Just about a year ago I had the opportunity to review Tyrone Wells‘ album Remain. Tough to believe that it’s been twelve months. And now he’s releasing an acoustic album called Metal & Wood that proves he continues to mature and develop as an artist.
Wells has once again brought compelling, socially-conscious lyrics into sync with rhythms and melodies that provide additional layers. Add to that his soulful voice and gift for putting his emotion into a performance and you begin to see a pattern emerge between Remain and Metal & Wood. I’ve always found that when you strip an artist down to the bare essentials of acoustic performances, you hear their true talents emerge. Without a doubt, Wells is the real thing.
This album opens strong and doesn’t let up. But when I started listening to the title song – “Metal and Wood” – Wells had me from the opening strum. Using traditional folk guitar styles and merging them with the edge of rock/pop, the song calls to listeners to make the world a better place for our children for we won’t be here forever. “We took the music from the schools / and left the darkest gaping hole / where will our children be / if they don’t learn to sing / millions of voices fallen silent til they’re gone…”
“Metal and Wood” really hits home for me as a parent of two young kids. As a product of the public school systems of the State of Colorado, much of who I am was courtesy of the art and music programs in my schools and the wonderful teachers who knew those programs were building more complete kids. I wonder where we’ll be when the arts are totally gone. I’m not sure I want to find out. Without music the world would be a very dreary place. So bravo to Wells for bringing up this issue close to my heart.
Another song that stands out is the duet with Jason Reeves called “Give Me One Reason,” which has some beautiful harmonies from the very beginning. It’s about two people in a troubled relationship like two stars orbiting each other and waiting for an opportunity to escape their gravity. “You’re like a shadow that I cannot hold on to / I’m not a prison / I cannot tie you down” he sings hoping that she gives him one reason to stay.
And “Use Somebody,” which I’ve heard on local radio stations from the Kings of Leon, gets a nice acoustic makeover. This is a simpler, slower version that really lets the melodies, the lyrics, and the guitar come out loud and clear. It’s a great cover.
The whole album really cruises along to a mix of wistful, romantic tunes like “Running Around in My Dreams” to the more serious “Metal and Wood” and “Give Me One Reason” to the bluesy beats and happy lyrics of “And the Birds Sing”. We could all use a bit more sunshine as Wells sings “it warms your skin and the soul within as the birds sing…”
Really that’s what hits me about this album. Where Remain focused on a bit darker subject matter, Metal & Wood focuses more on the happy side of the equation. In a time when the world has its own issues, it’s great to have a positive message now and then. I’m a fan.
So if you’re looking for more Tyrone Wells and something a bit different than Remain, be sure to check out Metal & Wood which will be released March 2!
–Fitz
p.s. Pick up this and other Tyrone Wells albums at Amazon below!
Who is Dan Black? Apparently he is a master of mixing musical elements and styles from multiple sources to create something unique. It’s as though the world of music provides an infinite variety of sounds for him to choose from and he simply arranges them to suit his needs for a particular composition. I’ve heard other electronica acts, but nothing quite like his. ((UN)) is “one” in French to signify his debut album, but the title provides a variety of other meanings according to Black starting with the fact that he wanted the album to be “un-rock, un-hip hop, un-everything…” I think he’s succeeded.
Black managed to write, play, program, and produce every note of every track on the album. Add to that the fact that he handled his own artwork and videos and you have one heck of an artistic and productive individual. These are not your average pop, rock, or hip hop songs. But they certainly hold together nicely. The blend of styles and influences is seamless across the board.
From the opening strains of “Symphonies” to the last notes of “Let Go,” he’s managed to collect, capture, and synthesize his own world in these tracks. It’s taken two years of writing, tinkering, and adjusting but he’s created a heck of a masterpiece for his first release.
Though the whole album is rich with rhythm, harmony, and lyrics, I found myself drawn to three songs in particular.
The maddeningly addictive baseline of “Alone” was immediately stuck in my mind bouncing around. And like the lyrics of the song, it “would not leave me alone.” This isn’t the pop music of today and hearkens back to almost a disco feel while staying current.
Then you’re hit with the insane guitar and percussion of “Yours” which again rattled around my braincase and wouldn’t fall out. In some ways, this one reminded me of classic Duran Duran from the 1980s.
Lastly for me, there’s something about the industrial beats and keyboards of “I Love Life” which continues the hypnotic effect of the album. More hip hop than I usually finding myself like, there’s something about the rhythms that wouldn’t let me go.
Perhaps Dan Black’s name rings a bell for you? It might be because it was shouted from the rooftops by folks such as Zane Lowe and Perez Hilton raving about “HYPNTZ,” the Notorious BIG cover which put Black in the limelight in 2008 before he was signed by A&M. It was the success of the “HYPNTZ” experiment on MySpace that spawned the songs of ((UN)).
Black has done an amazing job pulling together a fantastic array of music I’d expect to hear on any number of different stations. It’s the synthesis of rock, pop, hip hop, with a bit of fusion jazz thrown in for good measure. If you are tired of the humdrum, homogeneous pop/rock album, be sure to give Dan Black’s ((UN)) a listen.
I’ve seen Brandi Carlile once in concert when she opened for Sheryl Crow at Red Rocks a few years ago and was immediately entranced. Her soaring vocals and unique musical style have stuck with me.
“That Year” is off her latest album Give Up the Ghost and its simple themes of seasonal change echo in the lyrics of the song. The snow, dandelion seeds floating in the wind, and even the bee in soft focus enhance the already quiet power of the song.
Check it out here:
Hopefully Brandi and her band will continue to create great music for many years to come!
Some bands defy categorization. KiNDERGARTEN falls into that camp for me. The four members’ diverse array of experience and musical talent mixes styles and influences with minimal effort and presents a unique sound that definitely leaves an impression.
My first exposure to the band was through their “The Man on the Stairs” video, which evokes a vibe that’s part “Thriller”, part Thomas Dolby. The creepy dancers in black and the entertaining video cuts and transitions that match perfectly with the bizarre, yet catchy tune. Who knew a song about being freaked out by a “dead man doin’ the moonwalk” upstairs would leave such a lasting impression?
But KiNDERGARTEN doesn’t stop there. “The Man On The Stairs” is joined by eleven other unique tracks on the album Small, which was released in early February 2010. The whole album is awesome, but I have a few favorites…
“Elementally Challenged” reminds me somehow of Rocky Horror Picture Show in the way it grooves along almost conversationally. In it, the band manages to mix rock sensibilities with the seasons. At first, we have a summer hotter than usual, then we have a winter “like a slow death in a meat locker,” which finally signals the end to the battle between the heat and cold in springtime. And like many of us in areas that suffer Mother Nature’s wrath at times in the passing of seasons, the singer is “elementally challenged” from time to time.
Then you have “C15-78Y” which hits me as a hard rock version of the Beatles’ “Come Together,” combining a very disparate, futuristic set of sounds with the story of a man with no name – just a number. He wants a name. He wants to know his family. Serious commentary on the harsh realities of the modern world set to a rockin’ tune. “Take your number, I’m tired of living a lie” he says – “just don’t gimme no number.” A sentiment I think many of us can identify with from time to time in the computerized age of rank and file.
The four members of Kindergarten have some serious music chops to their credit. Lead singer Ariel Levine started his music career in the 5th grade with saxophone and guitar, moved on to voice and theater in high school, and skipped college all together to learn audio engineering. From there, he worked as a professional music producer with such talents as Wynton Marsalis, Carmine Appice, Eric Lewis, and Collective Soul. In 2005, he decided to form his own band and connected with the other three artists.
Sakura Toyama is the group’s keyboardist. She started playing at age 3 and later earned a Bachelors in Musical Arts from the University of Michigan and an Artists Diploma from the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, Poland. In 2001, she moved to New York City and had to give up playing piano for a while when she couldn’t fit one in her apartment. Later she heard Levine was looking for a keyboardist and became part of the band that became KiNDERGARTEN.
A year after Toyama joined the band, Levine needed a new bassist and met Zach Abramson while working on the soundtrack for an indie film called The Changeling. Abramson had just completed his Masters in Composition at the Manhattan School of Music and though he’d grown up playing classical piano, he’d picked up the bass guitar at age 12 because it was “cooler.” He performed in funk, jazz, and rock bands throughout middle and high school and through kismet, KiNDERGARTEN gained a new bassist.
The eldest of the group, Yancy Lambert, grew up playing horns and played in the drum and bugle corps as a teen. But he didn’t pick up the drums until age 20 after watching his older brother play for years. Self-taught on percussion, he sat in on local cover bands in Massachusetts and eventually moved to New York City in the late 1980s in several funk and soul groups. That work eventually led him to a regular spot with the music collective Brooklyn Funk Essentials, who played on several movie and television soundtracks. With his experience and range of influences, he seemed a natural fit for KiNDERGARTEN when Levine heard him working as a drummer in the studio where Levine worked.
KiNDERGARTEN’s first album, River of Slime was recorded, produced, and mixed by Levine in 2007. The band has played throughout NYC, including at CBGB’s, Knitting Factory, Mercury Lounge, and many others. And though Small was evidently more of a collaboration of the foursome, you honestly can’t tell this is a sophomore album. It blows my mind to think of the amount of musical talent and experience in this group. But if you listen to the music of KiNDERGARTEN, you can hear all that experience and all the influences come through in spades. It’s hard to believe they’ve only been together since 2005!
If you’re looking for something new, different, and funky, look no further than KiNDERGARTEN’s album Small. It’ll knock your socks off with intriguing lyrics and awesome rock. Be sure to check out their website at KiNDERGARTENNYC.COM for more details!
Tickling the ivories. Slapping the keys. Playing the piano. Modern pianos have 88 keys covering seven octaves and three pedals. And though I myself never learned to play well, some of my fondest memories are of my mother sitting before our old upright piano whiling away the minutes into hours as she’d stretch chord and note to chord again… Even now, nothing quite can match the expressiveness of a well-played piano.
Enter Richie Lawrence and his family’s 1917 Model AIII Steinway Grand Piano. On his latest release, Melancholy Waltz, he proves my point with twelve amazing piano and accordion instrumentals and songs. And though his Americana-themed lyrics and vocals weren’t my favorite tracks on the CD, there’s something powerful and joyful about his piano compositions that’s hard to explain. Melancholy Waltz cuts across a majority of his influences – from Americana, blues, and folk – while showing off his talents as not only a performer, but a composer and songwriter.
Lawrence was born in Oklahoma, but lived in Colorado for a time and now calls California home. He’s played everything from blues to Polka and along the way met a literal Who’s Who of famous musicians – Bonnie Raitt, Steve Goodman, Crystal Gayle, America, and George Thorogood as well as the Neville Brothers, David Lindley, Ladysmith Black Mombazo, Little Richard, David Byrne, and more.
Of all the tunes on the album, my favorite is the “Bee’s Blues”, which weaves the classic melody of “Für Elise” with a series of lively ragtime blues riffs that I can listen to over and over again. The joy as Lawrence plays with these melodies comes through loud and clear.
In contrast with the blues, the soft and steady strains of “The Melancholy Waltz” brings to mind a couple dancing through time and space. This is a piano composition I would hope that dance choreographers, television and movie producers take note of for their own shows. It’s impossible for me not to see the waltzing couple as I listen to this gorgeous melody, which ends in a happier place than it begins with a more upbeat/ragtime feel.
And lastly, I’ll talk about “My Oklahoma Hills,” which shows his love for where he was born. He explains in the lyrics that “I left my home behind me / My dreams do travel there still / Through prairie ocean grasses / My Oklahoma hills…” This is for Lawrence what “Country Roads” was for John Denver – a call home through song.
Richie Lawrence’s three decades of experience playing music professionally truly come through in this great album. If you have a love for original piano compositions as I do, be sure to pick up Melancholy Hills. Check out his website – www.richielawrence.com – for more information about the man and his music.
–Fitz
p.s. Look for this and other great albums at Amazon!
The Cold War Kids was formed just a few years ago in California and doesn’t seem to have taken much of a break since 2004. They have even been quoted saying with as often as they’re on tour “Why even have apartments?” CWK seems to thrive on live performances, rather than wanting to be regularly in the studio.
Behave Yourself (Dig) is a collection of four songs and a jam session that didn’t make it onto their Robbers & Cowards or Loyalty to Loyalty albums or their many EPs released since 2005. The band consists of Matt Aveiro on drums, Matt Maust on bass, Jonnie Bo Russell on guitar and Nathan Willett on vocals and piano. And based on these four songs, I have to say they have a unique sound that crosses boundaries.
“An Audience of One” opens the EP with Willett exploring his great range while not listening to the advice proposed by the EP title… Tough to “Behave Yourself” when singing lyrics like “Reach out and point a finger / And touch the globe / Spin around and where it stops / You’ve got to pack your bags and go…” Sounds good to me, but easier to do when you’re young and free!
From there we progress to “Coffee Spoon” with its easy pop guitar and percussion backing Willett’s smooth lyrics once again. This one’s meaning is a bit darker though, perhaps in response to some of the economic troubles the world has been seeing. He sings “my indulgence is a joke / and while everyone laughs / I’m clipping coupons / and saving my breath…” The upbeat music mixed with the messages of consumption and the mismatch with how the voice of the song actually feels makes this one stand out.
“Santa Ana Winds” is my favorite of the four songs. Like “Coffee Spoon” it mixes upbeat and almost happy melodies and percussion with observations of the gritty California world around them. “Easter on Olvera Street / Girls nursing new babies in alleyways / In between is a basin like the great divide…” showing the disconnect between different sides of the same street all too familiar to most inner cities today. Socially conscious rock songs make me feel that younger generations actually have the hope to see a change in their lifetime.
And the last song, “Sermons vs. the Gospel,” continues the socially deep trend, but this time slowing it down to almost a Southern Church feel stripped down to a few bare instruments and voices. “Got this idea in my head and I can’t get it out / cause all your money and all your culture / I can surely live without…” Begging for mercy from the lord in a world where the rich get richer and the poor keep getting poorer…
Having never heard of the Cold War Kids before, I have to say I’m impressed. Solid music and lyrics that make you stop and think. There may be hope yet.
For more details about CWK, their touring schedule, and previous releases be sure to check out their website at www.coldwarkids.com.
–Fitz
p.s. Pick up this CWK EP and other albums at Amazon!
Today I heard from the Sundance Institute that there is a “cinematic rebellion” seeking a groundswell of support from the community. As someone who love the creative spirit Sundance embraces each year, I will join the rebellion… Click below to spread the word far and wide!
Check out the free short film (CHONTO by Carson Mell), the opening scene of the about-to-premiere Tamra Davis film Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child and music from John Forté and Capybara… What’s not to like about this rebellion?!?
Once again, a fusion of musical styles strikes when I least expect it. Never in my life have I heard a Michael Jackson song done as a jazz tune. And that was just the start of this strange journey into the world of J.Viewz. It’s like stepping into a pool filled with color. Each song lays out just so with elements of electronica, jazz, unique vocals and keyboards, all seamlessly blended together.
Jonathan Dagan established J.Viewz while working with his band Violet Vision on their 2nd album back in 2002. Muse Breaks, Dagan’s first album with the group, was released worldwide in 2005 by Deeplay Music. Since then, it doesn’t seem like he’s taken much of a breath, working to create remixes with artists like Nina Simone while producing soundtracks for the BBC, National Geographic, Fox Kids, and Discovery channels, while touring to support J.Viewz. Though Dagan hails from Israel, there are definitely no language barriers for his music as it travels the world.
The Besides EP was released overseas in 2008 and is just gaining ground in the U.S. with tour dates at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City and the Bohemian Caverns in Washington, D.C. in November.
The EP starts off with a jazz cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” which absolutely snuck up on me. As a child of the ’80s, I certainly had heard the original version but somehow must have blocked the lyrics from my mind. So when I heard the vocals of Noa Lembersky I simply got lost in the song until I heard “You’ve Been Hit By / You’ve Been Hit By / A Smooth Criminal”. After that I was just along for the ride.
Each song grooves right into the next, smoothly transitioning us through a jazz landscape I wouldn’t mind exploring for a while longer.
The band is made up of Dagan, who handles production, the computers, and turntables; Lembersky on vocals; Urijah on vocals and guitar; Eran Asias on drums; and Daniel Koren on keys. As a lifelong fan of jazz, especially where a fusion of rock sensibilities is mixed in, I have to say I love their style. They manage to bridge multiple gaps without missing a beat.
When the last strains of the live version of “Under the Sun” ends and the EP fades away, I immediately started it over again not wanting it to be over. Lembersky’s sultry vocals with the horn, bass, drums, and the ’70s guitar in the background had a groove that didn’t want to let me go. These guys must be a joy to see live.
If you want to hear more from J.Viewz, check out their MySpace page and look for The Besides EP. It’s worth more than one listen if you like jazz.
Back in 2005 and 2006, I watched Rock Star: INXS and Rock Star: Supernova with my wife and girls. We caught every episode almost rabidly, as it was (and still is) rare to hear fresh takes on rock standards on regular television apart from the American Idol franchise. The show was hosted by Brooke Burke and Jane’s Addiction lead guitarist Dave Navarro. Both seasons of Rock Star shared a number of great new rock stars with a CBS audience.
During the second season, we were introduced to Dilana, a singer, songwriter, and performer born in Johannesberg, South Africa. She managed to escape to the Netherlands and then Los Angeles, performing in her own band alongside acts such as Joe Cocker, K’s Choice, and Heather Nova. But until she appeared on Rock Star: INXS, I have to admit we hadn’t heard of her.
With her amazing rock goddess gravelly voice she managed to rock her way into our hearts and finished second runner-up to Lukas Rossi on the show. After that we wondered what had happened to her. With her rock star attitude, songwriting skills, and killer vocals we hoped it wouldn’t be the last we’d heard of Dilana.
Fast forward to November 17, 2009… Dilana’s debut album InsideOut – produced by Dave Bassett and featuring No Doubt drummer Adrian Young and Mötley Crüe guitariist Mick Mars – has been released by Kabunk! Records. Dilana’s definitely back, belting out her own songs, proving that rock star swagger is back in a big way. The album starts off with “Holiday” and leaves us with “The Question”, but there’s NO question that she’s going to leave her mark in the world of rock-n-roll. As she says in “Holiday” – “Oh my life has changed / Like a holiday / Feels so damn good…” Hard to argue with that!
Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite rock albums of 2009. Dilana manages to not only rock out from beginning to end, but manages to do it with a variety of styles rarely seen in debut albums. You can tell she’s put the experience before and after Rock Star: INXS to good use. I found it impossible to avoid bobbing my head and dance along.
Dilana mixes and matches hard, guitar-heavy rock with rock ballads that feature that awesome set of pipes she has. Songs like “LOUD Silence” where she croons “you gotta hold on / in the LOUD silence…”, and “Ice” where she slows it down to show her sensitive side. But I think “Solid Gold” has to be my 2nd favorite track on the album (behind “Holiday”) with its drum-beat intro and amazing guitar rhythms that beat their way into your brain.
InsideOut is now among my favorite albums and will get some serious play in my collection. I hope this isn’t the last we’ve heard from Dilana. If you want a hard-rockin’ songstress with some serious pipes, look no further than Dilana. Check out her MySpace page to get a listen to some of her tracks.
–Fitz
p.s. Pick up some great Rock Star music from Amazon!
Since Come Away With Me hit the airwaves back in 2002, Norah Jones has been a part of the soundtrack in my brain. Something about “Don’t Know Why” embedded itself in the deep recesses with her soft, breathy, blues voice and gorgeous arrangements.
So when Feels Like Home was released in 2004, I was ready to listen to what she had to say. Where some of the songs from Come Away With Me took a while to grow on me, all of Feels Like Home wasted no time winding its way into my collection making regular appearances. Songs like “What Am I To You?” with their bass- and piano-backed blues licks behind the voice of a more confident Jones.
Somehow I managed to miss Not Too Late when it was released in 2006, but I’ll have to give it a listen soon.
Now, with 2009’s The Fall I have to wonder what happened. The Norah I know and remember is still there, but she’s darker and experimenting more with different styles and arrangements. Nothing wrong with experimenting, but I was expecting more of the songs that made her a part of my mental soundscape. Instead, I ended up listening to tracks that came across to me as ill-mixed with her voice taking a backseat to the instruments behind her.
The opening track, “Chasing Pirates,” gained some airplay before The Fall was released, so I expected it to be representative of the rest of the album as the first single. It balanced a bit of a pop/blues organ with Norah’s voice soaring above it. The “pirates” in this case are those wild thoughts that sometimes keep us up at night raising the spectres of doubts and fears that may not actually be real.
And “Light as a Feather” opens with an awesome guitar lick and Norah’s voice crooning “Put our hands together to applaud or pray – it’s like the show was over, but we’re too scared to walk away…” Most of us have been in that place where we don’t want to leave but we know we should.
Unfortunately, beyond that I felt that many of the tracks buried her voice unless I listened to the songs over headphones. Something about her voice seemed to get lost among the instrument tracks otherwise.
Norah either wrote or co-wrote every song on The Fall and it’s a bit darker than some of her previous albums – dealing with failed or failing relationships, hoping for things that may never happen. Her blues, almost country feel in places works with these topics well.
My only knock on the album really is the mixing. And though that may be due to my speakers, I did try it in the car, on the computer, and in my living room on surround sound to see what the deal was. Until I heard the album on headphones, I wasn’t able to really appreciate it. Hopefully that’s just me.
I didn’t love this album as much as Feels Like Home, but it’s good to know that Norah’s back and making more music for her faithful fans. There’s a lot to like on The Fall and I’m sure it will grow on me eventually.
Check it out at your favorite retailer and let me know what you think!
–Fitz
p.s. Satisfy your fix for Norah Jones albums at Amazon:
This album opens strong and doesn’t let up. But when I started listening to the title song – “Metal and Wood” – Wells had me from the opening strum. Using traditional folk guitar styles and merging them with the edge of rock/pop, the song calls to listeners to make the world a better place for our children for we won’t be here forever. “We took the music from the schools / and left the darkest gaping hole / where will our children be / if they don’t learn to sing / millions of voices fallen silent til they’re gone…”
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