Scott - Greenville Ave Store

07/27/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
TISHAMINGO - WEAR N' TEAR
Athens, GA based band Tishamingo have returned with their second album, Wear n' Tear. The sound on here pretty much picks up where their self-titled debut left off. These boys ain't afraid to wear their classic- and southern- rock influences on their sleeve, with a sound that recalls Free, Santana, Lynyrd Skynyrd (whose 'Poison Whiskey' they cover quite ably), and the Allman Brothers. Highlights include the jamming 'Hillbilly Wine,' the slow, smoky vibe of 'Magic,' which flows nicely into 'Rome,' a laid-back instrumental with some great guitar work from Jess Franklin and Cameron Williams. Then there's 'Smoked Mullet,' a great tune with humorous lyrics and scorching dual lead guitars. 'Legend Of George Nelson' has some great vocal harmonies and country inspired guitars, while 'Worn Out Soles' slows things down a bit for some soulful blues, with some great slide playing. There's also 'Ain't Got Time,' which sounds like J.J. Cale sitting in with the Allman Brothers, with more slippery dual guitar harmonies and a great jam at the end. The short 'Reprise' wraps things up. Those who read the last review I did for this band and checked it out (all three of you) will probably love this; the rest of you would be well-advised to check Wear n' Tear.

07/12/05 Scott Hunerberg
Gomez - Out West
British rockers Gomez have release their first ever live album, Out West. The album was recorded live at San Francisco's famous Fillmore over a three-night stand, and draws from those shows. Obviously the fools at Virgin records have no idea just how much talent these guys have, or they would have given them a little more respect, instead of just unceremoniously dropping them because they failed to sell as many records as the Gorillaz (puke!) or turn into the next Oasis overnight (just how overrated can one band be?). Disc one gets off to a strong start with "Get Miles," from the Bring It On album, followed by "Shot Shot," from In Our Gun. Then there's a great "Hangover," from the awesome Liquid Skin album. They also do a cool version of Tom Waits' "Going Out West." Elsewhere there's "Do One," (from last year's Split the Difference), "We Haven't Turned Around," and "Revolutionary Kind." Disc two starts out with a great "Bring It On" that had me singing along, which is followed by "Nothing Is Wrong," one of the stronger tracks from Split the Difference. They also get in a nice version of Nick Drake's "Black Eyed Dog," which is coupled with "Free To Run." This in turn slides right into "Ping One Down," and they stretch out on here a little. Other highlights here include "Get Myself Arrested," which gets everyone singing along; the very catchy "These Three Sins," and the closing "Whippin' Piccadilly." Out West would be great starting place if you're just catching on to Gomez, or if you just want a cool sounding live show from these guys.

06/21/05 Scott Hunerberg
John Scofield - That's What I Say: John Scofield Plays the Music of Ray Charles
One never quite knows what to expect when John Scofield puts out a new album, what direction his music will go in next - funky grooves, experimental fusion, or traditional bop jazz. You just know that it's going to be interesting. That's What I Say finds him in a groove-oriented mode this time out, paying tribute to the wondrous music of Ray Charles. His band includes such top-notch players as Larry Goldings on Hammond organ and piano, Steve Jordan on drums, and bass legend Willie Weeks. He also gets some help from such special guests as Dr. John (who contributes lead vocals and piano to 'Talkin' 'Bout You / I Got a Woman), John Mayer (on 'I Don't Need No Doctor'), Melvis Staples (lead vocals on 'I Canıt Stop Loving You'), David 'Fathead' Newman (tenor sax on several tracks), and Warren Haynes (vocals on 'What'd I Say,' vocals and slide guitar on 'Night Time Is the Right Time'). Highlights include the opening 'Busted,' 'Hit the Road Jack,' 'Night Time Is the Right Time,' and the timeless 'Let's Go Get Stoned'. Thereıs also a cool take on 'You Don't Know Me,' which features Aaron Neville on lead vocals, and Scofield does a nice solo guitar version of 'Georgia On My Mind.' While this album isn't exactly a showcase for his amazing jazz guitar chops, he does get in some great licks and solos throughout. Where he'll go next is anyones guess, but for right now John Scofield sounds like he's having a lot of fun jamming with friends and reworking these old Ray Charles classics. If you're a Ray Charles fan (and who isn't these days) this should put a smile on your face and a groove in your step. At least, that's what I say. You can listen to this one on the Expand Your Mind player at either CD WORLD location.

05/18/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
Soulive - Steady Groovin'
Blue Note Records has released Steady Groovin', the first compilation from jazz organ trio Soulive. They consist of Eric Krasno on guitar, Neal Evans on Hammond B3 and keys, and Alan Evans on drums. This collection includes tracks from almost all of their albums, plus a couple of rarities including their cover of Stevie Wonder's Golden Lady (previously only available on the Japanese version of Doin' Something). And there's also "All Up In It," from their guest spot on DJ Spinnaıs Here to There album. Other highlights include "Flurries," the funky "Doinı Something," which features Fred Wesley on trombone, and "First Street." This would make a great starting place if you are just getting into Soulive, or just want to have a good selection from all of their albums, this will keep you Groovin' all day.

05/10/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
J. GEILS BAND - ANTHOLOGY: HOUSEPARTY
Well here's something that's not exactly new (it actually came out back in the '90's.) but it was just added to stock, and I feel that more people should check out this great, often overlooked band from the '70's. This cool little box set from Rhino has (arguably) all the J. Geils a person might ever need. It includes all of their well known hits such as “Looking For A Love,“ “Must Of Got Lost“ (both the original studio version and a killer live take which has Peter Wolf's ultra-funky intro rap), “Love Stinks,“ “Freeze-Frame,“ and their smash hit “Centerfold.“ All of their original studio albums are well represented by such tracks as “Southside Shuffle,“ “Cruisin' For A Love,“ “Detroit Breakdown,“ and “Love-Itis.“ In addition disc two has got ten smokin' live cuts pulled from their live albums (most are from the excellent Full House Live and Blow Your Face Out albums). Highlights from here include “Sno-Cone,“ “Hard Drivin' Man,“ “First I Look At the Purse“ (good advice for you guys out there!), “Pack Fair and Square,“ and Magic Dicks' harp showcase, “Whammer Jammer.“ There's also a very informative booklet that gives a full band history, cool pictures, and a discography. This is a great collection if you're just getting into the J. Geils Band, or just need some good old-school tunes to kick-start your next party.

04/27/05 Scott Hunerberg
V/A - Bonnaroo Music Festival 2004
Sanctuary Records has released Bonnaroo Music Festival 2004, a double disc live document of highlights from the festivals' third year. This seems like it was compiled just for people like me who could never manage to actually make it to the festival itself for a variety of reasons, financial woes being chief among them.
Disc one gets off to a good start with Bob Dylan doing a nice version of "Down Along the Cove,"followed by Dave Matthews and Friends doing "Trouble." Although I‘m not a huge Dave fan, I did like this song, which has Friends Trey Anastasio and longtime DMB guitarist Tim Reynolds contributing some spacy sounding licks. Next up is the Dead with what is apparently a new song called "Self Defense;" this has some cool guitar work and all and may very well become a classic in its own time, but Mickey Hart's vocals just don't work that well for me. After that there's Steve Winwood doing a great version of his Traffic classic "Mr. Fantasy," with some brilliant guitar work that almost rivals the original. Gov't Mule kicks it up another notch with a blistering "Blind Man In the Dark," with Warren Haynes just tearing it up on the guitar as usual. Gillian Welch slows things down a bit with her folky stylings before Los Lonely Boys rock it up with their brand of Tex-Mex rock. My Morning Jacket rocks out with "One Big Holiday," and then the Black Keys do their thing with "the Breaks." Kings of Leon are next, and I find myself reaching for the next track button (Ive really tried to like this band, but the vocals just don‘t do anything for me). There‘s also a ripping track from Umphrey'sMcGee called "Nemo," and some cool piano jazz from the Bad Plus.
Disc two gets off to a cool start with Trey Anastasio's horn-fueled band doing "Curlew‘s Call," followed by David Byrne doing "Dialog Box." After that I'm afraid my finger got stuck on the track skip button for awhile until I hit String Cheese Incident doing a killer "Desert Dawn". There's also a great track from Gomez, "Bring It On," and moe. does a nice version of "Not Coming Down;" I know I'm not anytime soon, especially after hearing all of this!
Overall this makes for a great little souvenir of Bonnaroo '04, whether you actually made it there or not! Be sure to check this one out on the Expand Your Mind player!!

04/21/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
LOS LOBOS - LIVE AT THE FILLMORE
Los Lobos have released their first ever live album, Live At the Fillmore, and it's about time!! This album captures Los Lobos in their natural environment doing what they do best: rocking out and having fun. Things get off to a good start with the gritty "Good Morning Atzlan," which has some great guitar playing from David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas. Next up is "I Walk Alone," another tough rocker. There's also lots of old favorites such as "Kiko and the Lavender Moon," "Tears Of God," "The Neighborhood," and "Viking," which has more great fretwork. They also do a nice version of Marvin Gaye's "Whatıs Going On" as an encore. The initial pressing also includes a bonus CD with three acoustic tracks including "Saint Behind the Glass," and "Maricela." Also recommended is the Live At the Fillmore DVD recorded at the same concerts. Anyone who has seen Los Lobos and knows how awesome they are live (Granada Theater last fall anyone?) won't be disappointed, and if you haven't this would make an excellent introduction. This is great party music, so crank it up!!

04/14/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
ACETATE - THIS BAND MAKES ME FEEL
From Sanctuary Records comes Acetate with their debut album, This Band Makes Me Feel. Featuring Dave Schools from Widespread Panic (bass, naturally), Kevin Sweeney on guitar and vocals, and former Counting Crows drummer Ben Mize, Acetate is a rather loose, raw sounding album. It basically sounds like three guys getting together to jam and crank up some rock tunes on a Sunday afternoon. The album gets off to a rockin‘ start with "Can‘t You Can‘t You," which has kind of a ZZ Top feel to it. This is followed by "Things Goin‘ Down," another rocker. "Pungeoned Again" shows off these guys classic rock influence, with some meaty guitar riffs. Other highlights include "Jacob‘s Ladder," which offers up more rock riffage; "Good Riddance," which has some nice, gritty slide parts from Sweeney; the churning riffs of "Time to Let You Go;" the tough, grinding guitar on "Captain Bringdown" (hey, that would be a great nickname for at least one of my coworkers!!); and "Out Of My Hands," which has, you guessed it, even more rock riffing, and a great chorus. The last song, "Nothin‘s Still Going On" starts out sounding like it was recorded after listening to some Metallica albums or something before it goes into a psychedelic guitar solo. This is not really an album that goes into a lot of jamming, but WSP fans should find plenty to like here. You can listen to this on the Expand Your Mind Player at either CD World.

04/05/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
PROJECT Z - PROJECT Z
This is something that is not really a new release,(it actually came out back in 2000) but was just recently added to stock: Project Z, which features Jimmy Herring, guitars; Jeff Sipe, drums; and Ricky Keller, on bass. Those who know Jimmy Herring from any of his many previous groups (his resume includes Aquarium Rescue Unit, Jazz Is Dead, Phil and Friends, and the Dead - quite impressive, if you ask me!) are probably already aware of his jaw-dropping skills with a guitar. For those who aren‘t, Project Z should serve as an excellent introduction to his world, warped as it may be. The music here is all original, mostly improvisational, and at times very experimental. The album gets off to a great start with the appropriately named “Raging Torrent;“ from the beginning Herring‘s astounding guitar playing is on full display, as he rips off one amazing lick after another. After a short but weird interlude called “Guitargument,“ (there are many of these brief little moments scattered throughout the disc, and they add sort of a Zappa-esque quality to the whole thing) there is “Mud Bug,“ which features some nice slide work from guest Derek Trucks. More weirdness follows, and then we have “Agusta‘s Ankle,“ and then the truly bizarre “Psychic Flutter,“ which in turn is followed by the colorful “Rainbow.“ Other highlights on here include “Albright Special,“ which is a brief detour into bebop swing territory; the experimental “Genetic Drift;“ the ripping “Yachtz;“ and “Utensil Oceans,“ which starts out with some gorgeous piano playing, before moving into some jam-goes-prog sounds (or is that prog-goes-jam...hmmm.). The last two songs, “Seperated Gestures,“ and “Isolated Light“ also feature more of Herring‘s typically rip-snorting fret work as well. The term “shredding“ could definitely be applied to most of this stuff here, although Herring is also a player with a strong sense of melody. Guitar players and jamband fans should take note- this is very, very highly recommended!!

03/23/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
MARSHALL TUCKER BAND - STOMPIN‘ ROOM ONLY
Not exactly a new release (it came out in late 2003) but just recently added to stock, Stompin‘ Room Only features the original Marshall Tucker Band playing live in their prime. Perhaps the most misunderstood of all Southern Rock bands, (for one thing, there ain‘t noone named Marshall Tucker in the band, just like Lynyrd Skynyrd) Marshall Tucker combined elements of blues, boogie-rock, country, western swing, and even jazz together to create something wholly unique. Things get off to a stompin‘ good start with the instrumental “Long Hard Ride,“ which has some great chicken pickin‘ lead guitar from the late, great Toy Caldwell. This is followed by a great version of “This Old Cowboy,“ a prime example of their western swing influences, with more tasty licks from Caldwell, and nice leads from sax/reed player Jerry Eubanks. Next up is “Fire On the Mountain,“ one of their many hits, with vocalist Doug Gray‘s vocals leading the way. Then there‘s “Searchin‘ For A Rainbow,“ another minor hit for MTB, which has more typically fiery lead guitar from Toy. But the real highlight here, IMO, has got to be the rockin‘ “Take The Highway,“ where the band just goes into overdrive behind Toy‘s blazing guitar licks. Hot Damn!! And if that ain‘t enough for ya, they follow it up with a great version of their #1 hit “Can‘t You See,“ with Caldwell on lead vocals and screaming lead guitar as well. Other highlights include the country-rocker “Blue Ridge Mountain Sky,“ “Ramblin‘“ and a cool cover version of “The Thrill Is Gone,“ which features guests Dickey Betts and Charlie Daniels on guitars for a real Southern Rock guitar army jam. This is great, jamming stuff from this often overlooked classic rock band. Those who always thought that Marshall Tucker Band was just “too country“ ought to check out this live document; they may be surprised at just how much they rocked out live. May the South do it again some day!!

03/15/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
THE MOTET - MUSIC FOR LIFE
From Harmonized Records comes the Motet with their third album, Music For Life. The band is Dave Watts, drums; Mark Donovan, guitars; Garrett Sayers, bass; Dominic Lalli, tenor sax; Greg Raymond, keyboards; and Scott Messersmith on percussion, with guest Jon Stewart helping out on alto sax. The Motet combines elements of rock, funk, jazz and even world music. Things get off to a good start with the horn driven “Cheap Sh*t,“ followed by the uptempo, Latin flavored “Power.“ Up next is the funky “Black Hat,“ which has some cool sax playing from Lalli, and some nice guitar work from Donovan. This is followed by “The Magic Way,“ which starts out kind of slow before moving into a fast, dance groove, with more tasty sax lines. Other highlights on here include “Corporatic,“ with its tight funk rhythms, and inventive keyboards, the jazzy sounding “Fearless,“ the jazz-funk (or is that funk-jazz? Hmmm…) of “What‘s the Purpose,“ and the closing “Them Or Us,“ which has more great keyboard work, and cool jazz guitar licks, as well as some very tight ensemble playing from the rhythm section. For those who enjoy horn-driven jazz funk with lots of Latin influenced percussion (think Santana, or Rusted Root), check out the Motet. Also just added to stock is their excellent live album, the Motet Live. This is available to listen to on the Expand Your Mind Player at CD World.

03/15/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
GONG - ANGELS EGG AND YOU
Virgin has reissued Angels Egg and You, two pivotal slices of pure psychedelic weirdness from ‘70‘s prog/psych-rockers Gong. The sticker on the cover of You proclaims it‘s “sort of like King Crimson on 10 doses of acid.“ Cool, and I believe it, too, especially after hearing these and looking at the cover artwork! Wow, Far Out, maaan! Fusing together elements of psychedelia, jazz, and space rock, Gong was one of the leading bands in the early ‘70‘s prog-rock movement. Angels Egg and You make up two-thirds of an elaborate trilogy involving gnomes, witches, Pothead Pixies, a strange character named Zero the Hero, Octave Doctors, and God knows what else. Angels Egg starts out with the spacey “Other Side Of The Sky,“ followed by the whimsically titled “Sold To the Highest Buddah.“ There‘s also the jazzy sounding “Flute Salad,“ and the slippery “Oily Way.“ “Inner Temple“ is an instrumental space-rock track with a jazz edge. The real highlight here is probably “I Never Glid Before,“ which goes thru several movements and time signatures and was most likely a great excuse for the band to stretch out live. The reissue includes four bonus tracks, which continue the weirdness even further into space. The follow-up album, You, would be the last album to feature founding member Daevid Allen (Guitar, Vocals), and found guitarist Steve Hillage playing a much more prominent role in the band. Highlights here include the jazz-oriented “Perfect Mystery,“ the instrumental “Isle Of Everywhere,“ and the closing “You Never Blow Yr Trip Forever.“ Very cool stuff from this long-forgotten prog-rock group. Just remember this: Gong rhymes with bong!

03/01/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
LOTUS - NOMAD
Harmonized Records has released Nomad, the second album from Lotus. The band consists of Steve Clemons, drums; Jesse Miller, bass; Luke Miller, guitars and keyboards; Chuck Morris, acoustic and electronic drums; and Mike Rempel, guitars. This is another band that blurs the lines between rock and techno/electronica, with a healthy dose of jazz thrown in. This is music that you can you can either dance to, or lay back and trance out on. Clemons and Morris provide a steady, pulsing beat that grooves along steadily, while Miller and Rempel provide layers of swirling keyboards, and clean-toned, jazz influenced guitar lines. Highlights include the opener “Suitcase,“ the fast-paced “Spiritualize,“ which has some very hypnotic guitar playing (I think it‘s Mike Rempel who does most of the leads, while Luke Miller plays rhythm and keys); “Plant Your Root“ takes things even further out into dance/electronica territory, with its fast break-beats and trippy keyboards. This is a good album to get lost in, perfect for trance-dancing or just spacing out late at night. Also recommended is Germination, their live debut album from 2002. Fans of house and trance, as well as today‘s jam scene should find plenty to like here. Be sure to check out Lotus on the Expand Your Mind Player!

02/24/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
PERPETUAL GROOVE - ALL THIS EVERYTHING
Harmonized Records has re-released All This Everything, the second album from Atlanta, GA. Based Perpetual Groove. The band is Brock Butler, vocals, electric and acoustic guitars; Adam Perry, bass, bass synth; Matt McDonald, piano, organ, synthesizer, vocals; and Albert Suttle on drums and percussion. Perpetual Groove is another “jam band“ (yeah, I guess that‘s a genre now; whatever, it‘s all music!) who blurs the line between rock and electronica with their streamlined, trance-inducing sound. Things get off to a good start with the brief “Life,“ which is quickly followed by “All This Everything Parts I & II.“ The first part has a very catchy, sing-a-long chorus, while the second half leads into a nice little jam led by guitar and keyboard. Next up is “53 More Things To Do In Zero Gravity,“ an incredibly tight instrumental. And that illustrates exactly what this band does best: they lock into one tight groove after another, always pushing upwards towards the next plane, the next galaxy. Although P-Groove have got ample chops to spare (Butler and McDonald, especially) it‘s not so much about taking long solos (that‘s “wanking“ to you ignorant, narrow-minded new wave types reading this) as it is serving the almighty groove. Standouts include “The Universe,“ “Long Past Settled In,“ the spacy “Scooter,“ and “Occam‘s Blazer,“ which has some great rock guitar riffs from Butler, before it flys way out into deep space. Other highlights? The whole album, it‘s that good!! This is an album that you can just get completely lost in, and forget everything for awhile. This is very highly recommended to fans of Particle or STS9. Be sure to check out All This Everything, as well as the excellent debut, Sweet Oblivious Antidote, from Perpetual Groove on the Expand Your Mind Player at a CD World near you!

02/16/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
GARAJ MAHAL - MONDO GARAJ
Harmonized Records has released Mondo Garaj, the first studio album from Garaj Mahal. The band is Eric Levy, keyboards; Fareed Haque, guitars; Kai Eckhardt, (who has played with Larry Coryell, among others) bass; and Alan Hertz (who was originally part of KVHW w/ Steve Kimock a few years back), on drums. Sounding like some mutant cross between Mahavishnu Orch. and Return to Forever, these guys have got chops to spare, and then some! With moods ranging from explosive to surreal and everything in between, the album is transcendental and technically amazing all at once. Highlights include the opening title track, “Hindi Gumbo,“ which has some cool electric sitar licks from Haque, the super-funky “Be Dope.“ Next up is “Junckt,“ which has some great keyboard work from Levy and some very trippy slide guitar licks from Fareed, as well as more cool sitar vibes. I think it was at this point that my lava lamp started trying to talk to me and, uh, never mind. There‘s also “Poodle Factory,“ an amusing little tune which features some scratchings from a DJ Fly Agaric (frankly, this sounds out of place on here, but it‘s mercifully brief. I prefer to scratch my own records, thank you very much.). Other highlights include “New Meeting,“ which has more otherworldly guitar playing from Fareed Haque (he‘s brilliant on most of this stuff!) and a guest appearance from SCI mandolin wiz Michael Kang; the fusion sounds of “Beware My Ethnic Heart,“ “Madagascar,“ which has some jazzy guitar work that reminded me of Pat Metheny, and another guest spot from Kang. There‘s also “Gulam Sabri,“ which offers up some tight Rhodes playing from Levy, “Bajo,“ and the closing “Milk Carton Blues.“ This is intense, heady music from this bunch of extremely talented players. Check out Garaj Mahal on the Expand Your Mind Player at a CD World near you!

02/08/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
KYLE HOLLINGSWORTH - NEVER ODD OR EVEN
Kyle Hollingsworth, keyboardist extraordinaire from the String Cheese Incident, has released his first solo album on SCI Fidelity, Never Odd Or Even. The band consists of Kyle, keyboards and accordion; Ross Martin, guitars; Matt Spencer, bass; Dave Watts, drums; and Jans Ingber, percussion. Things get off to a cool start with “Prevolution,“ followed by “the Crusade“ (which features some nice sax playing from guest JoshuaRedman) and “Seventh Step,“ both of which are funky, jazzy tunes that SCI has been playing live for a while now. Next up is “The Bridge,“ a song with gospel-like vocals from Yvonne Brown, before guest Robert Randolph comes in with some of his amazing pedal steel playing. The gospel theme continues on next into “the Preacher,“ with its spoken word weirdness and SCI electric mandolin player Michael Kang harmonizing nicely with Martin. There seems to be a sort of fixation with electricity with the trio of “Gigawatt>The Arc>Ohms,“ which have a very tight rock-goes-electronica sound. This goes into “Don‘t Say,“ which features Hollingsworth‘s only vocal on the album, it is a great tune about a relationship gone sour that‘s been in SCI‘s setlist for a while now. Other highlights include the closer “Revolution,“ and “Bam!“ yet another SCI tune with a Latin-funk feel. The whole album has a very modern, tripped-out studio production vibe to it. Much of this reminded me of a cross between Particle and STS9, with a little bit of the Cheese sprinkled on top, a nice mix that ends up being neither too Odd or Even. Check it out at a CD World near you!

12/15/04 SCOTT HUNERBERG
Various - UNDER THE INFLUENCE: “A JAMBAND TRIBUTE TO LYNYRD SKYNYRD
From Sanctuary Records comes this Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute album, Under The Influence. Tribute albums in general usually tend to be mixed bags, and this one is no different. While this disc has got some of the best bands in today‘s jam scene, not everything here really works, and I question whether or not a group like Skynyrd truly needs such a tribute album, since they themselves weren‘t really known for their jams. Roughly every other song on here works (barely), and there are definitely some ill-advised choices: Les Claypool ruins “Call Me The Breeze,“ with his highly annoying pseudo-hick voice, Galactic doing “Saturday Night Special“ just don‘t feel right to me, and the pairing of Moe. with John Hiatt doing “Ballad of Curtis Lowe“ just does not work at all. The main problem here is for a bunch of jam bands, there‘s a real noticeable lack of jamming going on. The good stuff here includes Drive-By Truckers take on “Every Mother‘s Son,“ Yonder Mountain String Band‘s version of “Four Walls Of Raiford,“ North Mississippi Allstars version of “Whiskey Rock A Roller,“ and Disco Biscuits reworking of “Gimme Three Steps,“ which just barely works. The real highlights out of all this mess, though, are Particle‘s awesome instrumental version of “Workin‘ For MCA“ (which works so well because they actually do something fresh and new with it, using the song as a launchpad for one their space-porn-funk jams); and Gov‘t. Mule‘s killer take on “Simple Man.“ Warren Haynes‘ voice and muscular guitar style are perfect this tune, and the Mule does it full justice. Unfortunately, these are about the only places where this disc gets it right. Check it out on the Expand Your Mind headphone player at yer favorite CD World location.

12/08/04 SCOTT HUNERBERG
RUSTED - LIVE
Rusted Root returns with their first ever double live album, the aptly named Live. Recorded live during their 2003 Tour, Live captures Rusted Root in their natural environment. The bands‘ lineup includes frontman Michael Glablicki, guitarist/vocalist Liz Berlin, multi-instrumentalist John Buynak, drummer/ percussionist Jim Donovan, bassist Patrick Norman, and vocalist Jenn Wertz. The band sounds very raw and loose as they work their way through such old favorites as “Voodoo,“ “Rain,“ “Martyr,“ and “Lost In The Crowd.“ “Lost In The Crowd“ slips into “Welcome To My Party“ which in turn goes into the funky “Cat Turned Blue,“ which includes a segment of “All Along the Watchtower.“ There‘s also a cool cover of Neil Young‘s “Powderfinger,“ and a great version of “Send Me On My Way“ (which was the closest Root ever got to a hit single). Disc 2 also includes a rhythmic drum orgy, “Ecstatic Drums,“ which segues into the tribal sounding “Ecstasy.“ Other highlights include great versions of “Food And Creative Love,“ “Back To The Earth“ from ‘94‘s When I Woke album, and “Scattered,“ from ‘96‘s Remember. There‘s also an incredible jam on “Cruel Sun“ to close out the second disc as well. This ragtag band of hippies still knows how to throw down a great jam live, and this new set gives full evidence of that. Available to listen to on the Expand Your Mind Headphone Player at your favorite CD World location.

11/30/04 SCOTT HUNERBERG
WAYNE SHORTER - FOOTPRINTS: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF WAYNE SHORTER
Columbia Records has issued this nice little 2 disc set which covers the long and varied career of saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Footprints covers tracks from Shorter‘s beginnings with Art Blakey all the way up through his most recent solo works as a leader. Shorter‘s style on tenor and soprano sax set a high standard for modern jazz, and as a composer he contributed some of its more memorable, melodic pieces. Highlights include “Speak No Evil,“ from his great Blue Note solo album of the same name (this set is a little light on his solo output from that era; for a more comprehensive view, get The Classic Blue Note Recordings as well. Better yet, seek out any of his ‘60‘s solo albums on Blue Note; they‘re all great!), “Footprints,“ and “Nefertiti,“ with Miles Davis‘ great ‘60‘s Quintet. This is improvisational post-bop jazz at its finest here! Then we have “Sanctuary,“ from Davis‘ ground-breaking Bitches Brew album, and the early fusion sounds of Weather Report. They are represented by such tracks as “Mysterious Traveler,“ “Lusitamos,“ “Elegant People,“ and “Palladium,“ which all still sound fresh today. Also included are a couple of Shorter‘s more notable session appearances, including “The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines,“ and “Aja,“ from Steely Dan. The rest of disc 2 includes selections from Shorter‘s solo album through the ‘80‘s and ‘90‘s into the present. The last track, a live version of “Masquelero“ from 2001‘s Footprints Live! proves that even into his 70‘s, he is still capable of playing modern jazz that is timeless and exciting. This would be a great starting place for someone who is just getting into the wondrous music of Wayne Shorter.

11/23/04 SCOTT HUNERBERG
GRATEFUL DEAD - THE GRATEFUL DEAD MOVIE DVD
Well now, here‘s something that I‘ve been waiting on for years: the Grateful Dead Movie on DVD! And let me tell you, it was well worth the wait. Originally released in theaters in 1977, the Movie documents the Dead‘s farewell shows. Worn out after years of nonstop touring, and with the behemoth Wall of Sound fast becoming a financial burden, they decided to go an extended hiatus in late 1974. Since there was a chance that these might be the Last Shows, they decided to hire a film crew to capture it all for history. And you should be glad they did, for a Grateful Dead show in ‘74 was something to behold! Now released on DVD for the first time ever, it has been padded with an additional disc of bonus material, with previously unreleased footage that was not used for the film, your choice of three different sound mixes (a 5.1 version of the original theatrical audio mix; a new 5.1 mix from the original master tapes; and a new 2.0 stereo mix.; they all sound great!), full-length commentaries from the directors, “making of“ documentaries, and multiple camera viewing options. That‘s over five hours of goodies on two discs!! Highlights include the opening animation sequence (which is still some of the most trippy, psychedelic footage I‘ve ever seen!), cool footage of Deadheads, and oh yeah, the music. Every note of it is amazing: “One More Sat. Night,“ “Casey Jones,“ “Playing in the Band,“ an incredible “Eyes of the World.“ In addition to the original movie, there‘s also a second disc with over 95 min. of previously unreleased footage, including an amazing sequence of “The Other One>Spanish Jam>Mind Left Body>The Other One,“ a very spacey “Dark Star,“ a great “Scarlet Begonias,“ and a nice “Weather Report Suite.“ It is such a treat just to be able to watch the Dead play so close up in ‘74, when they were at the height of their powers musically. Jerry actually looks young and healthy in all of this; there are several moments in this that almost brought tears to my eyes. I could just go on and on forever about how freakin‘ great this whole thing is, but the bottom line is this: this is IT, the Holy Grail, the Mother of all Grateful Dead videos. It just doesn‘t get much better than this. If you‘re a Deadhead, or any kind of fan at all, then THE GRATEFUL DEAD MOVIE BELONGS IN YOUR COLLECTION!!!!

11/16/04 SCOTT HUNERBERG
GHOST - HYPNOTIC UNDERWORLD
From Japan comes Ghost with their seventh album Hypnotic Underworld. Fusing together elements of rock, pop, psychedelia, and avant garde music, they create something new. They use such diverse instruments as cello, mellotron, harps, percussion, saxophone, and bouzouki, along with rock guitars, keyboards, bass, and drums. The first four tracks form a long suite entitled “Hypnotic Underworld,“ which starts out very edgy and creepy sounding, like some horror movie soundtrack, before moving into even more experimental territory on the third section with its otherworldly, choirlike background vocals set against post-modern rock that calls to mind Mono (although not quite as bombastic as that Japanese band.). The next song, “Hazy Paradise“ is a sublime slice of psych-pop that was apparently done by a group called Earth and Fire (what, did Wind quit or something?). This song has layers of harpsichord, mellotron, and guitars all melting together, with a very trippy guitar solo as well. After a brief (thankfully) spoken word piece, they return with the rocking “Piper,“ which features more inventive guitar work. There‘s also an almost unrecognizable cover of Syd Barrett‘s “Dominoes,“ which Ghost makes their own. Stylistically, this band is all over the place, yet they seem to tie all of their varied influences together to make some thing that is refreshing and unique. At times it reminded me of the Krautrock of Can and Amon Duul II with their hypnotic, often trance-like grooves. Fans of post-modern experimental music such as Tortoise, Godspeed!, Fly Pan Am, or Do Make Say Think ought to give Ghost a listen; they may find it haunting them for days afterword as I did.

11/09/04 SCOTT HUNERBERG
THE BLACK KEYS - RUBBER FACTORY
Ohio‘s Black Keys have returned with their third album, Rubber Factory. Patrick Carney, (drums) and Dan Auerbach, (vocals and fuzzed-out guitars) serve up another helping of their stomping, guttural, sludgy blues-rock. Rubber Factory, which was actually recorded in a rubber factory in Akron,Ohio picks up where the last album Thickfreakness left off. It‘s definitely not more polished than that album, it still has the same kind of rough-edged, lo-fi production quality to it, and they actually sound a little more confident this time as well. Highlights include “10 A.M. Automatic,“ with its huge guitar sound; “Just Couldn‘t Tie Me Down,“ which has some great slide guitar parts from Auerbach; “The Desperate Man,“ with its trippy, fuzzed-out guitars; and their cover of the Kinks “Act Nice and Gentle.“ Other highlights? The rest of the album, it‘s that good!! With Rubber Factory, the Black Keys prove that modern blues can sound fresh, vital and exciting, while remaining steeped in tradition. In short, the Black Keys are everything the White Stripes desperately want to be, but never will.

10/25/04 Scott
ACOUSTIC SYNDICATE - LONG WAY ROUND
North Carolina‘s Acoustic Syndicate is back with their fifth album, Long Way Round. Their music is a blend of folk, pop-rock, jazz, and bluegrass. They use an interesting mix of acoustic and electric guitars, banjo, saxophone and percussion to create a sound that is somewhere between contemporary jazz and bluegrass. The opening title track starts out with some blues-influenced guitar, before the band kicks in with a bouncy rhythm. The next song, “Talk“ delivers an important message about communication. “They Come This Way“ has some great sounding acoustic playing over a funk-jazz beat. The next song, “Carry the World“ has some very intricate acoustic picking that reminds me of Keller Williams‘ earlier stuff, while “Been There Again“ sounds like it‘s from a Bela Fleck album. Other highlights include “Wake“, a short little jazzy sounding number, “Blue Bird Train,“ which reminded me of Sister Hazel, and “A Prayer For Solace.“ This is a cool little band that‘s obviously composed of very talented musicians, and they know how to sing and harmonize together as well. Fans of Bela Fleck, Yonder Mountain String Band or String Cheese Incident should check out Acoustic Syndicate; they‘ll find plenty here to like.

10/18/04 Scott
JOHN HERMANN - JUST AIN‘T RIGHT
Well now, here‘s two new releases that ought to help keep Widespread Panic fans Happy until the band decides to return to the road (which hopefully will be real soon!): WSP keyboard player John Hermann‘s Just Ain‘t Right, and Barbara Cue‘s Rhythm Oil, which features WSP drummer Todd Nance. Barbara Cue is an Athens super-group that first started getting together in ‘97 to celebrate their mutual love of NRBQ. Their sound combines elements of blues, rock, R n B, and country, along with a healthy shot of the Q. The band is: Nance, drums; guitarist William Tonks (from Six String Drag); Jeff Neff, guitars and pedal steel (from Star Room Boys); David Barbe on lead vocals; and Paul “Crumpy“ Edwards (ex-Bloodkin) on bass. Rhythm Oil (their second album) gets off to a strong start with “Explode,“ a mid-tempo rocker with a propulsive groove and gritty guitars. The next song, “Cloven Hoof“ has kind of a Stones influenced sound to it. “Coach“ has some nice slide guitar parts and tough vocals. Other highlight include the loud ‘n‘ raw “Talking To Myself,“ “Everywhere,“ and the album closing “Do You Read Me.“ Cool stuff from this little Panic offshoot.
John “Jo Jo“ Hermann‘s new one, Just Ain‘t Right is his third solo effort, and features Hermann on guitars, lead vocals, and of course keyboards. He gets lots of help from his friends Luther and Cody Dickinson, the North Miss. Allstars boys, on guitars and drums, respectively. And Paul “Crumpy“ Edwards also plays bass on here as well. If you‘re already familiar with JoJo‘s first two solo albums, then you have a pretty good idea of what‘s going on here: tough, bluesy rock with lots of cool piano and keyboard parts. Highlights include the opening rocker “the Vultures Here Are A Little Slow,“ the rollicking “Here Lies Joseline,“ the rocking “Wishbone Man“ (I‘d like to hear Panic do this one live…),“Lonely Child,“ “Assassination,“ which has some wicked wah-wah guitar licks from Luther; and the piano based “Over Lubbock.“ While neither one of these releases are what I‘d call earth-shattering or anything (and I doubt you‘ll see either lineup on tour anytime soon, they‘re basically just stop-gap side projects) they do sound cool cranked up and both are a lot of fun, which is really what it‘s all about anyway!

10/18/04 Scott
BARBARA CUE - RHYTHM OIL
Well now, here‘s two new releases that ought to help keep Widespread Panic fans Happy until the band decides to return to the road (which hopefully will be real soon!): WSP keyboard player John Hermann‘s Just Ain‘t Right, and Barbara Cue‘s Rhythm Oil, which features WSP drummer Todd Nance. Barbara Cue is an Athens super-group that first started getting together in ‘97 to celebrate their mutual love of NRBQ. Their sound combines elements of blues, rock, R n B, and country, along with a healthy shot of the Q. The band is: Nance, drums; guitarist William Tonks (from Six String Drag); Jeff Neff, guitars and pedal steel (from Star Room Boys); David Barbe on lead vocals; and Paul “Crumpy“ Edwards (ex-Bloodkin) on bass. Rhythm Oil (their second album) gets off to a strong start with “Explode,“ a mid-tempo rocker with a propulsive groove and gritty guitars. The next song, “Cloven Hoof“ has kind of a Stones influenced sound to it. “Coach“ has some nice slide guitar parts and tough vocals. Other highlight include the loud ‘n‘ raw “Talking To Myself,“ “Everywhere,“ and the album closing “Do You Read Me.“ Cool stuff from this little Panic offshoot.
John “Jo Jo“ Hermann‘s new one, Just Ain‘t Right is his third solo effort, and features Hermann on guitars, lead vocals, and of course keyboards. He gets lots of help from his friends Luther and Cody Dickinson, the North Miss. Allstars boys, on guitars and drums, respectively. And Paul “Crumpy“ Edwards also plays bass on here as well. If you‘re already familiar with JoJo‘s first two solo albums, then you have a pretty good idea of what‘s going on here: tough, bluesy rock with lots of cool piano and keyboard parts. Highlights include the opening rocker “the Vultures Here Are A Little Slow,“ the rollicking “Here Lies Joseline,“ the rocking “Wishbone Man“ (I‘d like to hear Panic do this one live…),“Lonely Child,“ “Assassination,“ which has some wicked wah-wah guitar licks from Luther; and the piano based “Over Lubbock.“ While neither one of these releases are what I‘d call earth-shattering or anything (and I doubt you‘ll see either lineup on tour anytime soon, they‘re basically just stop-gap side projects) they do sound cool cranked up and both are a lot of fun, which is really what it‘s all about anyway!

09/20/04 Scott
HUMBLE PIE - HOME AND AWAY
What‘s new from Humble Pie, you ask? Well, nothing, really, but this cool little 2 disc set offers up reissues of two of their classic albums from the late ‘60‘s. The first disc (the “Home,“ I guess) is their 1969 debut “As Safe As Yesterday,“ while disc two (the “Away?“) offers their second album “Town and Country.“ Although it would have been nice if they had included any of the original artwork, there‘s still a great cover shot of Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton rockin‘ out on stage. “Safe As Yesterday“ basically set the stage for future Humble Pie albums with Marriott‘s soulful, bluesy voice and driving riffs, and Frampton‘s ringing leads. Highlights include “Natural Born Bugie,“ “Stick Shift,“ “Buttermilk Boy, and the title track. On “Town and Country“ the Pie takes a more laid-back approach, with songs that are built upon layers of acoustic guitars and hand percussion, with harmony vocals. Some of this actually sounds kind of like an offshoot of CSN or something. Standout tracks include “Take Me Back,“ “Shakey Jake,“ the psychedelic sounding “Light of Love,“ and “Every Mothers Son,“ which feature some great acoustic picking from Frampton. Only on “Down Home Again,“ and “Home and Away“ does Humble Pie revisit the hard rock boogie swagger of “As Safe As Yesterday,“ but these songs don‘t sound out of place here; instead they serve to balance out the overall sound. This is cool stuff from this sadly underappreciated band, and would make a great starting place for someone just getting into Humble Pie and is wondering what all the fuss is about.

09/06/04 Scott
MOSES GUEST - GUEST MOTEL - EDIT DVD
Houston based jam band Moses Guest have come out with two exciting new
releases: first, there‘s Guest Motel (on their own label, Aufheben Records), which is the bands‘ fourth studio album (fifth overall, including 1998‘s excellent Live Stages); and Edit, their first ever live DVD. The band is Graham Guest, lead vocals and guitars; Rick Thompson , piano, organ, and back. vocals; James Edwards, drums, back vocs; and Jeremy Edwards, bass. Moses Guest has a sound that recalls some of the great music of the ‘60‘s and ‘70‘s such as the Dead, Little Feat, and the Allmans, as well as modern rockers like Widespread Panic. Guest Motel starts out with the rolling “Preposterous Box,“ then settles in for “It‘s Our Love,“ which has a relaxed soul feel to it. Next up is Invictus with its poetic lyrics, and complex structure, this sounds like something the Band should have done. With “2 Of Everybody,“ Graham offers up his own theory on the subject of human cloning. “Victim of Hours“ has a rollicking uptempo feel that brings to mind Little Feat with its shifting riffs and tempos. This song seems to be about making a personal stand for individuality: “ I can‘t live in the shadow of a corporation, hell no!.“ Next is “Bird In My Hand,“ a great instrumental with melodic piano playing from Rick, and some burning guitar leads from Graham. Other highlights include the laid-back, almost country sounding “Jackson;“ the paino based “Dead Again“(Rick really shines on this one), which almost seems to be a reprise or coda to “Song For Dead,“ from 2002‘s incredible self-titled double album. Then there‘s Double-Double-Double God,which offers up a childs-eye view of religion in these strange times. Overall, though Guest Motel doesn‘t have the same kind of epic grandness of 02‘s Moses Guest, it almost seems little more focused, with intelligent lyrics and very tight instrumental work from beginning to end. More great stuff from this extremley talented band! You can listen to this one on the Expand Your Mind player at either CD World. Also new from Moses Guest is Edit, the bands‘ first ever live DVD. Shot live at the Last Concert Cafe in Houston TX, Edit offers up just about all you could ever want from a band like Moses: great live footage of the band tearing through old favorites like “How Does It Feel,“ “Boogie Heartache,“ “Ragdoll,“ “I Know You Rider,“ and “California,“ as well as new tunes like“Invictus.“ The band is joined throughout by Dan Johnson on pedal steel, which serves the bands‘ laid-back jam style quite well. There‘s also some neat bonus stuff as well, a nice acoustic campfire jam, and hilarious drunken footage of the band kickin‘ back at home. Fans who have already seen Moses Guest live and know how tight they are will definately want to check this out- it‘s the next best thing to being at a show. Highly recommended!

08/30/04 Scott
TISHAMINGO - SELF-TITLED
Athens, GA based Tishamingo have released their self-titled debut album. Like Drive-By Truckers, Widespread Panic, or Moses Guest, Tishamingo is modern-day Southern rock for the new millenium. With a sound that is equal parts country, blues, and good old gritty rock, Tishamingo is a band that is not afraid to show their Southern influences.They consist of: Cameron Williams- guitars and lead vocals; Jess Franklin- guitars and lead vocals; Stephen Spivey- bass; and Richard Proctor- drums and percussion. The album was recorded and produced by John Keane, a name that should be familier to Panic fans by now (Keane also helps out with some subtle pedal steel and banjo flourishes throughout). The album gets off to an amusing start with “First Of the Day,“ leading into “Whiskey State Of Mind“ (bonus points if you can identify the movie that the former is taken from. Hint: That‘s Jack Nicholson, folks). “People See“ has a nice rollicking honk-tonk feel to it; the next track, “Lazy Susan“ offers some smoky slide guitar with a catchy, sing-a-long chorus. “ Way Back Home“ starts out with a warm acoustic feel before moving to a laid-back Allmans sounding jam complete with ringing slide and duel guitar harmonies that would make Duane and Dickey proud. “Lickety Split“ has a funky feel to it, and more great fretwork. “Palmer March“ is a slow, short slide-based jam that goes right into “Tradition,“ something this band has plenty of. “Livin‘ life and being true to myself, that‘s what this is all about,“ Jess Franklin sings on here, and it‘s hard not to believe him the way he belts it out. He‘s got a great voice and vocal style that reminds me of Warren Haynes. “Pete‘s Lament“ is next, a slow blues tune with soulful vocals from Cameron Williams, and more great guitar work from Franklin and Williams. There‘s also “Turry and the Tellico Militia,“ which sounds like NRPS doing bluegrass, with some very tight harmony vocals that will get you singing along. Finally there‘s “ El Perro Frio,“ a sweet little acoustic guitar piece that slides right into “Last Ride,“ which sounds like the Allmans jamming with Santana with its duel lead guitars and Latin-sounding rhythms. This is a great debut from this promising new band, highly recommended. Fans of the Allmans, Gov‘t Mule, or Panic should check out Tishamingo, they won‘t be disappointed!!

08/30/04 Scott
UMPHREY‘S McGEE - Anchor Drops
Umphrey‘s McGee have released their fifth album, Anchor Drops, on SCI Fidelity Records. The band has an intense sound that is a heady mix of prog-rock, metal, latin grooves, jazz-fusion, and even electronica, peppered with doses of Zappa-esque humor throughout. Umphrey‘s McGee consists of Brendon Bayliss, guitars and most lead vocals; Ryan Stasik, bass; Joel Cummins, piano, organ, keys;Kris Myers, drums; Andy Farag, congas, perc; and Jake Cinninger, lead guitars. Anchor Drops kicks off to a rocking start with the prog-rock/metal sounding “Plunger“, which has some skewed time signatures and impressive guitar work. The acoustic guitar driven “In The Kitchen“ has a very catchy bounce to it, as well as some insightful lyrics: “the TV‘s on too much, and I don‘t ever think enough about the things that matter most, or what could make me old.“ “Bullhead City“ has a nice back porch vibe, with its acoutic guitars and dobro, and tales of outlaws and whiskey. On “Miss Tinkle‘s Overture“ the band goes straight into prog overdrive with Jake Cinninger‘s lightning fast guitar licks leading the way. This band is very tight instrumentally, with ample chops to spare, yet they are wise enough to know when to reign it all in before it all gets overindulgent. Other standout tracks include “Uncommon,“ the prog trilogy of “JaJunk Pt.1>13 Days>JaJunk Pt. 2,“ “Walletsworth,“ which takes a personal look at homelesness; and “Mulche‘s Odyssey,“ a day-in-the-life tale with lead vocs. from Cinninger and more blazing guitar work from him as well.“Robot World“ is somewhat of a departure from the bands‘ typical sound with its electronic drums and synths playing against distorted guitars. Almost sounds like something from a Kraftwork or Can album. Finally there‘s the hilariously titled “Wife Soup,“ a long jam which deals with issues of procrastination and motivation, before moving into a long sing-a-long coda:“you wouldn‘t even believe your eyes,it‘s all your circus now“ With Anchor Drops, Umphrey‘s McGee displays a growing maturity not only in their tecnically proficciant jamming, but also in their insightful lyrics as well. Great stuff from this up-and-coming jam band, highly recommended to jam- and prog-rock fans as well. Available to listen to on the Expand Your Mind listening station at your favorite CD World!!

08/23/04 Scott
MOSES GUEST - GUEST MOTEL - EDIT DVD
Houston based jam band Moses Guest have come out with two exciting new
releases: first, there‘s Guest Motel (on their own label, Aufheben Records), which is the bands‘ fourth studio album (fifth overall, including 1998‘s excellent Live Stages); and Edit, their first ever live DVD. The band is Graham Guest, lead vocals and guitars; Rick Thompson , piano, organ, and back. vocals; James Edwards, drums, back vocs; and Jeremy Edwards, bass. Moses Guest has a sound that recalls some of the great music of the ‘60‘s and ‘70‘s such as the Dead, Little Feat, and the Allmans, as well as modern rockers like Widespread Panic. Guest Motel starts out with the rolling “Preposterous Box,“ then settles in for “It‘s Our Love,“ which has a relaxed soul feel to it. Next up is “Invictus“ with its poetic lyrics, and complex structure, this sounds like something the Band should have done. With “2 Of Everybody,“ Graham offers up his own theory on the subject of human cloning. “Victim of Hours“ has a rollicking uptempo feel that brings to mind Little Feat with its shifting riffs and tempos. This song is about making a personal stand for individuality: ““ I can‘t live in the shadow of a corporation, hell no!.“ Next is “Bird In My Hand,“ a great instrumental with nice, melodic piano playing from Rick, and some burning guitar leads from Graham. Other highlights include the laid-back, almost country sounding “Jackson;“ the paino based “Dead Again“(Rick really shines on this one), which is like a reprise or coda to “Song For Dead,“ from 2002‘s incredible self-titled double album. Then there‘s “Double-Double-Double God,“ which offers up a childs-eye view of religion in these strange times. Overall, though Guest Motel doesn‘t have the same kind of epic grandness of 02‘s Moses Guest, it almost seems little more focused, with intelligent lyrics and very tight instrumental work from beginning to end. More great stuff from this extremley talented band! You can listen to this one on the Expand Your Mind player at either CD World. Also new from Moses Guest is Edit, the bands‘ first ever live DVD. Shot live at the Last Concert Cafe in Houston TX, Edit offers up just about all you could ever want from a band like Moses: great live footage of the band tearing through old favorites like “How Does It Feel,“ “Boogie Heartache,“ “Ragdoll,“ “I Know You Rider,“ and “California,“ as well as new tunes like“Invictus.“ The band is joined throughout by Dan Johnson on pedal steel, which serves the bands‘ laid-back jam style quite well. There‘s also some neat bonus stuff as well, a nice acoustic campfire jam, and hilarious drunken footage of the band kickin‘ back at home. Fans who have seen Moses Guest live and know how tight they are will definately want to check this DVD out- it‘s the next best thing to being at a show. Highly recommended!

08/09/04 Scott
UMPHREY‘S McGEE - Anchor Drops
Umphrey‘s McGee have released their fifth album, Anchor Drops, on SCI Fidelity Records. The band has an intense sound that is a heady mix of prog-rock, metal, latin grooves, jazz-fusion, and even electronica, peppered with doses of Zappa-esque humor throughout. Umphrey‘s McGee consists of Brendon Bayliss, guitars and most lead vocals; Ryan Stasik, bass; Joel Cummins, piano, organ, keys;Kris Myers, drums; Andy Farag, congas, perc; and Jake Cinninger, lead guitars. Anchor Drops kicks off to a rocking start with the prog-rock/metal sounding “Plunger“, which has some skewed time signatures and impressive guitar work. The acoustic guitar driven “In The Kitchen“ has a very catchy bounce to it, as well as some insightful lyrics: “the TV‘s on too much, and I don‘t ever think enough about the things that matter most, or what could make me old.“ “Bullhead City“ has a nice back porch vibe, with its acoutic guitars and dobro, and tales of outlaws and whiskey. On “Miss Tinkle‘s Overture“ the band goes straight into prog overdrive with Jake Cinninger‘s lightning fast guitar licks leading the way.
This band is very tight instrumentally, with ample chops to spare, yet they are wise enough to know when to reign it all in before it all gets overindulgent. Other standout tracks include “Uncommon,“ the prog trilogy of “JaJunk Pt.1>13 Days>JaJunk Pt. 2,“ “Walletsworth,“ which takes a personal look at homelesness; and “Mulche‘s Odyssey,“ a day-in-the-life tale with lead vocs. from Cinninger and more blazing guitar work from him as well.“Robot World“ is somewhat of a departure from the bands‘ typical sound with its electronic drums and synths playing against distorted guitars. Almost sounds like something from a Kraftwork or Can album. Finally there‘s the hilariously titled “Wife Soup,“ a long jam which deals with issues of procrastination and motivation, before moving into a long sing-a-long coda:
“you wouldn‘t even believe your eyes,it‘s all your circus now“
With Anchor Drops, Umphrey‘s McGee displays a growing maturity not only in their tecnically proficciant jamming, but also in their insightful lyrics as well. Great stuff from this up-and-coming jam band, highly recommended to jam- and prog-rock fans as well. Available to listen to on the Expand Your Mind listening station at your favorite CD World!!

07/19/04 Scott
STOCKHOLM SYNDROME - HOLY HAPPY HOUR
Stockholm Sydrome is the new side project from Jerry Joseph and Dave Schools from Widespread Panic. The group just release its debut album, Holy Happy Hour. Stockholm Syndrome started out as a one-off jam project between the two longtime friends (Schools produced and played on Jerry Joseph‘s last studio album, Concious Contact; Joseph has been known to sit in with WSP from time to time) and evolved into shorter, more accesable songs. Holy Happy Hour is a very dark album, peppered throughout with Joseph‘s biting, acidic lyrics, which never try to ease you in to his world view; you either come along for the ride, or get off! The album kicks off with the ferocious rocker “Counter-Clock World,“ then moves right into the stinging “Empire One.“ On a lot of the songs on here it seems like the music serves the words, rather than the other way around, as is often the case with so-called jambands. “Purple Heart“ deals with the contradictions and injustices of war, while “Tight“ warns not to take anything in life for granted, and to avoid complacency. The lyrics also serve to point out a growing American hypocrisy:
“Then we tell the kids it‘s good versus evil
and country and God are more important than people
we say it so much it‘s almost unbelievable fear we‘ll leave nobody behind
we get tight.“
Elsewhere the hard-hitting “American Fork“ tries to interpret America‘s obsession with its own greatness, taking on globalization, racism, mass media run amuck, corporate corruption, patriotism, and of course the ensuing genocide. This song is extremely political, and pulls no punches with such lyrics as:
“Clear the Channel for the next bling bling
And sell it to the kids with a strap-on dick,
Ayatollahs versus Coca-Cola
Drink black water while the blood runs thick.“
I recommend playing this track for your favorite Bush Supporter while you drag them to see Fahrenheit 911 for a fucking dose of the truth. Seriously :)
Elsewhere Stockholm Syndrome gets into some lighter grooves with the catchy “Bouncing Very Well“ (which still manages to serve up some disturbing lyrics),and their great cover version of “Couldn‘t Get It Right,“ a cool, funk tune made popular in the ‘70‘s by the Climax Blues Band. This is not music that tries to shock, overpower, or impress you (the lyrics will certainly do that, and more), but rather proves that these guys can rock out with the best of ‘em, while still maintaining a conscience. Dark, edgy music to make you groove and think. Be sure to catch Stockholm Syndrome live at the Gypsy Tea Room, Fri. July 30 (tickets on sale now at your favorite CD WORLD location!).

07/12/04 Scott
THE BIG WU - TOOL FOR EVENING
Jam band the Big Wu just released their fourth studio album, Tool For Evening. The band, who are from Minneapolis, MN, are what could be described as a 2nd generation jam band who are heavily influenced by the Grateful Dead. The band consists of Chris Castino, guitars and vocals; Al Oikari, keyboards; Andy Miller, bass; and drummer Terry VanDeWalker. Standout cuts incluse the opener “Texas Fireball,“ “MIddle Of Nowhere,“ and the rocking “Stole My Girlfriend,“ which features some blazing lead guitar from Castino. There‘s also a cool version of “Jazz 88,“ a jazzy little jam that has been a live favorite for years. This album has a great, tight group sound that has an immediate effect, and the songs are mostly fairly memorable and stick with you (unlike last year‘s slighty disappointing Spring Reverb album, recorded when the band was going through a transitional phase). Overall, a solid studio release from this up and coming groove band that shows them incorporating their varied influences into their sound while still managing to sound new at the same time. Recommended for Deadheads and fans of today‘s new grooves!

07/05/04 Scott
JERRY GARCIA - ALL GOOD THINGS STUDIO SESSIONS - Outtakes, Jams and Alternates
For the last few weeks or so I‘ve been reviewing the new Jerry Garcia box set, All Good Things. As I‘ve said before, wow, is this thing ever cool!! All of Jerrys‘ original studio albums have been digitally remastered and padded with TONS of bonus tracks (over four hours!). The last disc in the box is called Outtakes, Jams and Alternates, and that‘s pretty much what you get here, folks.This disc will probobly appeal mostly to Garcia/Dead completests like myself, but if you‘re in that category then you won‘t be dissappointed. Highlight here include cool alternate takes of “Deal“, “Catfish John“, “I‘ll Take a Melody“,and the gospel-tinged “My Sisters and Brothers.“ There‘s also a great acoustic version of “Lonesome Town.“ There‘s also a couple of really cool studio jams on “Hey Bo Diddley/Hideaway“, “Iko Iko“, and “Streamlined Cannonball.“ All in all, I‘d have to say that this box set is just simply amazing from begining to end. All Good Things is very highly recommended for any Jerry Garcia fan or Deadhead!!

06/21/04 Scott
JERRY GARCIA - ALL GOOD THINGS STUDIO SESSIONS - Run For the Roses
Hey now! For the last few weeks I‘ve been reviewing the new Jerry Garcia box set, All Good Things, the Complete Studio Sessions. I just can‘t say enough about how cool this thing is, with all of the original studio albums digitally remastered in sparkling HDCD sound. All the discs are packed with previously unreleased bonus tracks, with new artwork, and a highly informative booklet. Last week we checked out the fourth disc, Cats Under the Stars; this week we‘ll get into Run For the Roses.
Originally released in 1982, Run For the Roses was Jerry Garcia‘s fifth solo album. The lineup here varies from song to song, but the core of the group was still Jerry on guitar and lead vocals, John Kahn on bass, Ron Tutt on drums, and either Merl Saunders and/or Melvin Seals on piano and organ. Unfortunately, as most Deadheads already know, this was not a particularily good time for Jerry: his last solo effort, Cats, had not done nearly as well as expected, and his personal demons were starting to catch up with him. As a result, Run For the Roses was kind of a mixed bag, although there is still some enjoyable material on here. Roses starts out strong with the title track, a cool, bouncy, little tune, with catchy sing-along lyrics from Robert Hunter. This one quickly became a staple of live JGB shows and even a few Dead shows. Other highlights include the Kahn/Hunter tune Leave the Little Girl Alone, which has some blazing guitar licks from Jerry (Unfortunately it‘s about the only time he really cuts loose on the record), Valerie, which deals with the perils of unrequited love, and Midnight Getaway, which is about a man hearing his lover sneak off into the night to cheat on him. There‘s also a very nice cover of Dylan‘s Knockin‘ On Heaven‘s Door, which also became a favorite of JGB (and later, Dead) shows. But some of the other tracks here from the original record suffer from somewhat lackluster performances and song arrangements.
The bonus tracks on Roses are interesting, but don‘t really add anything special to the album overall. There‘s a neat version of Fennario (whose lyrics are similer to the Dead tune Peggy-O), a version of Alabama Getaway which just sounds like an outtake or alternate version of the same song from the Dead‘s Go To Heaven album. The version of the Beatles‘ Dear Prudence included here is nice, but pales in comparison to the one on 1991‘s JGB Live album. Same thing with Simple Twist of Fate: it‘s nice and all, but far from being the definative version that Garcia recorded. And the JGB‘s take on Dylan‘s Tangled Up In Blue is just too quick in tempo, and the repeated background vocals are just too up front in the mix (again, see ‘91‘s JGB Live album for a much better version of this tune!). Although Run For the Roses is far from being the best Jerry Garcia solo album in this box, it still has it‘s moments, despite its shortcomings. Next week we‘ll check out the last disc, Outtakes, Jams, and Alternates!

06/14/04 Scott
JERRY GARCIA - ALL GOOD THINGS STUDIO SESSIONS - Cats Under the Stars
For the last couple of weeks I‘ve been reviewing All Good Things, the new Jerry Garcia box set. This incredible 6 disc set features all 5 of Garcia‘s original studio albums remastered with bonus tracks, plus an additional disc of unreleased outtakes and jams. If you‘re a Garcia/Dead completest like me, you‘ll find this box to be awesome! This week we‘ll examine Cats Under the Stars.
Originally released in 1978, Cats Under the Stars was the first Garcia solo album to be released under the name Jerry Garcia Band, although the personel wasn‘t much different from the non-Dead tracks on Reflections. The lineup here is John Kahn, bass; Keith Godchaux, keyboards; Donna Jean Godchaux, vocals; Ron Tutt, drums; Merl Saunders, organ; and Maria Muldaur, vocals. The album starts out strong with Rubin and Cherise, a mythological tale with imaginative lyrics from Robert Hunter, and some inventive guitar work from Jerry. Love in the Afternoon has a nice relaxed reggae feel to it, and Palm Sunday has some beautiful vocals. The title track is a cool uptempo rocker with more great lyrics from Hunter and brilliant guitar work and vocals from Jerry. Rhapsody in Red also has some great scorching guitar licks, and Gomorrah has some Biblicly inspired lyrics and gospel sounding vocals.
Much of the bonus material on Cats continues in this same old-timey and gospel influenced vein: Magnificent Sanctuary Band has a kind of ragtime feel to it, while the gorgeous I‘ll Be With Thee sounds like it was recorded with a choir. The Garcia Band‘s version of the Smokey Robinson classic The Way You Do The Things You Do is great, with it‘s sing-along chorus. And Mighty High offers up some fast, up-tempo gospel sounds. There‘s also JGB‘s jamming version of Jesse Stone‘s Don‘t Let Go (which quickly became a staple of live JGB shows), and neat alternate versions of Down Home and Palm Sunday.Garcia once said in an interview that he considered Cats Under the Stars to be his most successful record, and it‘s easy to see why: this is some of the most beautiful, soulful material he ever put out under his own name, and it has the more cohesive feel than any other solo album since his debut. This is because it was made by the entire group, with contributions from everyone
There‘s also the very cool cover painting by Stanley Mouse, which quickly became a iconic symbol for Jerry among Deadheads. This is easily one of the best discs in this box so far! Next week we‘ll get into Run For the Roses!

06/07/04 Scott
JERRY GARCIA - ALL GOOD THINGS STUDIO SESSIONS - Reflections
For the last couple of weeks I‘ve been reviewing the new Jerry Garcia box set. The box includes all of Garcia‘s original studio albums, digitally remastered, with new packaging and artwork and over forty previously unreleased tracks. Last week I covered the second disc, Compliments. This week we‘ll get into the third, Reflections.
Released in 1976, Reflections was quite different than its predecessors. Half of the album was recorded with the Grateful Dead, in a burst of energy leftover from the Blues For Allah sessions. The other half was recorded with what would later be known as the Jerry Garcia Band, including John Kahn, bass; Nicky Hopkins, piano, Ron Tutt, drums, and Donna Godchaux, backup vocals. The album starts out strong with “Might as Well“, a rocking tune about the 1970 Festival Express Train Ride across Canada, with Jerry and the Dead. Next is “Mission in the Rain“, backed by the Jerry Garcia Band, with lyrics by Robert Hunter that Jerry once described as “a page right out of my life“ “They Love Each Other“ is a nice bouncy little tune that the Dead had been playing live for a couple of years, and the ballad “It Must Have Been The Roses“ quickly became a live favorite as well. Jerry‘s take on Allen Tousaint‘s “I‘ll Take A Melody“ features some great vocals and tight ensemble playing from the JGB. Then there‘s the haunting ballad “Comes A Time“ (also a staple of live Dead shows); the lyrics, and especially Jerry‘s heartfelt vocal delivery gives me chills every time I hear this song.
The bonus material on Reflections includes a nice studio jam on “Mystery Train“, which has some great guitar work from Garcia, and a nice version of Hank Williams‘ “You Win Again.“ But the real highlight here, maybe even of the whole disc, has got to be the last track, “Orpheus.“ Here Jerry leads the Dead through an extremely complex, instrumental studio jam. This jam has got some very cool, jazzy sounding chord changes, and is a prime example of the almost telepathic level of communication the band was capable of reaching during this period. Why this jam has not seen the light of day before now is a mystery to me, because it is simply amazing!! Overall, Reflections is a great sounding album that points towards the direction that Garcia would eventually take with the Jerry Garcia Band. Never had such a good time indeed! Next week we‘ll dig into Cats Under The Stars.

05/31/04 Scott
JERRY GARCIA - ALL GOOD THINGS STUDIO SESSIONS - Compliments
Last week I started to review the new Jerry Garcia box set, All Good Things, from Rhino records. This very cool box set includes all of Jerry‘s original solo albums, digitally remastered, with new packaging and artwork, and over four hours of previously unreleased outtakes, and studio jams. There‘s also a nice booklet with new liner notes and pictures. Last time we checked out the first disc, Garcia; this time we‘ll check out the second disc, Compliments.
First released in 1974, Jerry‘s second solo album was much different from his first in several ways: for one thing, almost all of the songs were cover tunes chosen by his friend and longtime band mate John Kahn. And while he had played all of the instruments on the first one, here he used a variety of top session players including Larry Carlton and Michael Omartian (Steely Dan), and Ron Tutt (Elvis). As one might expect, the results were sort of a mixed bag: covers of the Stones‘ Let‘s Spend the Night Together, and Van Morrison‘s He Ain‘t Give You None just don‘t work that well, sounding too overproduced. And the one Hunter/Garcia original on here, Midnight Town is kind of a dud too. But most of the rest of the album works pretty well. Jerry‘s take on Chuck Berry‘s Let It Rock is pretty cool, as is the version of Dr. John‘s What Goes Around. His take on Little Milton‘s that‘s What Love Make You Do (which later became a staple of JGB live shows) never fails to get me up and dancing around the living room. The most surprising cover on here may be Jerry‘s take on Irving Berlin‘s Russian Lullaby, which he plays on an acoustic classical guitar. Given this unique treatment the song is simply beautiful.
When we get to the ten bonus tracks on here, it‘s easy to see how Compliments could have been a different album. Many of the tracks featured here are outtakes from the recording sessions, and quite a few of them might have worked better than what was actually issued on the album: the bouncing, That‘s A Touch I Like, the funky sounding I‘ll Forget You, the bluesy sounding Road Runner, or the yearning blues of It‘s Too Late. Jerry‘s blues side also comes across on tracks like Think, I Know It‘s A Sin, and Lonesome Town. It is here that Jerry plays some his tastiest guitar licks and riffs, something that was sort of missing on the tracks that did make the cut. Tragedy is a kind of haunting ballad that almost sounds as if it is coming from the same fragile place as Stella Blue. The last cut on the disc, Back Home In Indiana has kind of a laid back country/bluegrass feel that‘s very similar to the sound he would explore with David Grisman years later. Although Compliments is a little uneven in some places, and might have benefited from a different track selection (it‘s hard to see why some of the bonus tracks included didn‘t make it onto the original album), it‘s still a fine sounding disc with some great singing and playing from Jerry Garcia. Next week we‘ll get into Reflections, the third disc in this amazing box set. Until then keep on smilin‘!!

05/3/04 Scott
Savoy Brown - Hellbound Train Live 1969-1972
Released in late 2003,Hellbound Train Live 1969-1972 offers up two full discs of live Savoy Brown. This long overdue collection was recorded at several shows, with four different line-ups represented here. As most fans know, Savoy Brown was a virtual revolving door of ever-changing personnel, the one constant being guitar legend Kim Simmonds. Although the sound quality starts out a little murky on the first couple of cuts, it improves greatly after that. Standout cuts include A Little More Wine and Savoy brown Boogie No. 2, with outstanding vocals from Chris Youlden. Lonesome Dave Peverret, who would after go on to form Foghat, handles lead vocals and rhythm guitar on seven tunes, including Leaving Again and the burning Memory Pain. And although Louisiana Blues goes on for over twenty minutes, there‘s hardly wasted note anywhere, as the band tears though a jam that calls to mind the Allman Brothers. Disc two features rocking versions of Looking From the Outside, Hellbound Train, and All I Can Do. The second half of disc two features vocalists Dave Walker, and Jackie Lynton on songs like Let It Rock and the rocking Tell Mama. Kim Simmonds is in fine form throughout, no matter what the line-up, with his stinging, biting blues guitar riffs that always sound just right for the song. This compilation would be a good place to start for someone just getting into Savoy Brown, and if you‘re already a fan, then consider Hellbound Train Live Essential!

05/24/04 Scott
JERRY GARCIA - ALL GOOD THINGS STUDIO SESSIONS - Garcia
Well hey now, here‘s yet another reason for Deadheads and Jerry Garcia fans everywhere to rejoice, the All Good Things Studio Sessions box from Rhino. This extremely cool boxset contains all 5 of Jerry‘s original studio albums, digitally remastered, with tons of cool bonus tracks on each disc, plus an additional disc of outtakes and studio jams. There‘s over 40 previously unreleased tracks on this, over 4 hours. There‘s also a very informative 128 page book with information on each album included as well. I have always thought that Jerry‘s solo albums were somewhat ignored, since there was a common belief that since the Dead seemed to play their best live, the studio albums had little to offer (the Warner Brothers box set did much to dispell that theory, though.) Since there‘s just too much music here to cover in one review, I‘ve decided to break it down and review one disc a week.
The first disc, Garcia, is definitely the most experimental of the set. Jerry sings and plays all instruments (guitars, bass, piano, organ, pedal steel) except drums, which were played by Bill Kreutzmann, with Robert Hunter contributing lyrics. The first half of the album saw the debut of four songs that quickly became staples of the Dead‘s live show: the bluesy Deal, the jazzy sounding Bird Song, Sugaree, and Loser, a song about a hardluck gambler. The second half was where Garcia explores his more experimental side; the trilogy of Late For Supper, Spidergawd, and Eep Hour sounds like it was written for an episode of the Twilight Zone it‘s so spacey! To Lay Me Down highlights Jerry‘s piano playing and heartfelt vocals. The Wheel, which closed out the original album has some trippy pedal steel playing as well as some of Hunter‘s most enigmatic lyrics. The bonus material includes early versions of this song and it‘s interesting to hear how it was born out of studio jams. !
Other highlights include alternate takes on Sugaree and Loser, in which Jerry explains the chord structure of the song, and what he is doing harmonically.The alternate versions of Late For Supper, Spidergawd, and Eep Hour also provide a very revealing look at his recording process. Overall, this album highlights Garcia‘s growing strengths as a songwriter, as well as his immense instrumental talents. Next week I‘ll review the next disc in this great box, Compliments of Garcia. Until then Nothin‘ Left to Do But Smile, Smile, Smile!!

05/17/04 Scott
LOS LONELY BOYS - LOS LONELY BOYS
Tex-Mex Rockers Los Lonely Boys released their self- titled debut last year, offering up some exciting new roots-rock. The band consists of brothers Henry Garza (guitar, vocals), JoJo Garza (bass), and Ringo Garza (drums).Their debut album was recorded in Willie Nelson‘s Austin studio(they‘re his favorite band) in 2003, with a little help from Willie on a couple of cuts. Their sound is rooted in early rock ‘n roll like Chuck Berry and Richie Valens, as well as guitar and percussion driven Latin rock like Santana and Los Lobos. La Contestacion features Willie guesting on guitar, with Reece Wynans helping on keyboards. Crazy Dreams calls to mind Stevie Ray Vaughan playing with Albert King, while Dime Mi Amor serves up some funky Latin rock. Other standout tracks include Real Emotion, Onda and Velvet Sky. This sounds like good music for a party, so grab a cold margarita and your favorite senorita and dance the night away with Los Lonely Boys!

05/10/04 Scott
JERRY GARCIA AND DAVID GRISMAN - BEEN ALL AROUND THIS WORLD
Been All Around This World is the latest installment of unreleased acoustic music by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman. This material was recorded at various informal jams and sessions, and Grisman has been releasing the best of it on previous albums such as So What ( which focused on the pair‘s jazz side) and Shady Grove (which highlighted their folk side). With Garcia‘s always brilliant, highly expressive acoustic guitar playing and folky vocals, and Grisman‘s rippling, imaginative mandolin playing, the two old friends explore a wide range of material. Highlights include an instrumental version of the Handsome Cabin Boy Waltz, an old sea shanty given the “Dawg“ treatment, Blue Yodel #9 by Jimmie Rodgers, and a bluegrass take on James Brown‘s I‘ll Go Crazy, which works suprisingly well. There‘s also a great version of Bob Dylan‘s Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest. But the best track on here may be the gorgeous version of Sittin‘ Here in Limbo - Garcia‘s guitar part and heartfelt vocal are just perfect for this song. Grisman drops hints in the liner notes that this may be the last collection of unreleased material to be issued. If you‘re already a fan of the previous Garcia-Grisman collaborations, or just a Garcia completist like me, you‘ll probably find Been All Around This World to be essential.

04/5/04 Scott
PARTICLE - LAUNCHPAD
Paricle has released their highly anticipated studio debut, Launchpad, and it‘s about time!! Particle has made a name for themselves over the last couple of years touring nearly nonstop, playing clubs, festivals, and late-night parties. Their high-intensity live shows often start at 1 am or later and go until dawn (or whenever they and the audience collapse from exhaustion!). Their music is an intoxicating blend of rock, funk, jazz, and electronic trance, which they call “space porn“ music. The band consists of keyboard wizard Steve Molitz, guitarist Charlie Hitchcock, bassist Eric Gould, and drummer Darren Pujalet. Launchpad kicks off with the pumping title track, and from the beginning it‘s clear this is serious party music, perfect for late night rave dancing.The Elevator opens with a spacey intro before moving into a hard-edged, guitar driven progressive techno sound. And Banker starts out with a groove that just builds up, with thick layers of keyboards and fusion-like! guitar chords, before the rhythm changes several times. And 7 Minutes To Radio Darkness has some Santana-inspired guitar licks from Hitchcock, before the whole band goes spiraling off into some uncharted vortex of sound, peaking out and pushing their instruments to their limits. Launchpad is an awesome sounding album from a band that is breaking down genre barriers and leaving all-night parties in their wake. Definitely recommended for fans of Disco Biscuits, New Deal, or Sound Tribe Sector 9. Be sure to check this one out on the Expand Your Mind Headphone player at either CD World location.

03/9/04 Scott
Lance Lopez - Wall Of Soul
Local guitar god Lance Lopez released his new album Wall of Soul last month. The album features Lance on guitars and lead vocals, Daniel Williams on bass, and John Garvin on drums, as well as a couple of guest appearances by Eric Gales on guitar. Mr. Lopez has obviously listened to a lot of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan and it definitely shows here. Lance has a very psychedelic, over-the-top guitar style, and much of his music is very trippy. Standout tracks include the opener, Love / Hate Relationship with its heavily flanged, phase-shifted guitars, I don‘t Want No More, the slashing Idle Time, and the funky Looks so Good. Lance does a very cool cover of Robin Trower‘s Shame the Devil and also pays tribute to his idol Jimi with a nice version of Spanish Castle Magic.Overall Wall of Soul delivers the goods with plenty of burning guitar solos and soulful songs thoughout. Hendrix fans are definitely advised to check this one out.
This CD is available to listen to on the Expand Your Mind headphone player at either CD World location.

03/22/04 Scott
PSYCHEDELIC BREAKFAST - BONA FIDE
Psychedelic Breakfast is another of the crop of fifth generation jam bands, who have an unabashed love of jamming and improvisation. Their third album, Bona Fide captures the band live on-stage doing just that. The sound here is sort of like a cross between the Allman Brothers and Frank Zappa, with some Santana rhythms thrown in as well. Songs such as Drunk Monk Bar and Escher‘s Etchings wouldn‘t sound out of place on a Zappa album. On the retro-sounding Rufus the band stretches out to give everyone some solo space, and they pay tribute to the Allmans with their excellent cover of Hot ‘Lanta. Despite the fact that the band is often unapologetically derivative in their style and sometimes goofy lyrics, they are talented and obviously enjoy what they‘re doing. Overall, a good, solid, live document that show these guys doing what they do best, and having fun with it all the way.

03/2/04 Scott
VOODOO CROSSING - A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix
In late 2003, Horizons Records released Voodoo Crossing, the latest in a seemingly endless line of Hendrix tribute discs. Those tributes, such as 1995‘s In From the Storm attempted to reinterpret Hendrix‘s music by combing an all-star cast with orchestration (with mixed results), or 1991‘s Stone Free (what, exactly, were Belly and the Cure doing on a Hendrix tribute?) without much fireworks to get excited about Voodoo Crossing takes a much straighter approach, sticking closer to the originals. Studio legend Steve Lukather does a great version of Third Stone From the Sun, while TX. native Larry Coryell delivers a very psychedelic take on House Burning Down, Robben Ford does a very soulful version of Message to Love, 70‘s guitar legend Pat Travers tears it up on I Don‘t Live Today, and local legend John Nitzinger turns a burning take on Fire. Also of note, is Scott Finch‘s reading of Castles of Sand, with its very trippy overdubs and backwards effects.
Overall, Hendrix fans and guitar fanatics in general should find plenty to dig here, so get those air guitar fingers warmed up! This cd is also available to listen to on the Expand Your Mind headphone player at either CD World location!

02/23/04 Scott
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS - Decoration Day
In 2003, the Drive-By Truckers released their fourth album, Decoration Day. After the unexpected sucess of Southern Rock Opera, the bands‘ popularity grew,as they hit the road opening for bands like Gov‘t Mule. On Decoration Day the Truckers still retain their gritty, guitar driven southern rock sound. With three guitars, comparisons to Lynyrd Skynyrd are still inevitable, but there‘s also elements of Neil Young and Uncle Tupelo in the music as well. Songs such as Do It Yourself and Hell No, Ain‘t Happy are tough gritty rockers. And on Outfit Patterson Hood evokes an image of an old man telling his son not lose touch with his Southern roots, saying “don‘t give it away. “Overall though, Decoration Day doesn‘t hold together quite as well the epic Southern Rock Opera, it‘s still very good in places, even if it is a little depressing. Fans of the Drive By Truckers tough Southern Rock sound should find plenty to like here.

02/16/04 Scott
LITTLE FEAT - Kickin‘ It At the Barn
In late 2003 Little Feat released their 14th studio album, Kickin‘ It At the Barn. No folks, Lowell George, ain‘t on it, he‘s still dead of course. So the die hard Feat Fanatics who can‘t or wont get past this fact can stop reading here. But those of us who know that the Feat can still lay down a tight groove with the best of ‘em wont be disappointed.
And that‘s exactly what the band seems to be doing this time out, just kickin‘ back down on the farm. Many of the songs are built around acoustic instrumentation, and much of the album does have a very laid back feel. Night on the Town gets the party off to a to a fun start, followed by Heaven Forsaken, with it gospel like vocals and chorus of “Rise Up, Rise Up!“ And with I‘d Be Lyin‘, female vocalist seems to have found her own place in the Little Feat sound, something she was not always doing in the past.The party vibe continues with the Corazones Y Sombras, which would sound at home on a Los Lobos album. Fighting the Mosquito Wars slows things down a bit, and its chorus of “see you on the other side some day“ seems to be a wave to Lowell.The song then take a suprising turn into an almost Middle Eastern acoustic raga rave-up jam, before slipping back into the original groove.And the almost nine minute instrumental Stomp reminded me of Widespread Panics‘ version of the J.J. Cale classic Travellin‘ Light. Feat guitarists Paul Barrere and Fred Tackett get plenty of room to stretch out here and show their stuff.I Do What the Telelphone Tells Me to Do also features some more burning guitar work, as well as some typically quirky lyrics. Finally Bill‘s River Blues wraps it up with some beautiful piano work from Bill Payne and some introspective lyrics. Kickin‘ It at the Barn is definately an album that grows on you with repeated listens. Fans of the current line-up of Little Feat should not be disappointed.Also of recent note from Little Feat is last years excellent live album, Down Upon the Suwannee River, which Features a scorching 25+minute Dixie Chicken, as well as other classicsincluding All That You Dream,Sailin‘ Shoes, Spanish Moon, Skin It Back, and oh yeah, Willin‘!! From the sound of things here, it looks like Little Feat still has a lot of life left in them. Feats Don‘t Fail Me Now