CD OF THE MONTH

AutoVaughn - Space
Recorded, mixed and edited by Jeremy Ferguson and Matt Moody at Battle Tapes Recording in Nashville, TN
Produced by Jeremy Ferguson, Matt Moody and Hands Down Eugene
Mastered by Jim Demain at Yes Master in Nashville, TN

Nashville, TN's AutoVaughn boldly blasts onto the southeastern scene with a new release called Space. You will no doubt hear music throughout the album that will suggest easy comparisons to bands like New Order (in the track "Rock Your Body"), only to have something resembling Oasis pop out at you in tracks like "Hold on Tight." The sweetest thing about this CD is that none of the songs resemble one another other so much so that you can't be certain if the track has changed or not. AutoVaughn manages to create a refreshing sound of honest rock that breaks through the mold of monotony found lately in this genre of music.

Singer Darren Potuck's vocal range is other-worldly and dead on as it floats freely through fast, steady drumbeats on "One More Time." Certainly, this tune is the stand out track of the album. You might even find the edgy guitar solo and stern vocals enough to hit the back track button on your stereo system for just one more listen. All of the songs on the album feel vocally centered, but this focus works well for the band and ultimately produces a welcome element of surprise whenever the guitarist breaks out a solo or the music changes tempo.

The kind of rock AutoVaughn pulls out on Space is both airy and light while still packing a tremendously catchy punch. Wavering chorus lines and balanced drums speak volumes to anyone searching for a band that is anything but vanilla in an increasingly vanilla genre. While there are plenty of subsets of what may be defined as "rock" music, this album hints at more of a "pop-alternative" rock than anything else and the sound grows increasingly radio-friendly as the album reveals itself. It's this sort of sound that promises durability for AutoVaughn, unlike most bands that fizzle out after a year or two of over-saturation.

Perhaps even more impressive than the display of actual instrumental talent on the album is the fact that the members of AutoVaughn also produce all their recorded music themselves, a feat that indicates to the rest of the music community that these guys know what they're doing, as if your ears hadn't already confirmed that for you. For some odd reason, this band is not signed to a label, though it seems the lack of label is an insignificant detail, an afterthought almost. The band members put their beloved hometown on the map through their work with Movement Nashville, a group of artists that have banded together to support each other and the local rock scene.
Ultimately, Space is an album you should get your hands on pronto. Then, when it's out of print and AutoVaughn is playing to arena-sized crowds, you can boast to everyone you have a copy of it all the way back when. (AutoVaughn Music)

www.autovaughn.com

-Leah K. Baker

Soul's Harbor - Writings on the Wall

No production info available

Music can mean different things to different people. For some, it is entertainment; for others, distraction or emotional validation. Everyone experiences music through one or more filter. It would be interesting to find out how many and to what extent musicians give thought to the different ways listeners relate to their music. There can be little argument that Soul's Harbor has considered the subject. The group's new release, Writings on the Wall, delivers passionate and intent songs that will have an undeniable impact on listeners. With a name like Soul's Harbor, it probably doesn't come as much of a surprise that the band's founders and core songwriters, Doug Marshall, John Fenin and Rob Cadil, met aboard the U.S.S. George Washington.

Their nautical name may be a legacy of their military service, but those expecting to hear sea shanties or naval fight songs will be in for a surprise upon first listening to Writings on the Wall. With this recording, Soul's Harbor explores a dense, heavy and, yet, introspective sound that combines the aggression of hardcore, the catharsis of screamo and the more conventional sensibilities of modern rock. The result is compelling, evocative hard rock with massive riffs, muscular hooks and dangerous breakdowns.

Writings... opens with the smoldering salvo "Scared," featuring palpable guitar progressions which both propel the song and add a weighty atmosphere to it. "My Way"'s grinding guitars highlight the tight syncopation of the underlying drums and bass. The mid-tempo lead single, "Burning Souls," offers a throbbing bass line with clear, chorused guitar arpeggiations complementing the soft vocals during the verses and contrasting nicely on the more distortion-driven chorus. "Scars of Pain" showcases the band's tightness - no doubt a result of their long musical relationship.

The uncredited producer(s) did an excellent job in helping Soul's Harbor achieve an effective sound. Obviously, a lot of effort went into fine-tuning the band's sound. This attentiveness is evident in subtleties like the amount of separation between the doubled lead vocals, the level and rate of reverb on the guitars and the deserved prominence of the bass and drums in the mix. This is one case where a little bit of extra effort makes a noticeable difference. The overall mix is clear and defined.

With Writings on the Wall, Soul's Harbor has presented a timeless, well-crafted modern rock release with an empathic quality found on few other albums of its time and genre. (Crash Music)

www.soulsharborfx.net

-Matthew S. Maynard

Jason "Lefty" Williams Band - Big Plans

Produced by John Keane and Jason "Lefty" Williams
Recorded at John Keans Studios in Athens, GA and
Randy Hoexter Recording in Norcross, GA

Jason "Lefty" Williams can play, and he's eager to prove it. His album Big Plans begins with a stretch of solo guitar, picked with cool and deliberate precision. When the drums, keys and bass kick in to join Williams' odd time signature, it only adds oomph to his confident stride. A tight, but otherwise forgettable, cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression" follows, stressing even further that Jason Williams can play the guitar quite well.

Williams does not play left-handed; rather, his nickname "Lefty" refers to his left, and only, hand. Using a special picking device he attaches to his self-described "nubb," located just below his right elbow, Williams plays as if he has two, sometimes three hands. The listener can't help but think that Hendrix was deliberately chosen for cover material so as to dispel any perceived limitations put upon Williams. The guitar tones are relatively clean and mixed loudly, to further this point.

"I'd Rather Be Blind," the strongest track on the album, tells of a suspicious husband/boyfriend who would "rather be blind" than to know the whole truth. This flies in the face of Williams' ability to look adversity in the eye, and the juxtaposition provides a beautiful vulnerability that saturates the song. Big Plans could use more songs with strong hooks, but the blues-based grooves carry it nicely, and Williams will probably have a long career in which to tighten his catalog. (Second Heaven Music)

www.lefty-music.com

-William Cane

The Vinyl Strangers - The Vinyl Strangers

Produced by Rick Fowler

A pack of cigarettes rolled up the arm of a white t-shirt may be a bit much, so when it comes to taking you back a few decades, The Vinyl Strangers let their music do most of the talking. The aptly-named quartet from Athens, GA comes across plainly as a simple pop group on their new self-titled album. Part '50s. Part '60s. Part Barenaked Ladies.
Sampled from a time when the clean-shaven sons of Liverpool were emerging kings, the Beatles references are undoubtedly there - though it's not to say you can't trace just about any four-piece rock outfit back to this gravely overworn comparison. The Vinyl Strangers are a good deal more colorful with a brand of rock that is, at times, bubblegum and, at others, California surf. Dance-friendly melodies and dreamy harmonies cater to a consistently upbeat pop sound supported nicely by a steady rhythm section.

"Patriotic Girl" is easily the best song on the disc - well-written and about as catchy as anything you could find if you dusted off your Monkees catalog. The Vinyl Strangers even take a stab at Buddy Holly's "Everyday" and grade well in a tribute to an obvious influence. Vocalists Joe Guerzo and Reid Howland deserve a hand here for impressively disguising their voices as those of our great aunt's time.

Formed by members of Athens' bands The High Caliber and Flood City Shootout, the Vinyl Strangers have fun taking you back. And with song names like "Sweet Little Afterthought" and "Miss Rhonda Jean," let visions of Olivia Newton-John and stitched-on pants dance in your head. (New DNA Records)

www.myspace.com/thevinylstrangers

- Peter Stuart

Hot Young Priest - Fiendish Freaky Love

Recorded at the Living Room, Atlanta, GA
Engineered, Mixed and Mastered by Edward Rawls and Justin McNeight

In these days of Franz Ferdinand wannabes, emo hipsters and hip-hop-dominated blingsters, it's really hard for rock artists to take different routes in the pursuit of achieving success. Most often, these bands produce great music, get overlooked and eventually fade away. At this point, Hot Young Priest is slowly becoming that band. Not that they should call it quits, but there have been rumors that they may be slowing down a bit. And that would be a crime to the music industry. A band of this caliber probably won't be heard as much as the many musical clones will be.

Anyone who has seen Hot Young Priest perform can attest that the band's energy and excitement translates better at a live show, but there's no denying the songwriting ability and the intensity that is put forth into each and every whimper or cry. Hot Young Priest's music opens up Mary Byrne's book of poetry and allows bassist Daniel Winn and drummer Chris Jansen to follow along in non-traditional backbeat rhythms. On the band's first full-length CD, Fiendish Freaky Love, the guys and gal prove why they are one of the better unknown bands in the Southeast.

Songs like "Soft Focus," "Concussion" and "Be Your Superstar" all demonstrate the diversity the band has taken on by incorporating drop-D tuning, slide guitars and a clavinet. On the CD's standout track, "Bear the Scars of Old," Byrne tells the story of a decrepit old bar patron who is slowly but surely dying from alcoholism. By creating a story and providing great music to accompany it, the band puts itself at the top of the Atlanta elite. If Byrne and company continue to write great songs like they already have, eventually the record companies will come calling. (Two Sheds Music)

www.hotyoungpriest.com

-Kenneth Gambill

Da Hittaz - The Cost of Living II: Da Struggle, Da Hustle, Da Hate

No production info available

In many ways, The Cost of Living II: Da Struggle, Da Hustle, Da Hate is a typical southern rap "mixtape," complete with explicit (and sometimes vulgar) lyrics over a mixture of original beats and classic hip-hop tracks. Da Hittaz consists of LSZ, Dirty G, T-Did-It and Bigga, all Atlanta-raised MCs in an apparent tension between maintaining their true southern roots while reaching out for universal appeal. Their lyrics cover such redundant topics as playa hating, chasing women, making money and, occasionally, more reflective social and political messages.

In true mixtape fashion, The Cost of Living II: Da Struggle, Da Hustle, Da Hate uses (somewhat original) lyrics over classic hip-hop beats in "Y Y'all Hate Me?" (Tupac's "All Eyez On Me") and "X-Games" (Junior Mafia's "Get Money"). Even the lyrics are similar enough at times that it is difficult to separate Da Hittaz from the original performers.
The group's southern roots are best exemplified on tracks "Watching Me" and "A Town Thrashers" produced by Homebwoi (Collipark Music). Unfortunately, the lyrics are not particularly interesting or substantive.

Original tracks like "Blood N My Eye," "Talkin' Dat Shit," the rock-influenced "Gen-X" and the more introspective "Amerikkan Idol" show the group's diversity. "Amerikkan Idol" offers a compelling combination of music, lyrics and substance and by far paints Da Hittaz in a better light than any of the other 14 tracks.

The problem with The Cost of Living II: Da Struggle, Da Hustle, Da Hate is that it reminds the listener of too many other things - other artists, other songs, other eras - without ever quite making its own impression. Listening to the CD brings to mind Tupac, Junior Mafia, Outkast and Goodie Mob more often than Da Hittaz. While lovers of underground hip-hop may enjoy The Cost of Living II: Da Struggle, Da Hustle, Da Hate, it lacks the depth and creativity that would attract the casual hip-hiop fan. At the same time, with just a slight tweaking and change of direction, Da Hittaz could be another Atlanta success story. (Self-released)

www.myspace.com/hardhittazinc

-Jonathan Mason

Jackie Frost Ensemble - Cold Lonely Blues

Recorded by Lance Koehler
Mastered by Bill McElroy

Nestled deep within the once-burned, former capital of the Confederacy, a one-stop shop for American music lies between ocean and Appalachia. Richmond's own Jackie Frost Ensemble touches it all, from soulful jazz to fun-lovin' country music, with its new album, Cold Lonely Blues.

A staple since the mid-'90s throughout the central Virginia performing arts circuit as well as obscure coffee shops, Frost was nominated for two Independent Music Awards as part of the Jackie Frost Trio for the album Calliope earlier this year. She introduces an expanded cast on her latest effort, as Malcolm Pulley replaces Richard Ward on banjo, joining fellow newcomer Rusty Farmer on upright bass and mainstay Danny Hughes on guitar.

Together, the foursome teams with an array of guest musicians to record a wide-ranging collection of songs drenched in Americana. Frost and company claim to cross the genre spectrum from track to track, and there's not a more convincing argument in their defense than the first three songs off Cold Lonely Blues.

"Ain't You the One" leads off evoking cigar haze lingering around bass lines and piano, a jazz number where vocalist Frost enchants playing the role of the post-Depression-era bar beauty. JFE breaks out the banjo during track two, an unpredictable deviation to southern bluegrass titled "Just Around the Bend." The group then engages the blues, reigning in the pace on the title track as Frost sings of a relationship fallen apart over Hughes' sullen guitar work.

Utilizing some of the finer musicians from the area, JFE has here a fun collection of songs perfect for a porch and a tall glass of iced tea to cut away the humidity of a Virginia summer evening. Tapping into eras from the Civil War to modern day alt-country, Frost and friends reach for their roots to create a beautifully dynamic history lesson in American music. (Courthouse Records)

www.fieldcrestmusic.com

- Peter Stuart

Quanstar - 2 - The Alias and Eardrumz Saga

No production info available

At just over 30 minutes, it's hard to really characterize this album as a saga. But there are certainly moments that will please your eardrums. For instance, some of the sample choices are pleasantly woven with modern beats. The fourth track, "Don't Worry," uses a clip from Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs' old song "Stay," popularized on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. Other little homages to past greats are sprinkled throughout the 11 cuts on the disc. Too often, however, the beats grow stale as they are repeated, with scant variation, over the life of the song. And Quanstar's lyrics do little to distinguish themselves from the crowded field of modern hip-hop.

While you can feel the influence of pioneering legends such as A Tribe Called Quest on tracks like "For You," any true innovations to the game are sorely lacking. Instead we get the all-too-familiar laments of a struggling young artist, interspersed with the equally common superstar bravado.

How so many artists manage to balance these diametric opposites without irony is a mysterious condition peculiar to the underground hip-hop scene. In the end, 2: The Alias and Eardrumz Saga will be lucky to make a few small ripples in the indie hip-hop world and is certainly not the life-changing, ground-breaking album it proclaims itself to be. (Self-released)

www.firstteammusic.net

-Jonathan Putnam

Valorie Miller - Folk Star

Produced and Mixed by Valorie Miller and Mike Holstein
Mastered by Pavel Wlosok

There's an unsettling eeriness to Valorie Miller's Folk Star. It rounds the bend from start to finish, supported by the first few lines of the record's closer, "Heavy Stone."
"When they put me in the ground / When six feet down is my town / When my sky has turned to brown / Take a heavy stone to hold me down."

Miller is a mystery wrapped up in a sleepy Carolina mountain town called Asheville. It was there in her singlewide trailer where she recorded portions of her fourth album, unclothed and under water, soaking in her bathtub. Folk singers come and go through places like these, but Miller is a unique find.

An unquestionably brilliant songwriter, she has the uncanny ability to hypnotize her listeners. Finger-picking her way through beautiful arrangements, her words are deep and metaphoric, her voice sweet sounding yet also very chilling in places.
Folk Star - at first a seemingly ironic title but later not so much - is homegrown and authentic. It's a feminine statement from a conscious voice eager to disclose pride yet also willing to hint at struggle and vulnerability."Gather round the bar / Try to catch a star / Right before she falls off her stool," she sings on "Wishful Drinkin'."

It's Miller's propensity to offer the drab and despondent through disguised prose that adds to her mystique. Decidedly raw and arcane, the songwriter and her guitar have pieced together a record that both haunts and leaves a conspicuous mark on modern day folk music. (Self-released)

www.valoriemiller.com

- Peter Stuart

Power Movement Project - Ctrl. Alt. Delete.

Produced by Frank Marchand and Power Movement Project

In the last few years, rap-rock has seen its commercial appeal wane. Many of the genre's higher-profile artists (hed P.E., Rage Against the Machine) have either broken up or been relegated to indie status when their major label recording contracts were not renewed. The once-innovative movement became a casualty of changing tastes and its own overexposure.

Power Movement Project offers no apologies for their latest offering being firmly planted in the rap-rock field. Still, Ctrl. Alt. Delete. has its own musical identity. There is enough experimentation on the band's part to set it apart from the more pedestrian of its contemporaries. PMP delivers a potent mix of hip-hop pugilism, metallic guitar riffing and adventurous arrangements.

Opening with the relentless "Terminal," Ctrl. Alt. Delete. establishes itself as an energetic and impassioned effort, with singer/MC Brooklyn Maynard's vocals featured prominently and delivered with the power and conviction of a Zack de la Rocha or Eminem. "Murder" features standout guest vocals from Fish Scales of Kentucky hip-hop outfit Nappy Roots, and "Warrior" allows bassist Marc DeRusso and drummer Kurt Deninger to slink into a smooth, dub-inspired flow. "Last Entry" allows the listener to catch a breather with its slow tempo and unconventional but effective "hip-hop piano ballad" style. Keyboardist Jeremiah Read is allowed to leave his electronic signature all over the recording, whether evoking quiet atmospherics, blasts of industrial noise or danceable, new wave grooves. All the while, guitarist Jeff Thompson provides memorable guitar work ranging from clean, sparkling arpeggios to distorted reggae scrapes to pulverizing power chords.

While the performances are lively and dynamic, the production is sometimes flat and at odds with the music itself. This is one of the few conceivable flaws with the recording. In addition to great musicianship, Ctrl. Alt. Delete. includes artwork and layout that effectively convey a post-contamination scenario and is comparable to most major label releases. Ctrl. Alt. Delete. is a recording well above average for its genre and showcases a band with great potential. (Southern Trespass)

www.myspace.com/pmp

-Matthew S. Maynard

Golden - ...you, and everything...

Produced by Joshua Golden and Golden
Engineered and mixed by Miles Catt
Mastered by Rodney Mills Masterhouse, Atlanta
Recorded at Urban Sprawl Studios and Comfy Chair Studios

Atlanta pop quintet Golden doesn't sound like your typical "local" band. Led by frontman Joshua Golden, these evocative rockers are tapped into a sound more reminiscent of late '70s-era Steely Dan. And that's a good thing.

On their self-produced release, ...you, and everything..., the lavish orchestration of a Donald Fagen studio session meets with a host of talented players to create a full and polished debut. There's a distinct maturity at work in Golden's efforts, from the complex arrangements to the flash and bang of the band's ultra-sleek homepage. As musicians and composers, Golden could share the plaudits usually reserved for more veteran artists. And by the looks of things, the band is on the fast track to recognition after a radio contest secured them a slot at the last Bonnaroo festival.

Golden's recent broadcast success is not surprising, however. This is certainly radio-friendly music, aimed squarely at the easy listening set. Joshua Golden's vocals bear a similarity to innocuous folkster Jack Johnson, and his lyrics have all the poetic pith of a Goo Goo Dolls single. What ultimately distinguishes ...you, and everything... from the fluffy chaff of top 40 popdom is a refreshing jazziness and a dash of blue-eyed soul.
In lead-off track "Come Over," funky riffs and a hooky chorus make for a Jamiroquai-esque groove that sounds poised for national airplay.

Shifting gears, the band pays tribute to its southern roots in "Loving Star," a bouncy country-folk number that features the inspired thimblework of "Bongo" Dave Kaiser on the washboard. The album's standout track is the jazzy, jammy "Mine" with its shimmering cymbals and saxophone swells suggestive of Dave Matthews' finer moments. Despite a few relatively mawkish instances (such as the forgettable "Toothbrush") Golden has crafted a work of sophisticated pop that reaches out to the mainstream without losing its luster. (Self-released)

www.goldentheband.com

-S. Corey Thomas

Pistolero - The Last Fiore

Recorded at Evoke Studios and Shabby Road Studios

Opening with the catchy, "God is Thicker Than Love," one might think Pistolero was a band that came about around the same time as The Monkees or even The Who. Meshed with this sound made famous by the '60s British Invasion, the carefully tuned ear can also catch something a little more soft around the edges. At times, The Last Fiore sounds like what you'd imagine Pinback frontmen Rob Crow and Zach Smith would sound like if they made an album with The Beatles.

Most tracks have a gritty, messy tonality that seems more suited to vinyl than compact disc. Recent groups like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club also come to mind with this same kind of grit. BRMC are one of several popular acts that have successfully brought psych-rock back into modern music. The lyrics on The Last Fiore are difficult to understand and even incomprehensible at times, but for some reason, this does not detract from the album as a whole, or make it any less entertaining. A hint of bluegrass sneaks in on track 8, "Muppet All Stars." It's hard to tell whether this track is a tribute to the popular Jim Henson phenomenon or if Pistolero is actually trying to sound like Emmet Otter's Jug Band (circa 1977).

The song is fun and enjoyable, nonetheless, and the last few songs of the album follow the same suit, coming off as bouncy and upbeat and leaving the listener wanting more. Pistolero accomplishes what others heartily attempt: that is, successfully crossing several genres and doing it well. The band polishes off The Last Fiore with songs as catchy and easily enjoyable as "Muppet All Stars," which only makes you wish the duration of the album were at least a full 30-minutes long, if not twice that length. (Creepy Jack Music)

www.3bullets.com

-Lauren Alexis Begnaud

Patrick Porter - Die Wandaland LP

Recorded 2006 at RP Recording Studios, Pine Junction, CO
Engineered by Bob Hockenberry

The engineering and production of the Die Wandaland LP are instantly impressive. "Lite Sleeper" opens the album with quirky keyboard tones having little to no sustain, followed by whispery vocals, doubled in the tradition of Elliott Smith. Porter's occasional and brilliant use of dissonance, along with other production feats, serve as tent poles to hold up songs that otherwise may have faltered. Strangely, no producer is credited in the liner notes.

Porter's singing style relies heavily on long sustain notes and deliberate messiness. This approach usually complements his acoustic sound well, but no amount of stacked vocals can make up for his inability to consistently nail the notes. For example, "Esso Station (Marmite Blues)" begins with such a wonderful groove that Porter could even be forgiven for using parentheses in the title; however, at around the one-minute mark, the vocals drop the ball. The song doesn't recover.

While not exactly epic, the songs work well as wistful sentiments that zero in on a precise, introverted ambiance. Although Patrick is skilled at translating a certain mood, what separate him from someone like Elliott Smith are his limitations in both singing and songwriting. Porter's bio refers to a huge back-catalog of material. Were he to take only the best-written songs from that large body, and produce them in the fashion of the Die Wandaland LP, he would have a powerful indie rock album rather than just a cluster of poignant, well-produced sentiments. (Grey Day Records)

www.myspace.com/patrickportermusic

-William Cane

Deep - The Game Plan

Recorded at Nickel and Dime Studios, Atlanta, GA
Produced by Burnard Valentine
Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Kristofer Sampson

It's hard to take any musical artist seriously when the press release accompanying the CD explains that they set out to make the most sexually offensive album EVER. But the guys in Deep actually do have good beats and decent rhymes. It's just the lyrical content that will either drive them to regional success or will have them cast aside as rappers with no talent.

But on The Game Plan, Deep lets the listener know that, even though their material is supposed to be offensive, they are having fun with it. They even keep a statistic sheet with the number of times they say bitch, ho, pussy and slut. For those of you keeping track, "bitch" clocks in at an even 100 times.

Drill Jackson, Jay Bido and Burnard Valentine have created a well-crafted piece of offensive hip-hop that leaves the listener asking himself if this is supposed to be real or if it's supposed to be a quick laugh. When people take a listen, they will know that, at its essence, this album mocks both the notoriously widespread misogyny in contemporary hip-hop as well as some men's perception of women as only being good for sex, cooking and cleaning.

With song titles such as "Runnin' Into Hoes," "From the Nuts" and "I'll Treat a Bitch (Like Shit)," it's already funny before the first listen. When 2 Live Crew pushed the envelope of explicit lyrics over 15 years ago, there hadn't been anything as vile and vulgar at that point. It's almost expected that rap acts today will disrespect women and talk about drugs, sex and violence. One other thing Deep and the Crew have in common is that they are both catchy as hell.

As far as ethics go, this is not a listen for the weak. (Self-released)

www.thenameisdeep.com

-Kenneth Gambill

Zac Chandler - Zac Chandler

Recorded and Produced by Zac Chandler in his home studio

Zac Chandler recorded and produced his first solo CD entirely on his own in his small, one-bedroom apartment. He says that he is to blame if you don't like the tracks on the CD. On the flip side, he can take all the accolades for putting together a dynamic and interesting CD.

On any CD with 15 tracks, there is a risk of repetition, yet Chandler manages to differentiate all his compositions. Each track sounds like you are being taken to a very specific place, whether you are doing the two-step in a line dance on "Sweet Little Country Girl" or lounging at a jazz bar to "Nomads Fly First Class" while a flapper girl fills your drink order.

Chandler's voice is somewhat drowned out due in part to the overpowering instrumentation and the digital enhancement of his voice on some tracks. It is nice to hear his natural voice on tracks such as "Monkeys Against Animal Testing."
Because Chandler has produced the album entirely on his own, there is a risk in the sound lacking cohesiveness.

In the same way that The Police were three separate, talented musicians rather than a cohesive band, the individual sounds on Chandler's album are analogous. Indeed, many of the tracks have contrasting sounds playing different melodies against one another. It could have been a disaster. For Chandler it is a score. (Animalsoul Records)

www.myspace.com/zacchandler

-Allyson Wells

American Gun - Dark Southern Hearts

Produced by Todd Mathis and Donald Merkle
Recorded and Engineered by Steve Slavich
Mixed by John Morand
Mastered by Brent Lambert

Bands like American Gun bring to mind dark bars with peanut shells ground into the floor and the smell of hand-rolled cigarettes. It's a feat that alt-country rockers from regions other than the South can only hope to accomplish.Although the title is both fitting and misleading, Columbia, SC natives American Gun offer a debut CD called Dark Southern Hearts. It comes as no surprise that the band lists Cracker among its many influences. In fact, American Gun even got the help of John Morand to lend a hand in the mixing, which was a smart move considering he has worked with not only Cracker themselves but also big names like Sparklehorse.

There is an overall mellow tone to Dark Southern Hearts, which is brought to life by use of banjo, pedal steel and mandolin. Later songs, however, completely contrast the earlier mood of the album with the use of other instruments such as trumpet, saxophone and the organ. The fourth track, "Little Sister," sounds a bit like fellow Americana crooners The Be Good Tanyas. This comparison can be attributed to a sound that is both dreamy and lonely yet happy and uplifting at the same time.
Dark Southern Hearts is a CD you could listen to whether you lost your job, are mourning the loss of a great love or favorite pet or are suffering general everyday woes.

Tracks like "Someone to Blame" are sung with such intensity that you feel as though you'd like to buy the vocalist a beer after the song is over. The vocals and production are well balanced, and the sound is more put-together than what can usually be found on most debut albums. With a debut this polished, American Gun has many more bright years ahead, be it in smoky bars or an old pick-up touring on the road. (Self-released)

www.americangun.net

-Lauren Alexis Begnaud

With Blood Comes Cleansing - Golgotha

Produced and Recorded by Chris Dowthan

More than 20 years ago, the roots of modern extreme metal were beginning to spread through fertile soil. In the present, extreme metal is a genre all to itself - a catchall that is bigger than black metal, grindcore or death metal - which encompasses a wide variety of bands and is thriving worldwide.

One of the beneficiaries of the wide-open nature of extreme metal is Virginia's With Blood Comes Cleansing. The group's latest release, Golgotha, is a study in orchestrated musical brutality. As one may gleen from the band's name and album title, the group is comprised of Christians. While many metal enthusiasts refrain from bands with a Christian orientation or message, there have been some notable exceptions. Like Mortification and Tourniquet before them, With Blood Comes Cleansing has the potential to gain wider acceptance in the greater (secular) metal community.

From the plodding opening track, the appropriately titled "An Introduction to Death," listeners will hear the exceptionally tight performances of drummer Spence Erickson and his compatriots: guitarists Scott Erickson and Jeremy Sims and bassist Jon Strupling. Throughout the CD, the players execute countless tempo changes with definite ease. Michael Sasser's death growls are gut-scouring yet largely more intelligible than the average death metal singer.

The band's technical death metal style is evident on the title track, "My Help" and "Bring Out Your Dead." For those who like their death metal served up Swedish style, there aren't any doubled leads or ambient keyboards to pretty things up. There are, however, mountains of crushing metallic riffage and an uncharacteristically positive message for listeners. (Blood and Ink Records)

www.myspace.com/withbloodcomescleansing

-Matthew S. Maynard

Elevado - Our Turn Come Tonight

Produced by Elevado
Recorded at The Tubes

Hailing from the bowels of the Atlanta music community, Elevado has forged its own niche, throwing elbows and fists to find its own space. The three-piece band, featuring Justin Sias on vocals and bass, Cain Wong on guitar and Don Dudenhoeffer on keyboards and effects, formulates a unique, gender-bending musical existence reminiscent of Bowie during his Low years.

The two-song EP sampler of the soon-to-be-released full length is disappointing - only in the sense that the listener is only given a small taste of the genius that is Elevado. Both songs featured, "Our Turn Came Tonight" and "Purple Man," are perfectly crafted pop songs that echo influences from New York's '70s legends Television (Sias' unique tenor is a masterful tribute to Richard Hell) and the aforementioned Bowie.

Musically, the members of Elevado find themselves torn between these two epochs of pop music. Where "Our Turn Came Tonight" works as a hook-ridden blast of sonic pop-ness, the alter ego, "Purple Man," is an abstract reflection of the other: the ego and the superego.

All in all, Elevado's delicate balancing of pop art-house rock music is the necessary springboard to lift the group into the higher echelon of southeast music, and, if following the context of this sampler, the full length will do just that. (Self-released)

www.elevadoband.com

-Chris Parizo

Mad Whiskey Grin - Waiting for Coyote: Pretty Good Guitar Jams

Recorded by Frank Williams in his home studio

As he claims in his modest press packet, Frank Williams, AKA Mad Whiskey Grin, doesn't sing, doesn't talk much, can't dance, and he isn't very funny. But he does know his "way around a 12-string." And while there are a lot of people out there who can't dance, can't sing and aren't very funny, it's true that few know the 12-string like this guy. He certainly has married himself to that droning chorus of the instrument's built-in harmonics, and unlike most people who often play it in order to add interest to otherwise banal acoustic albums, Williams plays most of this album with a slide, which enhances the overall presence of the guitar - the only instrument you'll hear on this album.

So what do you get with 11 tracks of solo acoustic guitar? Well, that's where Williams falls short of making a strong debut with Waiting for Coyote: Pretty Good Guitar Jams. The album is a little flat on dynamics, but not simply because there is only one instrument. While his rhythm and tone are fairly compelling, there are very few highs or lows. The music comes across as very nearly ambient.

The songs run together, and if it weren't for the unprofessionally long space between tracks you might think that the album was just one long jam. Because he's using a 12-string, mostly in open tuning, there's a lot of nice sound, occasionally reminiscent of the drone of bagpipes. Indeed, he states one of his primary influences (in addition to blues and bluegrass) is Celtic music. In Williams' Waiting for Coyote there are toasts to traditional American folk songs, the delta blues and, yes, even Celtic music, but despite these mildly interesting shout-outs, the album is somewhat flaccid.

You can't fill an art gallery with sketches. (Even Clapton couldn't sell a CD of jams until he included it with the Layla box set.) Williams' skills would be better served if he wrote three-part songs that stood out for their feeling and nuance. These songs might impress friends around the fire, but Waiting for Coyote runs the risk of becoming background music. (Self-released)

www.myspace.com/madwhiskeygrin

-Mitchell Maddox

Shawn Regan - Southern Sky

Produced by Ryan McDougall, Michael Levine, and Jimmy Anderson
Mastered by Glenn Schick

The sign of a good songwriter begins with the story. Can they tell a good story? The sign of a great songwriter is one who not only tells a good story but can also write great hooks. On Shawn Regan's debut release, Southern Sky, the young singer/songwriter shows great promise, although he seems to fall into the former category. He can tell a decent story, yet the hooks aren't phenomenal.

Following in the tradition of artists such as John Mayer and Jason Mraz, Regan likes to write the cutesy love song while showing off his guitar work. And why not? The guy is a self-taught guitarist and vocalist who has only been on the Atlanta scene for a short period of time. But he has yet to master the skills that both Mayer and Mraz possess, which is ultimately the fact that they can write great pop hooks.

One downfall Regan encounters is that some of the songs sound the same. Besides this one faux pas, Regan's music can provide a very soothing and relaxing moment for listeners. On songs such as "Kaylee" and "Southern Sky," Regan shows us how talented he can be while taking on mandolin, drum and percussion duties along with his well-crafted guitar work.

As far as first impressions go, Regan doesn't come off as intangible, but it'll be a while before his abilities are molded into what he is aiming for. It's a tough job to be someone who mirrors the Mayer sound while trying to differentiate himself. Maybe after a couple of years, Regan will have found his niche and will continue to write good stories around memorable choruses. (Self-released)

www.shawnregan.com

-Kenneth Gambill