10/16/08
HOT CUP
MOSTLY OTHER PEOPLE DO THE KILLING/This is Our Moosic: The third set from these jazz madmen shows the well is far from running dry. Squeezing this in between their solo and outside projects, they are no less a group on record than if they were doing nothing but this full time. Loaded with the irony they bring to their outside projects, this deconstructed vision for kids with ADHA can easily bring college kids into the tent like almost nothing else around. On top of all this, they can play like they mean it, and you feel they do. Wild, over the top stuff that refuses to acknowledge boundaries or other limitations.
82
LOTOS NILE
MARK ERELLI/Delivered: The latest point in the line you can draw from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan to Chuck Brodsky to the future, you’d have to have the line run through Erelli. With a voice reminiscent of young Dylan, Erelli writes ‘em deep and sings from the heart. A writer that doesn’t wear the mantle of tradition lightly, any coffee shop boho worth his commie sentiments needs this cd in their back pack. A product of an appeal to fans to help him finance this set, it puts it’s independence front and center knocking you out before you know what hit you. This is an under the radar star of the future to deal with now. Check this out if you’re looking for first rate writing that really goes the distance.
2014 (Signature Sounds)
MONTE MONTGOMERY: Hot on the heels of us giving you the head’s up on Tommy Emmanuel, we now bring you the latest from another under the radar guitar god that’s been continually knocking them dead with his wizardry chops. Of course, that’s not all there is to him as he turns up here in the rocking singer/songwriter vein. This guy is primed to deal with the future as he’s already logged millions of You Tube views and you can tell he’s done it without the hype machine behind the latest boy band type hype. This is a very impressive return to guitar rock that reaches out to the heartland. Hot stuff.
(Eminent/30 Tigers)
MIKE FARRIS/Salvation in Lights: Usually, you don’t find sets like this flying in from under the radar unless you have someone like Jimmy Carter running for President, but this southern set of salvation is getting people to take note. Powered by a cat that’s more of an all around player than this set might lead you to believe, it’s a personal collection of hymns and hymn type material. The former front man of the Screaming Cheetah Wheelies, he knows how to rock and he knows what the hype is all about, but finding his métier in the junction between white southern soul and Stax, Farris creates something new out of something that should be overly familiar.
41722 (INO)
MUSIC CITY NEWS
RIVER COUNTRY/Rockin’ the Country: Here’s a crew of honky tonk rockers that are just at home with “Free Bird” as they are some Tony Joe White, and a lot of stuff in between. Escaping from Indiana, they soaked up all the references radio and cable tv could throw at them making their sound have something from everywhere. They wash a feel good vibe over the whole thing, even when they are turning it up to 11. A smart debut that should open some jaded country ears looking for something more than platitudes and recycled arena rock clichés.
(SVC)
NEW EARTH
KAMAL/Whale Mediation: Here’s a bit of old school new age that goes down quite well. Kamal doesn’t approach things like Bernie Krause does, but he adds the whale sounds to his sounds nicely. It’s a nice, clean, no frills sound where it’s not about the frippery but about the sincerity of the vibe. He’s got a vision that he applies properly in making this an easy to take sonic getaway.
2811
Volume 31/Number 351
October 16, 2008
MIDWEST RECORD
830 W. Route 22 #144
Lake Zurich, IL., 60047
CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher
©2008 Midwest Record