CD OF THE MONTH

The Coathangers — The Coathangers

Recorded, engineered, produced, and mastered live the Nickel and Dime Studios in Avondale, Estates, GA. by Kris Sampson

With instant-hit titles like “Nestle In My Boobies” and the deceivingly well-crafted “Shut the Fuck Up,” there is a resounding consensus throughout the Southeast that The Coathangers’ self-titled debut CD will do well. Atlanta label Rob’s House Records, which has put out a series of successful 7-inch records in the past, believes in the project enough to make it their very first full-length release. The album art is glaring, high-contrast and sloppy and, like the band itself, somehow makes these qualities work.

Mostly recorded live at Nickel and Dime Studios in Avondale Estates, GA, by producer Kris Sampson (Ocha La Rocha, Variac), the record masterfully captures an energy that would have eluded overdubbing. The rough-around-the edges performances only strengthen the band’s “messy beauty” image, and auto-tune with quantized drums would have surely sucked the life out of any of these songs. Rumor has it that The Coathangers didn’t even use headphones while tracking, which is almost unheard of these days.

The standout songs are all concentrated in the middle of the CD. Despite being easily overlooked in the track listing (due to its proximity to song titles like “Shut the Fuck Up” and “Don’t Touch My Shit!”), “Parking Lot” is the album’s shining moment. Like most of their songs, it is both pop and punk but never “pop punk.”

“Don’t Touch My Shit!” is an aggressive defense of identity and ownership, kicking around feminist issues like they were boring homework. The Coathangers here turn the tables and objectify their men, lumping them in with the “shit” that is being possessed and protected. “You say you like my boyfriend / you think he’s really hot,” sings Crook Kid Coathanger, “look at him like that again / I’ll punch you in the twat.”

The call-and-response melodies, gang-vocal choruses, and frequent instrument swapping all serve the songs well but they also make it clear that The Coathangers are, first and foremost, a group of friends. Their music has great merit, of course, but much of its merit lies in the sense of fun and camaraderie that their songs portray. The only downside to this album is that it wasn’t released in the spring; The Coathangers would have made for the perfect summer soundtrack.

(Rob’s House)

www.thecoathangers.com

-Harold Zimm

That’s Called Going For It — That’s Called Going For It

Produced and recorded by Jesse Astin

It was supposed to be a competition — a writer’s race to create an entire album in the month of February. But Like Clockwork frontman Jesse Astin quickly realized that the potential for his first side project went far beyond a brief, 28-day, slapped-together creation. So the Atlanta songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer, along with the help of a few friends and fellow area musicians, assumed the name That’s Called Going For It and recorded an eight-song demo under the same name.

“This record is less about me and more about you and where you’re going,” says Astin of the differences between Like Clockwork and TCGFI. “It is meant to inspire in a time where inspiration isn’t easy to come by.”

Inspiration is certainly a common lyrical thread throughout the record. Astin touches on difficult issues ranging from our overreaction to global warming to the struggles of growing up, but always touching on the topics with the delicate message of hope and reassurance.

Musically, That’s Called Going For It is a sonorous patchwork of tireless electronic-rock using post-shoegaze, indie-rock and noise-pop as its patches. Astin stitches the styles together like a masterful tailor in such a way that is both sensible and yet ever expanding. One gets the idea that this record should be playing over a laser show in a dingy basement filled with indie musicians and DJs blasting out an anthem to despair. Sound confusing? It really isn’t, once Astin lays it all out for you. Download the full album for free at www.innervoicemusic.net.

(Inner Voice Records)

www.myspace.com/thatscalledgoingforit

-Matt Godbey

The Hot Rods —Super Sport

Produced by Ross Childress

Can a rock band be officially endorsed by a beer company? Of course — when that company is Pabst Blue Ribbon, and that band is The Hot Rods. Never before has a band so completely embodied the spirit of a cheap, easy-drinking brew, and with their full-length debut, Super Sport, this psychobilly five-piece from Atlanta have seemingly resurrected a long-lost time in the history of rock ‘n’ roll — an era when souped-up cars, hot chicks, mean greasers and beer were as much a part of the music as the performers themselves.

The result is that on the surface, Super Sport‘s 12 tracks appear just as crude and tasteless as a warm can of PBR. But underneath a list of tracks with names like “Girl Girl Action” and “Speed Demon,” The Hot Rods are skillfully and very deliberately channeling a musical culture that goes back to the late 1950s. Produced by Collective Soul’s Ross Childress, the band’s debut album employs an overall aesthetic that harkens back to the very roots of rockabilly and Southern rock — along with more contemporary hints of metal and punk — by way of short, simple songs laden with crunching electric guitars and a diverse range of bluegrass melodies.

Lead singer “Mug” Adler has a smooth, Southern voice that seems to perfectly complement the expert stylings of guitarists “Vegas” Dave and Fred McNeal, along with bassist Chad Beech and drummer Pat Turner. Ultimately, all five display equal parts energy and enthusiasm throughout Super Sport, with enough musical sensibility to clearly acknowledge their varied musical and cultural influences. With most other bands, such an approach could easily be written off as derivative or just plain banal, but The Hot Rods have managed to craft a complete album built on substance, wit, and yes — beer.

(Super Rock Records)

www.myspace.com/thehotrodsband

-Ari Mazer

The Lolligags —Wired EP

Recorded by Jason Nesmith at Bel Air Studios

Southern music gets a bad rap. Even with the obvious diversity and culture that lives on every street in every red state, even after birthing bands and groups like OutKast, not too many people can fathom hearing music drifting from America’s bottom half that doesn’t sound like Limp Bizkit or Lynard Skynard.Which explains a collective, self-satisfied smile that spreads across the south whenever bands like Athens’ The Lolligags spring up from our ever-fertile soils.

The Lolligags are hopefully proud of themselves — each of the songs on their four-track EP bubbles over with bubblegum-chomping, new-wave beats, jittery keyboards and surreal, eyeball-fetish lyrics rounded out by singer Leslie Dallionís’ keen, cheeky Material Girl chirping.

On the opener, “Wired Up,” Dallion rips on The B-52s (See? The South has a great track record with this kind of stuff if you’d just get past the pile of CDs on your beefy cousin’s floor). You’ll get used to this voice, equal parts lustfully aroused and lovingly adorable. The randiness carries into “Kitten, Come Over,” which would be totally hot if only it didn’t sound like it was sung by your 13-year-old niece. Dallion wags a playful finger at the stalker she’s been stalking on “Creepy Things,” while beckoning a hopeful boy toy with the rather nursery rhyme-sounding “Suitcase Mystery.”

While the four tracks from the band are fun, sexual and refreshing, a full-length might get repetitive, if not seizure-inducing. But Wired proves to be an excellent start from a band just beginning to blossom.

(Happy, Happy Birthday to Me)

www.thelolligags.com

-Melinda Hanna

Angwish — Calamity

Produced by Rob Tavaglione for Catalyst Recording

Calamity, the third full length from Charlotte-based rockers Angwish, sounds exactly like a DIY version of the band’s influences, each of which is more or less put on display here song by song. Each track matches up neatly with the indie standbys like The Pixies, R.E.M, Nirvana, or Local H.

The derivative nature of Angwish’s sound is not helped by Bryan Bielanski’s writing. The teen diary lyrics on Calamity flutter between clichéd love notes and violent self-hatred. While the album is full of punk attitude and energy and played with a refreshing level of passion, this does not necessarily increase the effectiveness of the songs.

The Pixies-based tracks on the album, including “Throw a Party” and “All We Owe You,” really succeed here, thanks to Bielanski and Rachael Malmberg’s male-female vocals. When they stick to melodic ideas learned from big brother-types like Frank Black and R.E.M., we get glimpses of true musicianship and potential that seems to be waiting for them to outgrow the teenage angst running the show in so many of the heavier tracks.

Calamity gives us lots of examples of iffy lyrics that might leave you cringing with memories of your own melodramatic high school days (check out “What the hell, what the fuck, I guess I’m shit out of luck” from album closer “Sad Again/Gouge Out,” for instance), but even those could come across alright handled with the right kind of attention and care. So far, Angwish isn’t giving them that kind of care. On the plus side, though, the band is young enough to give the listener hope that there is the possibility of a more intriguing future if its members can grow past their influences and latch onto the things they’re already doing well.

(KEH Records)

www.myspace.com/angwishmusic

-Micah J McLain

Jenn Franklin —Errors & Admissions

Produced and mixed by Peter Overton and Jeff Franklin

Mastered by Erik Wolf

Dynamic and eclectic, Jenn Franklin teams up with producer Peter Overton to write songs detailing the heartfelt truth of the human sprit. Errors & Admissions is a cutting, powerful epic work of passion and raw rock, spilling over with colorful, stirring blues vocals.

“What Took You So Long” starts up the record as a barnburner, segueing into “Impasse 900” without losing any sense of steam. Revved-up melodies are sweetly drenched with a brewing foundation of intense, textured instrumentation that is beyond what one would normally expect from a debut release.

Franklin’s voice evokes memories of childhood, complete with lyrics that paint a portrait of losing one’s innocence and soon staking a claim of hitting the road alone. Franklin began to perform music at age 12 and her recovery from an eating disorder and succeeding through a healing process perhaps best inspired her to write and create her intriguing, lush style. Refreshing and full of soul, Franklin’s vocals and storytelling are highly vulnerable, an essence that provides quite an attachment and bond with her listeners. With heartbreaker gems like “Innocence to Lose,” complete with sultry piano, and the riveting “Fade” and the stunning “Mercy,” one can see a similarity with influences such as greats Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin and Fiona Apple.

The mix is quite wonderful, leaving little room for any miscalculated production errors. Instruments are layered in satisfactory fashion, leaving plenty of breathing room for Franklin’s sonorous serenading. Peaceful and reflective, the pristine piano, soft bass and gripping percussion add much emphasis on the overall soothing atmosphere in the material’s last half. “Mercy” adds tightly laced, enriching chords and melody lines that genuinely complement the lyrics, an effect that is compelling to say the least. The subtle ending is creatively brilliant. It’s impeccable work for a rising star that is making heads turn in Nashville and beyond.

(Animus 7 Music)

www.jennfranklin.com

-Shawn M. Haney

Evan McHugh —From the Second Chair

Produced, Engineered, and Mixed by Glenn Matullo at Orphan Studios in Atlanta, Ga. Mastered by Alex Lowe, Additional production by Jeremy Crowder, Chuch Hester, Brandon Bush and Nicholas Alan

Evan McHugh’s full-length album, From the Second Chair, is simple — not an exercise in production bells and whistles and his voice at its most emotive could be likened to a particularly sleepy, boozed-up Ryan Adams. His many metaphors, while clever if not often times non-sequitur, frankly can’t seem to get through the blasé filler that waltzes around them.

But this is not to say that McHugh’s album isn’t good. However much it fails to blow minds, it still manages to pack an understated punch.

The album’s title track presents a clear indication of all the understating that is McHugh’s style here. Trucking along, the song’s unassuming music matches McHugh’s melancholy voice. When he sleepily sings, “Impossible for me, because of all the hesitations,” you start to believe him.

But potential truly does give spice to an otherwise bland collection of tunes. When McHugh steps outside the confines his music and his lyrics have made for him, as he does with the poppy “Easy Enough” and the Postal Service-inspired “Echoes on the Sea,” you can tell that McHugh aspires to more than quietly plucking away in front a half-full crowd at Eddie’s Attic on a Wednesday.

And it’s a shame, really, because under all those darn hesitations and understatement, you have a feeling that McHugh could emerge with richer and much more raw material. Instead, he often times opts for music as pastel as his album cover. No, Evan McHugh is not special. But he deserves to be.

(Self-released)

www.evanmchugh.com

-Melinda Hanna

SNMNMNM —Crawl Inside Your Head

Produced by Frank Marchand, Recorded and Mixed by Frank M. Archand at Waterford Digital in Balitmore, Mixed by Charlie Pilzer at Airshow Mastering in Springfield, VA. Exective Produced by Howard Hecht

SNMNMNM plays the kind of music that can best be described as “dork pop.” It’s hard to imagine that being taken as an insult by a band that sings out an entire call number during their ode to libraries, “Addy Will Know.” Crawl Inside Your Head, the fourth full-length album from this Chapel Hill group, sees the band further refining their almost annoyingly-catchy songs, which indeed take a cue from the album title.

The band employs a range of instruments not always associated with pop music — tuba, trumpet, and trombone — but these are used sparingly enough as to not be overwhelming. Lead singer Mark Daumen’s nasally vocals are initially abrasive, but seem to fit better upon repeat listens. This is the case for most of the tracks on the album, although the polka and country-tinged “Wasted and Trying” pushes his voice to an extremely high pitch that’s really hard to tolerate for the whole song. The big band sound of “For All I Know” thankfully fills up the space left by Daumen’s especially monotonous vocal delivery with SNMNMNM’s unique horn section. “Braveness of Alcohol,” on the other hand, does not fare as well. The most effective tracks on Crawl Inside Your Head, such as ‘Lost a Day’ and the title track, employ a range of power pop standards such as layered vocals, synths, hand claps, and extremely simple yet effective choruses. Some regular old guitars keep things familiar and on track for anyone knocked off balance by the rest of the instrumentation. While not for everyone, SNMNMNM’s brand of power pop should satisfy the scholastically-inclined members of the indie rock community.

(Unschooled Records)

www.myspace.com/snmnmnm

-Micah J McLain

Midtown Dickens —Oh Yell!

All songs recorded and produced by Zeno Gill, except track 15 which was recorded and produced by Chris Wemberly at Nightsound Studios in Carborro, NC

Midtown Dickens offers deliberate expressions and highly literal interpretations of everyday life with Oh Yell!, an album that describes the passing of time in the same tangible way as John Lennon’s “A Day in the Life.” It’s an indie-folk album perhaps, but the songs are more complex and provocative than the stripped-down instrumentation and composition suggest. Songs feel like rhetorical questionnaires that make listeners apply Midtown Dickens’ illusively insightful lyricism to their own existence. “The Job Song” exemplifies a helplessness and candor that runs through the Dickens’ idea of blue-collar and coffee-fiend living with lyrics like “Get out world / Leave me alone / Get out of my house / Get in your nice car, go home.”

These are humble songs reminiscent of the simple writing styles of The Indigo Girls and Hootie and the Blowfish. Candid lyrics make a legit case to put trust in every track’s radio-friendly melodies that give them just enough pop appeal without forsaking their stark, introverted arrangements. Sincere tracks “Guitars” and “Tambourine” demonstrate Midtown Dickens’ ability to include warm, welcoming instrumentation with brass and steel guitars while achieving highly literate descriptions of adolescent life. Indeed, the band’s lyrics bring a hefty dose of character to these songs. The vagabond lyrics “And we can lay down in the grass / Wait for the sun to go down / Will you hold my hand down the road / If I make you a clover crown?” demonstrate the Dickens’ novel attempts to evoke the frustration and magic of youth in their listeners.

Lyrics, beautiful harmonization and catchy melodies play the lead role in this album. But simple instrumentation — harmonicas, acoustic guitars, banjos and slide whistles — tie the ribbon on this one, creating charming and truly original expressions of life at its most humble and honest means.

(307 Knox Records)

www.myspace.com/midtowndickens

-Brian Gilton

Martians See Red — When All Seems Lost

No Pruduction Information Available

When Martians See Red singer and guitarist Kenny Brown and drummer Troy Wolf left their native South Carolina in search of greener musical pastures, they found them in the thriving Atlanta music scene. After picking up guitarist Justin Mewborn and bassist Matt “Gerr” Gerlinger, Martians See Red slugged it out in the local trenches. The eclectic and competitive reality of a major music town helped them develop the hard alt-rock sound that would highlight When All Seems Lost.

Martians See Red delivers energy, texture and thoughtful song craft with a heavy and dirty yet bouncy and wholly palatable sound. Separating Martians See Red from the pack of alt-rock/post hardcore groups is a gritty, go-for-broke intensity that underpins everything on the album. Like The Ramones and Metallica on their early breakthrough recordings, Martians See Red have created a debut disc full of veracity and “do or die” attitude. Since Martians grab from artists like Clutch, Elvis Costello and Pantera, one can expect a bit of zealous genre-hopping from the talented quartet throughout the album. Opener “Watercolor” is a punchy power-pop number with an infectious punk chorus, while “Channeling Aero” is propulsive, grungy number with a majestic, down-tempo chorus fit for early David Bowie. “The Drunk’s Awake” stomps along with a thrashing, snotty West Coast punk approach a la NOFX. All the while, Martians See Red put their own stamp on whatever style they utilize. However they play, it’s not difficult to tell that it’s the same band. When All Seems Lost is a coherent, thoroughly-listenable effort delivered by a band with energy and conviction.

(Self-released)

www.myspace.com/martiansseered

-Matthew S. Maynard

The Spam Allstars — Electrodomesticoes

Recorded at City of Progress in Miami, FL. Produced and mixed by DJ Le Spam, Mastered by Mike Fuller at Fullersound

Spamusica Records

Laid-back synthesizers, organs and horns of The Spam Allstars’ new record lay the foundation for both funky and jazzy Southern California beach tunes. The lackadaisical tracks include Latin vocalists and island breeze bongos, steel drums and light woodwinds. Electrodomesticoes offers a batch of songs that demonstrate The Spam Allstars striving to incorporate as many genres as possible, including Latin, hip-hop, dub and electronica — a concoction they call “Electronic Descarga.”

Electrodomesticoes is based less on vocals or gripping melody and more on interesting instrument collaboration and improvisation. As it goes with bands that are so instrument and genre inclusive, The Allstars can come off as a jam band reminiscent of Galactic, but that hardly seems avoidable given their world music investments. It’s best to consider Electrodomesticoes an expression of this group’s enthusiasm for experimenting with music, all the while giving a serious priority to making heads nod, giving the DJ in the band one of the most crucial roles in the whole band.

This album plays like a well-crafted mix CD of dance gems, every song with a special place in order but probably capable of standing alone anywhere, be it a live a set or a wedding reception playlist. The funky congas on “Charanga E-350” and “Afrika,” for example, employ authentic rhythms from all kinds of sunny climes mixed with tasteful jamming suited to both potheads and sober aficionados of Latin culture. “Joe Drives Through Medley,” which juxtaposes jazzy brass with electronica-inspired distorted bass, creates for listeners a distinct atmospheric feeling that would be difficult to pin down to any one generation or country.

(Spamusica Records)

www.spamallstars.com

-Brian Gilton

Gigi Dover — Nouveau

Produced and Engineered by Eric Lovell and Gigi Dover

Recorded at Blue Bubble Studios in CHARLOTTE

Executive Produced and by Tim Coots at Moondog Studios in NASHVILLE, Mastered by Jim Demain at Yes, Master in NASHVILLE

Gigi Dover’s latest release, Nouveau, refreshingly pulls off an eclectic approach to songwriting with delicate hints of retro sounds that never seems forced or stale.

Nouveau is an appropriate title, since it represents a lot of new chapters in Dover’s solo career. It’s the South Carolina native’s first truly collaborative project, sharing songwriting and production credits with her husband and guitarist Eric Lovell. It’s also her first real departure from the straight alt-country format of her previous releases, although some residual twang can be found here and there.

The fresh start no doubt had a liberating effect on Dover and her band The Big Love as the music has a fun, playful quality to it. From the raucous yet sensuous opener, “Deep Love,” Nouveau holds listeners’ attention with bright and airy production, playful performances and captivating songwriting. From the first track’s funky Little Feat-meets-Carole King vibe, Gigi sets herself up for walks down several musical roads. “Everybody Knows” feeds on one of the swampiest funk grooves since Dag released Righteous in 1994. “All Around You” uses sitar and East Indian melodies to invoke late ‘60s psychedelic rock. Later on “Suburban Lady” she tries on a cocktail jazz style for size — and it’s a flattering fit. All the while, the production recalls the ‘60s and ’70s approach of letting things happen naturally, without much in the way of punch-ins or overdubs. The result is a pleasant AM radio-ready listening experience.

(Self-released)

www.myspace.com/gigidoverandthebiglove

-Matthew S. Maynard

Dan Bryk —Discount Store

Recorded and Mixed by Dan Bryk at Flabby Road, Mississauga and Raleigh, NC. Mixed by Greg Wells at Rocket Carousel in Los Angeles, CA, Mastered by Jeff Carroll at Bluefield Mastering in Raleigh, NC

Dan Bryk’s fun, bouncy and upbeat new CD, Discount Store, showcases his talent in writing catchy, memorable lyrics that will have listeners remembering songs and singing them to themselves as they would commercial jingles.

The only downbeat song on the entire CD, the ballad “I Miss You,” has a theme that strikes a familiar chord with the broken hearted, with a story about the rift caused by an irreplaceable love long gone and the realization that seeing new people can’t replace the familiarity of a deep, meaningful love.

Listeners who find themselves wanting more after the sixth track are in for a pleasant surprise at the end of the CD, as Bryk slips in a hidden track, the fun, kicky “Cherry Berry,” which is happy and energetic.

With the help of the Ontario Arts Council Popular Music Songwriting Grant, Byck found an open door to realize some of Discount Store. The expert mixing seamlessly blends the vocals, bass, guitars and drums, which were recorded in studios in separate locations, as diverse and far apart as vocalist Greta Gertler’s New York City apartment, Toronto’s Purple Tea Room to record drummer Josh Hicks, The Mockin’ Bird Recording Co. in Chapel Hill, NC to record guitarist Tim Carless and Fire Hazzard Studio in Raleigh, NC to record electric guitarist James “Jim” Brantley.

Discount Store will also appear in a slightly different form on the upcoming Urban Myth Recording Collective record Pop Psychology.

(Firefly Music and Urban Myth Recording Collective)

www.bryk.com

-Amanda Durham

Clan Destined —And For Our Next Trick

Produced and Mastered by AmDex for ADAM and DT for Lester’s House Productions

Atlanta-based Clan Destined remixed seven of its tracks from their debut LP Abracadamn on their May release And For Our Next Trick. The three new tracks on Trick are “The Wild Card,” (featuring VJC recording artist Felix the Black Cat) “Your Mine” and “Manifest Destiny.” The duo DJ AmbiDextrous (AKA AmDex) and DT made their way to Atlanta from Raleigh, NC and Hickory, NC, respectively, and met at Atlanta‘s Morehouse college, along with crew-mate Felix of the VJC.

The remix CD And For Our Next Trick was picked up by VJC’s offshoot, Rawkus Records, part of the Rawkus 50 movement (50 of the “next important hip-hop groups”) making Clan Destined the first hip-hop group based in the ATL to sign a deal with the company.

Clan Destined’s And For Our Next Trick is filled with smooth hip-hop tracks, some mellow and some driving a bass beat that can be both heard and felt. After five smooth, mellow tracks, track six, “We Stay,” featuring SumKid Majere, DeeJay PudgEmcee and X-Ro, picks up with a stronger, richer sounding bass. This track deserves to be turned up so listeners can feel it as well. Track ten, “Manifest Destiny,” with its clever plays on words and thoughtful lyrics, will have listeners tapping their feet and snapping fingers to the beat before realizing it.

(VJC Recordings)

www.myspace.com/clandvjc

-Amanda Durham

Anderson Brothers — Solid Blue

Recorded at Premier Companies in Cool Springs, TN. Mixed at Sweet Irene Music Studio in Franklin, TN. Engineered by David Hall, Produced by Chuck Anderson

In the tradition of the Blues Brothers comes the third offering from Tennessee's the Anderson Brothers, Martin and Chuck. Solid Blue is just that — solid blues, remaining true to Memphis-style blues.

The album starts with "Oh My God," a track that sounds like it could have come straight out of a Johnny Lang set list. With Martin singing "poke me with your fire," and Chuck laying down traditional blues riffs, the track opens the album strong. The highlight of the record becomes the guitar styling of Chuck and brother John Anderson (who seems content without official membership in his brothers' duo). The two add a groovy dynamic to the album. They successfully incorporate other guitarists, horn players and a well-versed drummer to the operation and the whole thing ends up with the vibe of a full band effort.

"Lead Me to the River" focuses on Martin's pleasant vocals. The track continues in the blues vein, but adds a country twang for variety. "No Mo Nights" turns the amps up a notch, and rocks like old friends competing to see who can put on the best show. "Candy" begs not only the song's feminine object of affection but also the listener to "keep coming back for more."

Two tracks shake up the blues formula. "What I Must I Do," though not unlikable, sounds more like a Billy Ocean song than something you'd expect coming out of Memphis. The album ends with "Fool's Gold," which seems to be a live track, complete with audience fanfare. However, it is an instrumental with added effects, synthesizer included. These tracks don't compromise the quality of the music, they simply add some spice to keep the listener guessing.

(Sweet Irene)

www.andersonbrothers.org

-Selena Lawson

Brian Doyle and the Hamiltons — All Roads Lead to Home

Produced by Brian Doyle and Joe Kuhlman

Recorded by Joe Kuhlman at 38th St. Studio, Charlotte, N. Car. Mixed, additional production, and additional tracking by Danny Howes, Red Door Productions, Atlanta

Mastered by Glenn Schick at Glenn Schick Mastering, Atlanta.

All Roads Lead to Home comprises the fourth album for the Charlotte musician, Brian Doyle. The liner notes show that Danny Howes, owner of Red Door Productions, contributed additional production, and the album is stained with his fingerprints. Howes possesses the ability to make a small band sound like an orchestra, making him a wise choice for the completion of the record.

Dirty slide guitar riffs from Mark Johnson open the first track, “Leave it All Behind,” followed shortly by Hammond organ licks from Russ Betenbaugh. Doyle’s vocals conjure visions of what Tom Petty may have sounded like before the bong hits added roughness to his chords. The southern rock groove sets a precedent for the remaining tracks, which vary from ballad (“Out of Reach”) to honky-tonk two-steppin’ anthem (“New Orleans”), and back again with tenacity. “Big Surprise” breaks into a more modern rock ‘n’ roll song. “Till It’s Gone” ends the album like an encore, making the listener want to sway back and forth with his lighter held high in the air.

The album showcases the talent of Josh Daniel on guitar, Mark Johnson on rhythm and slide guitar, Flavio Mangione on bass, Betenbaugh on Hammond organ and Mike Talbot on drums, along with other guest musicians. Though the lyrics are simplistic, and Doyle’s vocals are not as dynamic as the music he fronts, the multitude of musicians and instruments on this album combined with Howes’ production make it a classic rock offering at its finest.

(Self-released)

www.briandoyle.com

-Selena Lawson

Run Dan Run —Basic Mechanics

Produced, Engineered, Mixed, and Mastered by Dan McCurry, Nick Jenkins, & Ash Hopkins of Rebellion Road Studios in Atlanta, GA. Engineered by Dan McCurry & Ash Hopkins

Run Dan Run is a project from Charleston, SC whose interesting approach to song arrangements makes listening to the group’s new album a treat.

The first two tracks on this album should have been sandwiched in the middle because they don’t seem to add much. Once you get through them, the fun begins. “Multi-Colored Lights,” the album’s third track, is crammed with colorful kaleidoscopic changes and excellent melodies. Lyrically there are a lot of great lines here. After the two previous tracks, this one is a dynamic lifesaver. The louds move toward softs and vice versa and the track is extremely well done. Every track after “Multi-Colored Lights” through “Points of Departure” is excellent. The band uses a variety of textures and sounds to achieve their ends, including the Latin vibe on “Stop Sign” and the simple stripped down voice and acoustic guitar on “Points Of Departure.”

Lyrically, the songs range from well done to too obtuse. There is some excellent social commentary found within a few of the songs on Basic Mechanics, and even in some of the songs are lyrically obscure, there are some excellent lines, and after hearing the more lyrically-driven songs one wishes the band had taken the same time with each track.

While the album is a little weak in the performance department, the songs are largely well written and worthy of a listen.

(Self-released)

www.myspace.com/rundanrun

-Adam Deiboldt

Delta Moon —Clear Blue Flame

Produced by Delta Moon, mixed by Jeff Bakos

Mastered by Chris Griffin

Principle songwriters and guitar wizards Tom Gray and Mark Johnson launch into their fifth CD release as Delta Moon, conjuring a hurricane force and churning up blues that sizzle the soul and capture a broken heart's essence.

Clear Blue Flame spawns a bone-chilling collection of 11 songs infused with noteworthy song craft, a flair for blues on lead duo guitars, and a well-executed backing instrumental section, providing a clear-cut foundation for this material.

Clocking in at forty minutes, each song on the album paints a compelling and serious portrait with music fused with both pain and delight. These songs interlace an atmosphere of making ends meet and surviving in the south, a brew eagerly chilling those who understand what it takes to be a true songwriter.

Gray and Johnson are veterans, wise in an art embedded with compositional gifts. These songs, such as the fiery opener "Clear Blue Flame" and the sizzling "Blind Spot" roar through the speakers with a lion-like growl.

The instrumentation dutifully serves the album with careful presence. Each guitar riff is painstakingly crafted a bluesy punch. Each bass line rolls out of the speakers, providing a stable backbone of heavy melodic flesh. The percussion and guest instruments continue to deliver a meaty, healthy base.

This album is a genuine testament to how much hard work these guys have put in as artists-the sweat and guts, the pain and sorrow, the joy and jubilation — all qualities that define the makeup of Georgia's best in blues-rock.

The discerning listener will be truly surprised to find so complete an album of Southern blues, full of intelligence and emotion. Delta Moon has created a work full of texture, an ambitious effort that fails to let up.

(Jumping Jack Records)

www.deltamoon.com

-Shawn M. Haney

January — Things I Forgot to Mention

Produced by Jacob Gabriel, JP Romano and Luis Salazar

Mixed by Luis Salazar, Mastered by Mike Fuller at Fuller Sound in Miami, FL

Breaking the standard mold of emo groups that endlessly wallow in depressing melodies and lyrics, January presents a bright-eyed, optimistic approach to a genre seriously in need of mood lift. Finally released this past June, Things I Forgot to Mention is the culmination of three years of studio work by Miami songwriter and lead vocalist Jacob Gabriel, along with guitarists JP Romano and Luis Salazar. Despite the lengthy production process, the band has managed to keep things light and uncomplicated with their full-length debut, crafting 11 Latin-infused pop tracks driven mostly by Gabriel’s compelling vocal contributions and the band’s upbeat rhythms.

With a full, dynamic voice as impressive as any vocalist heard in years, Jacob Gabriel dominates the album with tales of broken relationships, mended hearts, and lovesick nights. Though by no means a groundbreaking choice of song themes, Gabriel’s voice serves as the crucial centerpiece for January, all the while backed by Romano’s jazzy guitar solos and a rhythm section grounded in Latin percussion.

All of these elements successfully come together on choice tracks like “Get Away,” “Just a Kid” and “Amazing” for an overall sound so undeniably catchy that even the most hardened opponents of so-called “emo” may find themselves seeking solace from artsy pretension in January’s tender melodies and buoyant attitudes. January has struck a nerve among South Florida’s vast indie landscape, and if Things I Forgot to Mention is any indication of their musical potential, this is a band that stands to remain visible for a long time to come.

(Red Card Productions)

www.myspace.com/january

-Ari Mazer

Jackson County Line — Jackson County Line

Produced by Jackson County Line, Recorded and Engineered by Stephen Warner, except “Losing Faith” and “Colors in Her Eyes,” by Greg Partridge. Mixed by Jim McKell and Jackson County Line at Tone Control Studios in Atlanta, GA

Though the self-titled album is the first for the band, Kevin Jackson is not an Atlanta-scene virgin. Jackson has been playing the Southeast for over 15 years, both as a solo artist and as a member of many bands, including the Drexlers. He’s teamed up with other music veterans to form Jackson County Line and the new album shows their experience and talent.

The album artwork leaves a listener expecting a country and western or southern folk work, but it offers much more. The opening track, “Let Me Ride,” could have come from a Johnny Cash album, alright, but then the album moves into “Free From the Light.” Matt Phillips’ trumpet adds the feel of a smoky jazz club to Jackson’s soulful vocals on this track. “Losing Faith” continues to showcase Phillips’ raspy trumpet blended with Jackson’s siren-like vocals. “All Alone” offers a solo showing Tim Anderson’s classical guitar skill, while the title track features Rob Bruce (Ethan and the Ewox) on electric guitar. “At the Seams” brings an R&B influence and Jackson twists his voice into a Babyface kind of croon. “Colors in Her Eyes” blends a prominent mandolin and harmonica, returning the album back to its folksy, western beginning.

Cade Lewis plays upright bass to the album, keeping with both the jazz and rootsy feel of the album, while Steve Warner seamlessly transitions his drumming style to create the feel for each track. Overall, the album is relaxing, thought-provoking, and original. While it may have a folky country and western base, it shows that the art of originality can take an amalgamation of genres.

(Self-released)

www.jacksoncountyline.com

-Selena Lawson