Lisa Ridgely and the Fainting Room: Wine in Bed EP

Milwaukee’s Lisa Ridgely and the Fainting Room have released their new Wine in Bed EP. Lovely harmonies, cool guitars and effective choruses were consistent though out the EP. My first impression with Ridgely’s vocal was its similarity to Neko Case, Chrissie Hynde or in some instances Alan Morrisette. Presented as essentially a batch of “break up” songs, I was impressed by the moody feel of EP opener “Wine in bed”. This track had an end of winter feel and you can sense the writer wanted to move onto spring and away from her relationship tangles. The tremolo guitar added a cool effect to the soft/loud/soft dynamics of this track. “Maverick”, with its slow tempo and alt-country  feel , featured excellent vocals which perfectly fit the instrumentation. The harmonies were tight but I did feel that the track was lacking a concise chorus. “Santa Fe” with its solid piano intro and Chrissie Hynde like vocals presented a fine ballad defining the end of a relationship and seemingly the start of another in wonderful New Mexico, where as the writer describes the scent of burning pinion wood permeating the air. “Two-timed” had a mid-tempo, full band feel with strong guitar and percussion building to an effective chorus. The tale of a jilted lover trying to get revenge for wrong doing proves to be effective and the bonus is some great harmonies.  Closing the Ep was “Karma caught up” , the most rocking track on the EP. Featuring dual lead vocals and scorching guitar work, the writer really got her point across concerning the anger and resentment she was feeling as well as the ultimate justice for her ex-lover in the end. Overall, I felt this EP featured some strong vocals and guitar work. The subject matter has been covered many times over the years, but it was refreshing to hear Lisa Ridgely’s interpretation and I look forward to a full length LP in the future.

http://lisaridgely.bandcamp.com/album/wine-in-bed-ep

Elia

Florida’s Elia presents a late-eighties, early nineties style in the stand out track "Let me out". Similar to Da Lench Mob or Brand Nubian, Elia embrace a turbulent, raspy flow, with a funky piano loop but with Busta Rhyme type outbursts of anger. This track has attitude with a fat bassline ala Too Short, and in your face lyrics. The chorus opens up the track and has a nice build up before returning to the verse. No subtleties in the lyrics as they express paranoia, striving to spotlight life’s hypocrisies and bust out of the barriers of establishment. The track "Hostage Negotiations" is a rock/rap hybrid with a solid guitar hook. This is a defiant track, a revolution song filled with in-your-face attitude. Elia have reached the boiling point and will not be held back by the system. Synth intro sets the tone for the fast paced delivery with a strong chorus and nice breaks throughout. "Brap" is a more playful, free style track compared with the other two. The jazz horn loop lightens up this track even though the message is pretty heavy with defiance. I would consider this the "Party" song in terms of the music as it is funky with an old school groove. Overall, Elia show a defiant style with in your face attitude but keep it funky and loose with horns, piano and some catchy choruses.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/Inkicide?sk=app_6452028673

Tommy Larkin Music : Truth in anger

Galveston, Texas indie alt-country pop wizard Tommy Larkin presents a batch of songs that speak of breakup, regret, tornados, earthquakes, corporate greed and annoying co-workers on his new album "Truth in Anger". What first struck me as unique was the tone and style of Larkin’s vocals. He has a style similar to Beta Band, Ween , The Frogs and in some instances Jay Farrar. The half sung/half spoken word style lends itself well to the acoustic guitars, odd assortment of percussion and quirky keyboards. Larkin certainly has a consistent presence and style on this record and knows how to craft a song with a sense of humor as well as a good dose of truthiness. "Typing and Cursing" is relatable to anyone who’s worked in an IT department and has a bluesy lead guitar hook ala Jack White. Ending relationships is a recurring theme throughout this album and I feel several of these songs may be therapy for the writer in letting go of the past and moving on. "The meaner you are" parts 1-5 may be a bit redundant but send a clear message that being alone is much better than a bad romance filled with passive-aggressive actions. I would have kept this to a single, longer track. "Something Happened" is very effective in relaying the cost of war in a very personal way. "Nicki Bradshaw", a song told in the third person accounts the tragedy of a tornado and uses nice vocal effects and instrumentation to bring the listener into the storm, but I felt the effects were a bit distracting from the message of loss being relayed in the track. "California fault line" is my favorite track on the album evoking imagery of earthquakes as a metaphor for a love relationship split apart. This track has a country feel, with some creative backing vocals. "Mississippi Canyon 252" is certainly a topical track related to corporate greed, lack of accountability and fraud. This track is presented with anger but also a sense of humor in the last third of the song. It’s an anti-corporate protest song for a new generation. The production on this record is fairly professional, more so than some of the instrumentation but when it all comes together with Tommy’s unique vocal style and message it’s really quite enjoyable.

http://www.tommylarkinmusic.com/

Simon Fagan Unplugged EP

The first thing that struck me upon diving into the music of Dublin, Ireland’s Simon Fagan was the thick, rich quality of his vocals. Comparisons came to mind such as Ryan Adams, Glenn Hansard , Ray LaMontagne and Devendra Banhart. There is certainly a sultry confidence in his delivery which is well earned on this EP and goes well beyond the “folk singer/songwriter” label into blues, rock and soul. I could sense the American influences in his music and was interested in seeing the direction he took.  I was immediately drawn in by the pure, intimate and soulful nature of “Water’s edge”. This track has a sense of urgency and is adorned with lovely acoustic strumming and a yearning, soulful delivery. I felt the track could have been slightly shorter in length and still just as effective, however this aspect doesn’t detract from the quality of this song. “Tomorrow’s another day” stuck me as an optimistic track about letting go of the past and accepting circumstances as they are. Uplifting vocals along with a pretty melody go a long way in this track. “Something I don’t know” , which happens to be my favorite track on the EP, contains lovely harmonies on top of a eloquent lead vocal with a building piano accompaniment. This is certainly the “rocker” of the batch. This track reminded of the great Van Morrision.  I was taken in by the soaring vocals in the last half of the song.  “What’s the point on looking back” was very effective with it’s Dylan like quality. A folk song  about moving forward after a breakup. Great soaring vocals and a heartfelt delivery stood out to me. “Tired of trying” went in a laidback direction with lovely harmonies. The Bluesey vocal style was very effective. Overall I fell this EP is a great introduction to Fagan’s work, both lyrically and stylistically. I get a real sense of the intimacy, soul and power of what it must be like seeing him along with his talented backing band perform live at a small club.  

http://www.simonfagan.net/

Countless Thousands: We’re just excited to be here

Garden Grove, California trio Countless Thousands brings forth a playful, propulsive shot of modern rock to the landscape where many bands have strived to reach. When first researching the band, it was interesting to learn of the dissimilar backgrounds each member had. Danger Van Gorder came from the choir group, Davey Munch was a former Jazz bassist and Jon David was a former Civil War reenactment drummer. Despite dissimilar backgrounds and influences, together they really gel into a cohesive band with a common goal and a successful sound. My first impression was the amazing voice of Van Gorder and the great harmonies throughout the record. Van Gorder is a top notch vocalist with a very commercial quality in the best way. Accompanied with the searing and often soaring guitar work and  the propulsive bass and drums, these components really give this trio a big sound. Comparisons to Foo Fighters, Cursive, At The Drive In and Ted Leo came to mind as I was giving this record a first listen.  The production value of the record is top notch as well and several of the tracks would fit nicely in a modern rock format. The mastering is not overly compressed/loud like a lot of modern rock these days. I really got a good sense of the record with the opening track, “Overture”. It sets the tone for the record with a dual guitar assault and a big drum sound. “Fickle” had a lot of energy and a neat effect with dual vocals layered. “Chemical exchange”, “Prom Song” and “The Patriot” all utilize great harmonies and driving guitar riffs to draw the listener into the song. “The Patriot” is certainly topical as it delves into the hypocrisy of modern times (“freedom isn’t free”, Fox News, outsourcing, freedom fries). A couple of effective ballads are also presented with “Asskickers union” and “Cockfosters”. The former being a self-referential  love song obviously written from personal experience.  “Devil” was a great take on a classic guitar battle and reminded me a bit of Tenacious D while the A capella “No contest” showcased lovely vocal harmonies and fine musicianship. My favorite track on the album was “Too close to call” with its solid melody and catchy chorus, I think it would make a great first single. My overall impression of the record is that of a showcase for Van Gorder’s wonderful voice and effective/often times humorous lyrics. My only criticism of the record might be the length.  Although I thought the pacing and sequence of the tracks was fine, and the tracks were varied enough to keep my attention through 15 songs and the closer.