocals do a good job of driving the songs and restoring some power behind them.

In the end, The Idle Commission is too dated and too one-note for me. Is there potential in future writings? Maybe, if the band members each work on their individual crafts and fine-tune everything a little more and update their songwriting. There is tons of room for improvement. But in the meantime if you're in a nostalgic mood and don't mind an album that is a little tough to listen to sonically, The Idle Commission's debut EP might be something to check out.

Peach, 'Far From The Tree'

Jeff Nations — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:48:11 GMT

By Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

Peach is a somewhat newer band to the STL scene having only been together for a year or two. This Saturday August 20 they will be releasing their debut EP, entitled Far From The Tree, at The Heavy Anchor in St. Louis. The record is seven tracks of Peach's self-proclaimed rock/trash-pop style. While I think the songs lean more toward the indie side of things, the sound of the record is definitely trashy and certain parts do sport some pop elements.

The record sounds great and even though the overall mix is very dry, the instruments are each allowed to push through in the mix where they need to. Overall though, the record is repetitive for the most part and there really isn't enough going on to hold my attention. The guitar tones are the same on every song: Dirty, dry and warm and while that tone sounds good, the music is devoid of any lead work and, for that matter, there are no completely clean tones and completely distorted tones. That being said, when I got to the seventh song, the album's title track, I was refreshed to hear it driven by only an acoustic guitar and vocals for the first three and a half minutes. This is probably also the standout track of the EP as the vocal melody is catchy and allows singer Melissa Roberts' voice to really shine through. It also feels as though this song has the most energy and passion behind it even though it is more of a laid back piece. Roberts has a very capable voice and I'd like to hear her push it a little harder in future songs. The rest of the EP features songs with a mid to uptempo feel and fall into that trashy style both in sound in feel. And no, I don't mean "trash" as in that Kesha, Kid Rock let's-go-get wasted-in-a-trailer-park-and-make-out-with-our-siblings kind of way. I mean the sound of the band's instruments coming together to make a cacophony of sounds that is both noisy in tone but at the same time melodic. If there's one thing that Peach does well, it's pulling off that sound.

Fans of stripped down indie music will most likely enjoy this EP. Although it's not the most intricate or catchy music I've ever heard it's admirably produced and there is room for growth. This band is on the right track and I feel that, with a little more focus and attention to detail, Peach can write some very appealing, unique tunes.

Don't miss the CD release party for Far From The Tree Saturday August 20 at The Heavy Anchor.

Last Nights Vice, 'Perfect Little Noise'

Jeff Nations — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:18:18 GMT

Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

How do you know the band Last Nights Vice? Maybe you caught them at a recent Pointfest. Maybe you have seen their giant posters plastered on utility boxes at stoplights in town. Maybe you've caught them on the radio or seen their latest video. Either way, Last Nights Vice is in your face or at least trying to be. Their latest full-length record is entitled Perfect Little Noise and if you're in the mood to groove, this may very well be the album to do it to. If you're like me, you're digging a lot of dance rock bands like We Are Scientists, The Killers, Chromeo, Noisettes, etc. These bands are blending indie rock stylings with upbeat dance and some alternative elements. Last Nights Vice is doing something similar to that although with less indie influence and more modern rock and even some punk slipped in.

As the album opened, it immediately had me nodding my head to "Lock & Key" with it's infectious vocal line and stomping drum beats. "Perfect Little Noise" kept in the same vein incorporating a little more of a pop vibe and great use of a Digitech Whammy pedal. "All I" brought back a little bit of an early 2000's alt rock vibe which could sit well next to bands like Greenwheel or Hoobstank. Perfect Little Noise as a whole is a good album, though I found myself becoming somewhat bored by the last three or four songs which all start to sound repetitive and, to me, seem to lack some inspiration. Songs like "Crazy", "Gin & Tonic" and "At Sunset She Strips" lean more toward the fast paced, pop-punk sounds of Fall Out Boy or Yellowcard and some of it is reminiscent of the dirty rock sounds of worn out bands like Buckcherry or Sick Puppies. These are just minor speedbumps amongst standout tracks like "Rags To Ruins", "Power Cosmic" and "Slow Baby Slow" which all keep the heads bobbing and the feet moving.

The production on Perfect Little Noise is stellar and I cannot say one negative thing about it (except for the slight bit of auto-tune heard in "Crazy"). The mixing is superb, the drums are big and defined, the guitars cut through nicely. This is a great sounding album.

I enjoyed listening to Perfect Little Noise. It's one of those albums that is admirably put together and produced and you can tell that the band really cared about the record they were making, which is rare sometimes in the St. Louis music scene. In addition, Last Nights Vice is contributing to the whole dance rock sound which is not a genre that has a lot of presence in STL, though I hope that will change soon. This is a band that I had previously only heard minimal material from but am now a for sure fan. Combined with LNV's tireless promotions, aggressive work ethic and ability to write catchy songs that overall have a fresh approach, Perfect Little Noise could, in actuality, turn out to make quite a big noise.

Jailbox, 'Empty Rooms'

Jeff Nations — Thu, 19 May 2011 17:24:46 GMT

Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

Empty Rooms is the latest effort from southeast Missourians, Jailbox. As you may remember I reviewed their debut effort, One For Each Of Us, last year. It was one of the most admirably produced records I have heard from an unsigned band in awhile, not to mention the music was catchy and different, even somewhat quirky in spots. Empty Rooms sports five tracks and these songs still retain the quality you've come to love about Jailbox and the production is just as up to snuff as their previous effort.

The songs on Empty Rooms are acoustically driven and very easy on the ears. The highlight of this record is the vocal melodies. They are well written and are emphasized by pretty harmonies. There are spots that, for whatever reason, brought a Toad The Wet Sprocket vibe to mind even though this record sounds nothing like a 90s alternative effort. Instead imagine roomy, spacey reverb, crisp acoustics, a variety of percussion and dreamy, lullaby-ish vocals and you have Empty Rooms. "How Time Sorts Things" is the obvious single in my eyes but "I Hate It" is a close contender. Overall this is a MELLOW album, song for song. This is easily an EP that you could put on at bedtime and doze off to. However, the band keeps things intersting and there is enough going on to hold your attention, even with longer songs like "Take Me In" and "Barley & Cherries".

Jailbox's production quality is one of the reasons I have come to like this band so much. You can tell no corners were cut and nothing was rushed in the studio. The sound overall is big and ambient and matches the music style perfectly. The drums take more of a backseat on this EP and instead a lot of various percussion is highlighted which gives the album even more of a stripped down feel. Once again, this is a record where I cannot find one flaw with production.

To sum it up, if you're looking for an album to, say, keep you awake while driving through the state of Kansas, you'd better steer clear of this EP. However, if you're looking for something to mellow you out at the end of a long, hectic day, Empty Rooms should be at the top of your list. This is yet another solid release from a band that I still contend has a bright future on the STL scene.

Bunnygrunt, 'Lady, You Just Got Von Damaged!'

Jeff Nations — Tue, 17 May 2011 05:19:56 GMT

Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

Bunnygrunt's latest release is a 3-song, 45rpm record entitled Lady, You Just Got Von Damaged! (Eric Von Damage is Bunnygrunt's drummer). Upon first hearing the tracks on this release, my initial reaction is, "What the hell is this?". My first note: The songs (one of which is a cover by an old local group called Crime Squad) are given no time to develop. The longest song on here is 2:40. The other two are under two minutes. They all immediately dive into verses with little build-up and nothing to anticipate. They all end abruptly where the listener would expect a bridge or some kind of change. There's nothing very ear-grabbing going on either, no interesting choruses, no lead guitar work and no catchy melodies or harmonies.

The second thing I notice is the lack of cohesiveness among the musicians. For being a band that's been together, in various incarnations, since '93 you'd think they'd be a tight, well-oiled unit but this album makes Bunnygrunt sound like a new garage band who needs a LOT more practice and whose songs need a LOT more polish. Most of the background vocals are mostly sung by one male voice whose notes seem to waver behind the female lead. Lead vocalist Karen Reid lacks power behind her voice and nothing she is doing will blow your mind.

The production, which is sub-par, suits the style of music, I guess. All the guitar tones are the same: Dry, gritty clean and dirty tones which work for the type of playing going on. The drums are dry and somewhat noisy in spots and you almost don't even realize that there's a bass on the recording. Is the music itself bad? No. The songs just need a lot more development and inspiration. There's nothing new and different about them. The band needs to be tighter as a whole and the vocalists need to work on voice control.

Maybe the whole sloppy performance, low quality production sound is exactly what Bunnygrunt is going for but for a band that has put in close to 20 years of work and had a song featured in a major motion picture, I would expect they'd hold themselves to higher standards. Then again the fact that they've had a song in a Hollywood film (Bad Santa, if you're wondering) and they're still a local underground act certainly says something. Perhaps Bunnygrunt isn't concerned with impressing anyone. If that's the case, they hit the nail on the head with this record.

Fer De Lance, '2217'

Jeff Nations — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 20:21:07 GMT

Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

2217 is an album from St. Louis rockers Fer De Lance three and a half years in the making. Comprised of former members of Side Of Fives and Dark Water, Fer De Lance combines elements of rock, alternative, grunge and metal that comes across sounding huge on record. 2217 is their debut full-length and after listening to it once all the way through, you can hear why this album has been a long time coming.

2217 is one of the best sounding albums I have heard from a local rock group in a long time. Recorded at Suburban Pro Studios in St. Louis, one word describes the sound of this album: HUGE. The guitars are loud and fat and the drums are crisp, clean and big. I thought the vocals could have used a bit more depth and the bass lines could have punched a little harder. Those are my only two critiques production wise. Engineer Matt Sawicki is on top of his game and it shows.

I have to say I was quite surprised by Fer De Lance's sound on this record. I have known guitarist Jared Gleason, vocalist Jason Cole, guitarist Josh Hendrix and bassist Ricky Wicks from my early days in the STL music scene. Back then they were playing in bands that had a more straightforward rock sound and I expected to hear that influence. Instead Fer De Lance is MUCH harder. Cole has moved from a bassist position to a singer and gives his vocal cords a run for their money. His singing moments recall Doug Robb from Hoobastank both in sound and annunciation while his screaming (though powerful and impressive) sound like any run-of-the-mill screamo band. Hendrix made the move from behind a drum kit to a guitar. He and Gleason match perfectly in their riffs and rhythms though their respective guitar tones aren't very discernable from each other. Several of Gleason's main riffs on some of the songs still retain his grunge influence and are reminiscent of his writing with his previous band, Side Of Fives, which brought back fond memories for me. Drummer Wes Hastings is the perfect man for the job on drums. His chops are frantic yet controlled when needed and he milks his kit for everything it's worth. Ricky Wicks has moved from a frontman position to playing the 4-string. His basslines hold the band together and while I would've like to hear him get a little more complicated, he stands strong with his instrument.

The heavier songs on 2217 tend to get a bit repetitive and several times throughout the record I had to check my iPod to see if the track had changed or if it was another one of FDL's awkward (in a good way), fake-out breaks. Chunky guitars in dropped D build a foundation for Hastings' choppy drum work while Cole goes from scream to sing throughout. The songs are powerful and in your face and well arranged though and could definitely get a crowd on its feet. Fer De Lance's lighter moments show their versatility and come off quite pretty especially when highlighted by a string section or some sequencing. Standout tracks include "Last Night In Dreams", "The Vengeful", "The Landing", "Mission: Supernova" and "Left For Dead".

In the end, fans of heavier bands like Saosin and Breaking Benjamin should enjoy this album very much. Fans of local music in general should respect this album because of its production value and attention to detail, even if the music isn't necessarily your cup of tea. While the music is hard and somewhat dark in parts, the guys in Fer De Lance are some of the best dudes you'd ever want to meet and I am proud to share this music scene with them. After watching all of the members work their butts off with previous bands and continue to do so with Fer De Lance, I am confident that 2217 could very well bring them the attention they've been striving for.

LucaBrasi, 'The Norris Division'

Jeff Nations — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:56:38 GMT

Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

Ahhhh, finally, the sophomore album from St. Louis' LucaBrasi. I was made aware of these guys back in '07 when they came on my radio show I was hosting at the time to promote their eponymous debut record. Since then LucaBrasi has been, hands down, my favorite STL band. The group is comprised of Matt McInerney (of Ulcer, Inc.), Josiah Werner (of Adair/Disturbing The Peace), Jerry Jost (of The Urge) and his brother Mike (of Helmet, Disturbing The Peace). It also seems that Bill Reiter (of The Urge) has been added as a permanent member on keys. Their latest effort entitled The Norris Division picks up where LucaBrasi left off but throws in some new elements as well.

The first half of the album finds LucaBrasi with some familiar intensity yet things seem more melodic. Certain parts almost have a Minus The Bear feeling to them. Pretty arpeggiated guitar rhythms layered over beautiful keyboard sections and McInerney's sandpaper vocals singing flowing vocal melodies are laden throughout the beginning of the disc. The second half of the record seems to revert back to the sound of LB's first album: Crunchy, in your face guitars, intense vocals that are almost yelled at the listener and frantic drumming. In my opinion, Norris, takes LucaBrasi's best elements and makes them more melodic while still retaining that big, raw sound that their fans have come to love them for.

All of the musicians have stepped up their game on The Norris Division. Reiter's keyboards take more of a front seat. Werner lets his basslines do a little more walking. McInerney is letting his vocals soar even more than usual. Mike Jost's drumming is just as frantic and noisy (in a good way) and some of the fills and beats he lays down on this album put some of his old work to shame. I'd say Jerry Jost's guitar playing has taken the biggest step on this record. While his riffs and rhythms are still soaked with a thick phaser effect (MXR Phase 90 I'm guessing, which is the best sounding phaser ever made) and lots of flittery wah-pedal, Jost seems to experiment with different tones and much more complicated riffing. His lead work really stands out on the last four tracks and the solo on "Out Of Here" had me rewinding several times saying, "I had no idea he could play like that!". There is literally something great that I can point out on every single song. Standout tracks include...well all of them but to name a few, "All In Grey", "Turned Around", "How Long?" and the spacey album closer "Everybody Would Say".

The production of Norris is similar to that on LucaBrasi which is no surprise as both were recorded at John Pessoni's (of The Urge) Sunstone Studios. The basslines are thick and nasty, the guitars remain huge and loud, keyboards are pulled up in the mix and standout much more and Mike Jost's drums are still big and noisy yet they take on a much warmer tone on this recording.

As expected, LucaBrasi remains my fave in the stable of STL rock bands. This is truly a supergroup the town can be proud of. The band are all exceptional musicians, decades of combined experience and they are some of the nicest, most professional guys I've ever dealt with. If you haven't heard of LucaBrasi yet, now is as good a time as any. Get off your duff and go pick up The Norris Division.

Catch LucaBrasi live on November 20 at Blueberry Hill for the CD release party for The Norris Division.

Luxora, 'Rotations EP'

Jeff Nations — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 21:49:11 GMT

Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

Luxora is a four piece group from St. Louis formed in 2008. The band's new EP entitled Rotations EP was just released on September 3. On the recording, the group toys with spacey, psychedelic sounds blended with dub, electronica and shoegaze elements. The result is fairly underwhelming. The songs for the most part are instrumental. In the few spots that vocals do make an appearance, they are reserved with a very breathy, elongated female voice and they blend into the mix of instruments instead of standing out. The music is mostly dominated by electronic drum sequences and laden with arpeggiated guitars and an array of keyboard sounds. The longest song on the record 5:13 but all of them seem way longer. There's a lot of meandering going on and everything is very repetative. The songs don't really switch from a verse to a chorus to a bridge, they all just kind of play the same chord progressions throughout the entire song and switch up some of the keyboard sounds.

Rotations is admirably produced. There really isn't anything on this record that sounds bad from a production point of view. Honestly, upon looking at the album itself (which features a front cover devoid of any text, a back cover featuring only the song titles, a CD-R and a two panel insert card with three lines of production credits) I expected a poorly produced, basement recording but the music contained on the disc is far from that even though the band did record it themselves. All the instruments have depth and lend themselves well to the mix.

Luxora's Rotations EP isn't anything to write home about. The music is pretty and there is a lot of experimenting going on but there's nothing that stands out on this recording. All the instruments' parts are simple and minimal and all five songs sound so similar that they could have been blended into one long track and no one would know the difference. This isn't bad music by any means though and I'm sure there are some folks out there that would enjoy the sounds that Luxora is putting together.

Catch Luxora live at Firebird on Wednesday October 6.

Ava, Wait, 'Lost Vegas'

Jeff Nations — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 21:49:34 GMT

Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

"Ava, who?" is what you might say when hearing the name Ava, Wait these days. The local St. Louis rockers have been fairly quiet for the past couple years. The reason? The band has been dilligently writing this latest album, Lost Vegas which was recorded at various studios in STL. Now with a new album under their belt, the group is back on the live circuit. Lost Vegas is 13 tracks of Ava, Wait's mix of rock, punk and prog-rock stylings and is easily an album that could gain them some recognition.

I'll be honest, the first time I listened through I really wasn't impressed with the music itself. I thought of it as a tolerable version of Story Of The Year. But once I listened for a second time, I kind of got past that and realized that there were a lot of elements that actually appealed to me and there's definitely a lot that can appeal to a national audience. The music is very big and anthematic and the production is full and loud and I found myself liking what I was hearing.

While the album is somewhat of a concept album, it's deeper than that. "Lost Vegas isn't really a concept album in the traditional sense", says singer Gareth Nelson. "The songs all stem from one period in my life, which have most shaped who I am now". Nelson continues, "That point of my life was when I was living and growing up in the southern Nevadan desert. I was enthralled in church, god and Christianity and unfortunately encountered some experiences that were very negative and stunting...The record not only focuses on those 4 or 5 years of my life when I was in the thick of it, but the after effects of tragedy."

Lost Vegas opens strong and big with lots of thick guitars, stomping drums and plenty of "Woah-oh-oh" sing-along vocals. The songs are edgy, intense and hard hitting. Some songs even made me think this is what Lostprophets may sound like today if they hadn't abandoned their early style for a more pop-punk sound. In parts, the only thing missing is Lostprophets' Ian Watkins throwing in some tasteful screams.

The second half of the album is strangely reminiscent of Chevelle and maybe a little Greenwheel in singing style and even the sound of Nelson's voice. This is the half of the album that really shines. The vocal melodies are a little more melodic and the music seems to differentiate itself more while still keeping an anthematic style. Standout tracks on the album are "Halo Bar", "In The City", "Routines" and the closing track "No Way New (Feet Don't Fail Me Now)" which really could not end the album any better. Lost Vegas brought back some of the better memories of what I liked so much about some of the music from the early 2000s yet it doesn't seem stale or dated (or outdated for that matter).

Is there anything new and mind blowing being done on Lost Vegas? No. It's commercial rock for the most part with a more progressive edge. But there's a story and meaning behind it and just a few minutes talking with Gareth Nelson will tell you that this album is much more than just music written by some friends in a band. What I would like to hear Ava, Wait do in the future is either trim some of the songs down a bit in length or add some more parts to make things a bit more complicated and progressive. As the songs stand now, there are portions in some songs that just seem to meander and feel like they're just there to take up some time. I kept waiting for a big guitar solo or a huge drum build up but they never came. Ava, Wait has their act together though and I wouldn't be surprised to see these guys make some noise on a national level. I have a feeling that the time and thought (and experiences) put into Lost Vegas will pay off.

Drew Mantia, 'Some Assembly Required'

Jeff Nations — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 21:49:39 GMT

Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

Some Assembly Required is the follow-up LP to Drew Mantia's debut Save Yourself. On Assembly, Mantia once again mixes his own blend of rock, pop, eletronica and R&B with subtle undertones of jazz and blues stylings. On this album though, he seems to take everything one step further, especially the pop and R&B sounds. Save Yourself proved to be much more raw in comparison with Assembly which is a lot more experimental. This record certainly does have many highs and a couple lows in my opinion.

Some Assembly Required opens with the atmospheric "Breathe In", a poppy, upbeat tune with catchy keyboards and guitar work. Of course the song is absolutely killed by Mantia's use of auto-tune vocals (WHY?!?!?!) which appear quite often throughout this record and honestly does nothing but dumb down otherwise catchy, crafty, well written songs. The spacey "Another Planet" is another standout track. "Tightrope" finds Drew almost lulling the listener to sleep over nothing but a string section. Oddly one of my favorites on this album is the super poppy "Lift". Maybe it's the catchy vocal melodies, maybe it's the anthematic nature of the song or maybe it's because it just makes you want to get up and dance. But honestly I might say the best jam on this CD is the hidden track which just oozes Joe Satriani due the guitar's use of the Digitech Whammy pedal and the overall style of the leads.

There is really nothing bad I can say about the production of this album. The instruments sound great, the drums are dry but crisp and all the sequencing is spot on and the band members all stay in groove with each other. When I asked Mantia about the abundence of auto-tune he responded, "I consider autotune in the same bag of tricks as reverb, delay, chorus, distortion, etc...It's just a cool production effect...I think it's kinda lame when people use it as an excuse to not learn how to sing". Drew continues, "Chris Brown is a good example of an artist that can sing but uses autotune on certain songs. Lil' Wayne is an example of someone that can't sing and uses autotune to do something he can't do." Well put indeed.

Overall, I love what Drew has done on this album save for the auto-tune and some of the electronic R&B sequencing. It's a little overproduced in some parts but the songs and the abilities of the players speak for themselves and it's obvious all the musicians are competent performers. I really am excited to hear these songs performed live because I think...no I know, they will sound so much better in a live setting without all the added studio effects.

Don't forget to check out my review of Drew Mantia's Save Yourself

Jailbox, 'One For Each Of Us'

Jeff Nations — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 01:42:17 GMT

Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

What do you get when you combine the echo-y, psychedelic sounds of Radiohead and the indie rock elements of a group like The Big Pink or even Cold War Kids? You get southeast Missouri’s newest indie rock band, Jailbox. Some of you may remember a review I did awhile back on a band called Surtsey. Surtsey included Joe Bassa carrying the album with his high pitched voice in front of a tight band. Jailbox also includes Joe Bassa but in this band he’s sitting back taking some of the background vocals and guitar duties. It took me a couple listens to really appreciate what Jailbox had going on and once I got past the slow, dreamy tempos of it, I liked what I heard.

Most of the music on the album is laid back and laden with soft, airy vocals, acoustic guitars and high, electric arpeggios that carry the songs. Miscellaneous percussion adds to the mix. My favorite tune is probably the most obscure one, “Where Does It All Go?”, a choppy, whimsical romp featuring xylophones, extra voices, lots of reverb and one of the best guitar tones I’ve ever heard. The melody is super catchy and you can’t help but smile when listening to this song. Other standout tracks are “Clone Me” (a possible single), “My Shell” which almost has a bit of an A Perfect Circle vibe to it, “Sleep Through New York” and “Plane Crash” which features a guest vocal appearance from Natalie Hayden.

The strangest song title on the disc (and perhaps the most dumbfounding title I have ever heard) is “Eyes Like A Farmer Tan”. The main chorus line is, “She’s got eyes like a farmer tan in the summer”…what the hell? After hearing the song several times, I’m left wondering if there is some actual meaning behind the title or if they just threw some words together that flowed well for the melody. Either way it’s a good track and its words have perplexed me.

I give the production of this disc two thumbs way up. Throughout the record I had to keep reminding myself that this was an unsigned band because the production would definitely tell you otherwise. It’s raw yet all the instruments are crisp and well mixed. The cymbals shine through nicely and Samuel Schenck’s drums have a great, dry tone to them. The dirty Telecaster guitar tones scrape themselves down your eardrums yet the clean notes sit well within the rest of the instruments.

One For Each Of Us does tend to drag a bit toward the end. All the songs are well written and are worth a listen but I found myself almost nodding off during the last three or four songs. They are VERY mellow and just didn’t have enough going on to hold my attention. As much of a fan as I am of slow tunes, I would have liked to hear a few more quick, upbeat numbers to mix things up a bit more.

In the end, this is a great debut effort by a band that I would say has a bright future in our scene. They obviously know what they are doing in the studio, I can only hope they sound just as good on the stage. I could see Jailbox doing well with St. Louis bands like Gentleman Auction House, Via Dove or even One Lone Car. Be sure to catch these guys live as they celebrate the release of One For Each Of Us at Old Rock House on April 23.

Earthworms, 'Midnight At The Capricorn'

Jeff Nations — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:21:06 GMT

Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

One of my biggest music pet peeves is when people use the terms “hip-hop” and “rap” interchangeably as if they’re the same thing. There is a HUGE difference between the two styles. Rap glamorizes violence, objectifying females, drugs, gangs…basically anything that the rest of the civilized world looks down upon. The “music” is characterized by electronic beats usually conjured up on a computer or keyboard or it is completely ripped off from a song that someone else has already written thus displaying the rapper's complete lack of any kind of talent. The genre is about the image, not about creating art. Hip-hop is quite different. The music most of the time is driven by a turntablist and a lot of the songs are influenced by live band elements (i.e. horns, guitars, drum beats, even though there may be some effects on them, will still sound like an actual drum kit). The lyrics deal with a lot of the same ideas that rock musicians touch on: Life, fun, love, etc. These are just some of the elements that make Earthworms so appealing.

St. Louis based hip-hop quartet Earthworms banded together in 2005 and has remained a strong presence in STL ever since. Each member has put in years of time on the local scene throughout the years with bands like Core Project, Essence Of Logic, Jive Turkey and Lojic. On December 26 Earthworms will release their third studio effort entitled Midnight At The Capricorn. The album continues in the footsteps of its predecessors Bottle Full Of Bourbon (2008) and No Arms No Legs Just A Head And A Body (2006). …Capricorn is chock full of well thought out rhymes, head bobbing beats and tons of old school hip-hop and funk flavor. Throw in some guest appearances from some local, regional and national artists and you have an album that is guaranteed to get you moving.

Earthworms have certainly shown that they have solidified their groove and niche in the music world. Each MC has his own unique voice that contributes to each song yet when the three combine they have something that is still all their own. DJ-MAHF's scratches and cuts have never sounded as polished and crisp as they do on Capricorn. He has definitely taken his style to the next level incorporating effects and layering into his cuts. The record flows seemlessly from one song to another and while they do include some rock and jazz stylings into the music, it is mostly dominated by an old school funk and R&B influence in the vein of artists like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. This is probably best exemplified by the tune, "City Noise" which features Nick Savage and is probably the coolest track on the album and I dare say one of the best tracks to come from a St. Louis group this year. Other highlights include "Fire On The Floor", "Try2Find" which features Jonathan Toth From Hoth, a local hip-hop artist who has been pretty quiet on the scene lately otherwise, and "Johnny Got Buck", an old Core Project recording that has been revamped and given a different feel while still retaining some of the original vocal and instrument tracks.

The one thing that surprised me about Midnight At The Capricorn was that there are no tracks on the album featuring their full live band, Fresh Heir. For the past year and a half or so, local group Fresh Heir has served as Earthworms' backing band for select live concerts. Earthworms sound great as a quartet but I thought they really exploded and added a whole new element with the full band behind them. I expected there to be at least one song on the record featuring Fresh Heir.

The production quality on the record is top notch. With Jonathan Toth From Hoth handling the engineering and production by DJ Crucial and Ben Bounce, this record could not sound more pristine. MAHF's cuts are clear and slice through the mix while the beats behind him power the tracks. The vocals from MCs Mathias, Black Patrick and Kama are in your face without being over the top or too loud in the mix.

Midnight At The Capricorn further proves that Earthworms is a force to be reckoned with on the hip-hop scene. Their laid back attitude mixed with their love for life and everything it has to offer is something different for the music scene in general. Earthworms blends old school hip-hop styles with elements of a live rock band and classic R&B and funk grooves. Midnight At The Capricorn will make your head nod and your feet bounce whether you like it or not.

Drew Mantia, 'Save Yourself'

Jeff Nations — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:13:17 GMT

Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

If you haven’t yet heard of Drew Mantia, don’t worry, that will soon change. His new album, Save Yourself, which is out on 12 Bar Records, will surely catch your ear. The guy has some great licks, a solid band behind him and a good sense of melody. I’ve been familiar with Drew’s work for a few years now and have been waiting to hear something aside from the couple of demo tracks he has periodically sent me. I was a little more than excited when I received his new record in the mail. Mantia and his band deliver catchy, pop inspired tunes that are somewhat reminiscent of John Mayer’s early work but also have enough blues and jazz undertones to make the listener appreciate it as more than just a pop album. Drew’s vocal delivery and annunciation reminds me a lot of Incubus’ Brandon Boyd in the early days of Enjoy Incubus and S.C.I.E.N.C.E. His guitar work is in the vein of John Mayer Trio, very bluesy both in tone and style. The band also blends in elements of funk and soul that could be likened to Stevie Wonder and Maroon 5.

The production is very well done. Save Yourself sounded a little empty through the first two tracks which were basically driven by guitar, drums, bass and vocals. The drums seemed a little thin, although Kevin Neyer’s kit has a great, tight, high pitch fusion sound to it. Still, the drums along with the vocals sounded like they could have used some more reverb for a “bigger” sounding recording. My opinion of that was quickly laid to rest by the time “Drama (Bring It Down)” let loose, incorporating horns and keyboards along with the rest of the band which continued throughout, giving the CD a big, full sound that immediately had my head nodding and wanting to hear what the rest of it had to offer. It did not disappoint.

The songs are very well crafted and most of them could easily make it to radio, although some run a little long. Standout tracks are “Sirens” which has an extremely catchy and repetitive chorus, “Drama (Bring It Down)”, which is an obvious single, “Trip”, a slow, melodic song with a heavy R&B feel to it that’s perfect for slow dancing and my personal favorite, “Forever”, a mix of pop, funk and ‘80s electro thanks to the combination of the guitar work and the airy, floating keyboard parts. I think the only way that this song could improve is if they would’ve had a guest vocal appearance by Jamiroquai. I’m especially excited to see how this song would translate in a live performance without the synth overdub on the drums.

The only letdown on the entire album unfortunately comes on the closing track, “Never Enough”, a pretty piano and string driven song with an R&B backbeat. The song starts strong and has some nice keyboard accents and a great vocal melody. It’s a beautiful song until the chorus hits and out of nowhere the dreaded auto-tune vocals come along with it. Drew is better than this; he’s a talented musician with a great voice, not a Z107 flavor-of-the-moment sensation that needs auto-tune to hide the fact that they have no vocal ability.

I definitely enjoyed Save Yourself. I would have liked to hear more of the blues and jazz side of the band shine through but hey, there’s always next time. The group is able to blend several styles together yet still keep things cohesive. I also would’ve liked to hear more of Mantia’s guitar work. There are only a couple songs with guitar solos in them but those couple of solos sound really sweet and are well composed and placed and show that he really has his act together. This album has a lot of potential and if Drew Mantia plays his cards right he could quickly make a big noise in St. Louis and possibly further.

Surtsey, 'Broken Beds'

Jeff Nations — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:01:06 GMT

Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

Surtsey is a fairly newer trio that comes to us from Southeast Missouri. Their independent debut EP, Broken Beds, is a blend of rock, pop, americana and indie styles that meld together for a commendable debut effort. The album is six tracks and features some gorgeous melodies, nice instrumentations, a strong vocal backing and an overall mellow feel to it. The surprising thing is that this band is from Cape Girardeau, a town whose now fledgling local music scene consists of mostly generic Shinedown wannabe rock bands and the always dreaded, god awful metal bands. While Surtsey's EP is a breath of fresh air among Cape's scene, the album definitely leaves something to be desired.

Broken Beds opens with "How Time Sorts Things", a catchy melodic pop rock tune whose main guitar riff is extremely pretty. Add the piano providing most of the lead work and the song comes together pretty well. "A Summer Beneath The Trees" sounds like a typical pop punk influenced song directed at high school age kids. The chunky guitars in the verses sound nice but the rest of the song is way too reminiscent of something from a band like All Time Low due to the down stroked, palm muted guitar chords and the whiny sounding vocals. The song overall just doesn't sound like it belongs on the album. "I Am In Your Name (Chariot)" is probably the real gem of the disc. The soaring vocal line is impressive and shows lead singer Joseph Bassa's true capability.

The production quality is impressive, although the liner notes don't say anything about where the album was recorded. The drums are big sounding with just enough reverb and the snare is pretty tight and dry and really cuts through the mix. The electric guitars are chunky and have great tone on the rhythms but a lot of the leads are tinny and need more low end. All of the acoustic guitar tracks are crisp and are mixed just right so it shines through behind the electric guitars just enough to not be drowned out. The vocals are set in the mix just right and Bassa's voice is more on the high end, sounding almost female in a lot of parts.

In the end, Broken Beds is an applaudable effort by a young band who knows how to play and how to write. The instrumentation is tight, production is impressive and their melodies are very beautiful. The EP however just really did not do much for me in terms of style and originality, save for the actual sound of Joe Bassa's voice. Surtsey is certainly something unique to Cape Girardeau's scene and could possibly be something regionally but on a national level they sound like just another pop band for the most part.

Descending New Angels, 'Descending New Angels'

Jeff Nations — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:44:43 GMT

Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

Descending New Angels is a somewhat newer band from St. Louis, MO. While I have heard their name around the local scene a little bit lately, I honestly don’t know much about the band and from what I could remember I had only heard a couple snippets of their tunes. When I received their self-titled album in the mail, I remembered their name and kept thinking that the little bit I heard from them was not really the musical style I am into. Basic song titles like “Save Me”, “Staring At The Sun” and “Amazed” suggest that I am probably not going to dig what I hear. Keeping an open mind, I popped the CD into my car stereo and took a listen.

The disc opens with a 39 second intro of the sounds of a thunderstorm. Already I am worried about what lies ahead. The album is pretty much what I expect: generic southern style rock with basic four chord progressions in dropped D tuning, elementary leads and clichéd lyrics in the vein of interchangeable bands like Seether, Shinedown and Hinder. The first song, “Overcast”, is driven by an acoustic guitar, like many of D.N.A.’s songs, with short electric guitar leads that have a great sounding envelope filter effect on them (an old DOD Envelope Filter maybe?). The rest of the album follows in the same style. Lyrically there is not a lot going on. Lines such as “I don’t wanna take another breath without you by my side” and “You’re my life, you’re my always to catch me when I can’t go on” suggest that vocalist Randy Shanks isn’t quite a seasoned lyricist yet.

Shanks’ voice sounds like a mix between Scott Stapp from Creed, Chad Kroeger from Nickelback and Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam. Words like “my” and “more” are pronounced “mah” and “moh” and “door” becomes “doh-woah-woah”. How many singers out there have this exact same voice? Seriously. I’m really starting to wonder if singing and sounding like this is as much of a fad as the auto-tune vocal effect popularized by Cher and perpetuated nowadays by Kanye West. News flash: Eddie Vedder is the only guy that can get away with singing like this and is the only guy who sounds good doing it. Everyone else can stop. Please.

The production of Descending New Angels is decent. The vocals have depth and sound full with the right amount of reverb. The acoustic guitar is crisp and shines through the mix without getting drowned out by everything else that is going on. The electric guitars are thin and fuzzy however and need a lot more punch behind them. Their drums, while dry, are mixed nicely and the cymbals come through pretty clean but the snare is very flat without much pop and the kick drum is “clicky” and doesn’t have enough bass behind it to really stand out. I will once again reiterate my belief that the sound of drums will make or break an album.

I managed to make my way through this entire album in order to give an educated, open minded review. Throughout the recording I kept looking for something positive that stood out that I could comment on but nothing ever really came. This is my fourth review for Metromix and I really hoped it would be a little while longer before I was given an album to review that did absolutely nothing for me. There is nothing I love more than critiquing music for both the positive and negative qualities and being in a band myself I really do hate to have to write a review like this. But people send me their music asking for an honest review and I feel I’d be doing them more of a disservice by saying I loved their album when I didn’t, than by giving them a bad review.

In the end, Descending New Angels is every mainstream rock band cliché that I can’t stand rolled into one. The musicianship is not very tight, their chops are not as polished as they could be and their lyrics leave something to be desired.

For some reason St. Louis LOVES Nickelback, which is just plain sad, but given that fact, this town will probably love Descending New Angels.

Fattback, 'Canary'

Jeff Nations — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:09:56 GMT

Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

If you follow the St. Louis music scene at all you know there are a ton of bands out there and almost every one of them is trying to “make it.” There is only a handful, however, that actually deserves it because they are doing something unique. Fattback easily falls into this category and their sophomore studio album, Canary, is the perfect evidence of why.

Fattback began making noise on the local scene in 2006 with their debut LP, ...Briefly A Zombie. The album appeared elementary with hand drawn artwork that looked like it was scanned and edited with Microsoft Paint. The production was applaudable but lacked a big, full sound. The music spoke for itself though and after a couple listens I fell in love with what this band was doing. Canary picks up right where Zombie left off, although the production on their second album far exceeds its predecessor.

The band combines any (and I mean ANY) genre they can get their hands on. Canary blends rock, folk, surf, country, punk, blues, funk…the list goes on and on. Think of the quirkiness of David Byrne and Les Claypool meets the musical side of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Tom Waits and Huey Lewis. The disc opens with the waltz-y, 50’s sounding “No Account” and mixes it up throughout its 11 tracks. The bluegrass surf sound of “Surfwax My Saddle” will surely make you want to kick up your heals while “Jazzbo The Hobo” will probably remind you of eating cotton candy at some small town, backwoods carnival. “22 Swamps” is a swirling, comical, bayou influenced tune that gives you an idea of what CCR might sound like if they were still together today. One can’t help but smile while listening to this song, especially when it contains the line, “Well, he looked at me once and it made me drop a deuce, I’m not ashamed to say”.

If you haven’t heard Fattback before you’re probably saying, “There’s no way they can blend that many styles and make the album sound cohesive”. Well guess what, they do! I don’t know how but they make it work.

For those of you who have caught Fattback occasionally performing as Talking Heads or Huey Lewis & The News, you know that this band is capable of pulling off any musical endeavor they decide to put their hands on. Fattback is truly a unique band and I dare say they are a bit underrated in our town, even though they have an impressive following and are extremely tight and entertaining during their live performances. If you are craving something completely off the wall that will probably make your head spin make sure to pick up Fattback’s Canary.

Red Card Royale, 'Cover Your Ears'

Jeff Nations — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:03:43 GMT

Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

Cover Your Ears is the self-produced, independently released sophomore effort from St. Louis funk rockers Red Card Royale. The album is 14 tracks chock full of a nice blend of rock, funk, classic rock and indie styles that comes together to make for an overall solid album. At times the band sounds a little too much like some of their influences but thankfully their influences are bands that have done something unique and original in their careers and have not recycled the same old garbage that you'd expect from mainstream radio.

The album opens with a 24 second audio sample entitled "The Sounds You Are Hearing Are Real" and immediately launches into the title track, a modern rock jam that switches from heavy to melodic throughout the song. The first half of the album is reminiscent of old school Incubus mixed with The Doors and some Red Hot Chili Peppers. Vocalist/keyboardist Carson Ritz makes very nice use of the keys, blending organ and electric piano sounds in the vein of The Allman Brothers and Ray Manzarek. Catchy tunes like "Must Be The Weekend", "Princess In Rags" and "Seein Stars" have big radio potential and can easily snare the listener into sitting through the entire album. Through the second half of the album, though, I find Red Card Royale sounding like a carbon copy of Red Hot Chili Peppers. "Separate Me" employs a thick, funky slap bassline with quick, choppy vocals that could be found on one of RHCP's early albums like "Freaky Stylee". The very next track, "Tempest", is a mellow song with a nice arpeggio guitar melody and walking bassline. Vocal-wise, the band could have had Anthony Kiedis and John Frusciante (Chili Peppers' vocalist and guitarist, respectively) sing this tune and no one would ever think that the entire song wasn't written by the Peppers themselves.

Production-wise, I found myself wanting a lot more. I have long been a believer that the production quality of the drums, especially a snare drum, can make or break an album and be a deciding factor on whether or not I will listen to an album on a regular basis. The drums on this recording are thin and throughout the album the sound of the snare drum changes from a tight, piccolo type sound to a loose, colorless, paper-thin beginner snare. Perhaps this was done on purpose and drummer Drew Dillman used two different snares while tracking. The keyboards on the album are used very tastefully and are set in the mix extremely well. They give "Cover Your Ears" a very classic rock feel. I was disappointed with how the guitars turned out. Guitarist Pat Gable has a beautiful sounding Fender Telecaster and the clean and even slightly dirty tones he gets out of it are crisp, gritty and everything one would expect out of a Tele. The heavy distortion parts however are thin as if they weren’t layered enough while tracking and they don't power through the mix the way they do when the band plays live. The basslines on the album are solid and have a classic dirty tone about them. The vocals are mixed wonderfully and really show off the power of Ritz's voice and the dynamic between him and Gable.

Overall, "Cover Your Ears" is a good album written by a group of young guys who are all commendable musicians who know what they're doing with their instruments. While the production quality lacks, one must keep in mind that the band produced, recorded, mixed, mastered and released this project on their own which is no easy feat. I like this band. It's a style that I like and they are doing something different rather than playing the same four chord, clichéd, Nickelback-Daughtry-Shinedown, I-Just-Learned-How-To-Play-Guitar-Last-Week B.S. that people eat up with a spoon because they don't know any better. My advice for Red Card Royale? Spend a bit more time honing their songwriting skills and let their influences stand behind them rather than in front of them and on the next album spend some coin on a good studio with an engineer who can take that big, full, fun sound they have when they play live and put it on a record. My advice for the listener? If you're craving something upbeat and groovy that's different from a lot of the other St. Louis talent out there, go pick up "Cover Your Ears" and get ready to dance!

Seen the band live? Heard the album? Leave a comment below and share your opinions!

Ockums Razor, 'The Terrible Truth'

Jeff Nations — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:49:26 GMT

Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

Ockums Razor has been around for quite a few years. They have several albums under their belt and have played a slew of shows during their time together. In an effort to try something new in their career, the band has released an album comprised of acoustic songs entitled The Terrible Truth.

Ockums Razor sounds a lot like Alice In Chains in most aspects. The guitar parts are dark and droning most of the time and the sound and style of singer Christopher Davis’ vocals heavily resembles that of Layne Staley’s. The styling of the vocal harmonies also contributes to the resemblance.

The first track, “Shadows”, faded in and caught my attention with its synthesized keyboard part. The melody sounded really nice and was pretty catchy, especially combined with the vocal line. Unfortunately it was the only song that stood out on this CD. The rest of the album drones through 12 tracks of 90s grunge inspired tunes with a slight metal edge. Davis has a solid set of pipes on him but I thought that he was pushing his voice too hard at some points considering this is an acoustic album. Some of the notes he hits seem way too over the top but would probably translate well if they did electric versions of these tunes. The thing that really threw me was that there were a couple times during the album where the musicians seem to lose track of the tempo or beat. Maybe this was done on purpose but I don’t see the logic in doing so, it just made the song awkward and had me pressing rewind and saying, “What the…???”.

I was happy to see that Ockums Razor threw in some guest appearances from a handful of local musicians on this record such as Vijoy Rao (of Vijoy Rao & The Removers) providing percussion on “Fear Of The Unknown” and Nichole Lucas (of Reigning Heir) doing some additional vocals on “Dreams”, just to name a couple.

As for production, there’s not a lot to analyze. Only one track on the entire CD has a drum kit or electric guitar in it. The rest of it is all acoustic guitars and percussion. The vocals sound good and have some depth and the percussion sounds are mixed well. But for this being an acoustic album, the acoustic guitars are way too thin and tinny sounding throughout, aside from leads and a few arpeggios, and sound like they’re over compressed. I thought they could have been brought up in the mix a little more as well. I actually struggled to hear what was going on a lot while I listened to this recording. I expected this album to sound a lot better seeing as it is stripped down and there is less to work with.

The terrible truth is that The Terrible Truth really didn’t do anything for me. There is nothing new or innovative being done and each song sounds like the one before it. The sound and style is outdated and doesn’t seem like it would connect with a national audience. Davis has an impressive voice with some power behind it but that was the only thing that stood out. If you’re in a nostalgic, 90s grunge kind of mood, The Terrible Truth may be just the album to take you back.