Authors: P. Buchanan
Local Reviews: The CJB
This is a great easy-listening album. It is exactly what it purports to be: a positive, uplifting, easy-to-listen-to collection of chilled-out songs. Even the saddest lyrical topics on the album are lightened up by the delivery via charming and harmless reggae-inspired riffs. … read more
Local Reviews: The Direction
Man, I love chicks who rock. And this chick totally rocks—lead singer Felicia Anderton ties up this package most delightfully, with a vintage voice that is somehow exactly what this rock n’ roll outfit wants. … read more
Local Reviews: Punk Rock Joe
Poetry on Acid 23 is a stream-of-consciousness collection of short ditties, expressive but simple, about everything from Wal-Mart to suicide. … read more
Local Reviews: Wesly
Brainchild of lead singer Wesly Lapioli, this album is neat and complete. The songwriting is clear and specific, and for local bands and debut albums, that is an admirable feat. Not having to compromise content with other band members has surely lent itself to a more definitive direction and style, and Lapioli’s inspirations have led to an album that seems to revisit the sounds of the mid-1990s grunge era. … read more
Local Reviews: Mechanical Skies
The music itself has a vintage tone: a throwback to the ‘60s and ‘70s, with hints of ‘50s-era pop thrown in by the female vocalist. A distinct homage to bands like Rush and Cream on the instrumentals, with Hank Reese on vox and the addition of Jaylee Amey’s vocals certainly individualizes the sound. … read more
Local Reviews: Spoken For
These boys definitely have some very recognizable influences from Tool to, perhaps unintentionally, The Police (tell me you don’t hear it on the opening riff of “No More Blood on my Guitar”). They are taking their cue from some great musicians. It’s young and it’s pained—they are certainly taking advantage of all the pent-up frustration that comes along with being an adolescent group of boys becoming men. … read more
Local Reviews: Christopher Anthony Leibow
Cohesive and composed, read aloud by a deep, sensual male voice, and accompanied by simple and unobtrusive classic piano and guitar melodies, this collection of poems tells a story of the experience of relationship. Sometimes weird and super personal as poetry and art tend to be, it would nevertheless (or perhaps more so) be a fun CD to put on in the background of a party to see if anyone noticed. … read more
Local Reviews: When the Fight Started
Ah, boys. Testosterone-laced angst is, in my humble opinion, by far the best fuel for any young band. Pretty little vocal harmonies pay homage to greats like Alice in Chains, and also make it clear that vocals are in fact this band’s strength. … read more
Local Reviews: Ravings Of A Madman
These guys are having such a good fucking time being pissed off. In the Time it Takes to Hate is a heavy album, in content and sound. It is an exorcism of noise and emotion which can be exhilarating for both the audience and performer, but on occasion, and with sub-par execution, it can also be totally disorienting. … read more