http://www.odeo.com/channels/2106474-Volcano-Boy no Worcester Mass Culture, Music, Art and Nonsense Worcester Mass Culture, Music, Art and Nonsense Worcester Mass Culture, Music, Art and Nonsense en 40 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:21:33 -0800 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:21:33 -0800 music, Reviews, website, boy, Bands, Singers, massachusetts, wortown, worcester, wormtown, volcanoboy, wooster, volcano music Reviews website boy Bands Singers massachusetts wortown worcester wormtown wooster volcano http://www.odeo.com/episodes/22232866-One-Way-by-Drew-O-039-Doherty I don't know anything about Drew O'Doherty, or whether "One Way" is representative of his style. If it is, Drew might appeal to coffee house acoustic music fans. "One Way" is a narcotic, brooding ballad about dead ends, rules, and relationships, utilizing an extended metaphor about cars and driving. There's no discernible chorus, just an ongoing reflection in a slow, plaintive voice. The tasty acoustic guitar, accompanied only by ambient drums, draws comparisons to Beck's Sea Change CD, some elements of Death Cab For Cutie , and even Worcester's Walter The Orange Ocean . If you like a stinging ballad that lets your thoughts swim down in your beer, this is it. --Matt Robert Drew O'Doherty plays Friday March 7, 2008 at The Hotel Vernon in Worcester along withThe Curtain Society and Aloud For more information visit www.drewodoherty.com One Way by Drew O'Doherty (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast and receive these songs and reviews automatically iTunes users click right here I don't know anything about Drew O'Doherty, or whether "One Way" is representative of his style. If it is, Drew might appeal to coffee house acoustic music fans. "One Way" is a narcotic, brooding ballad about dead ends, rules, and relationships, utilizing an extended metaphor about cars and driving. There's no discernible chorus, just an ongoing reflection in a slow, plaintive voice. The tasty acoustic guitar, accompanied only by ambient drums, draws comparisons to Beck's Sea Change CD, some elements of Death Cab For Cutie , and even Worcester's Walter The Orange Ocean . If you like a stinging ballad that lets your thoughts swim down in your beer, this is it. --Matt Robert Drew O'Doherty plays Friday March 7, 2008 at The Hotel Vernon in Worcester along withThe Curtain Society and Aloud For more information visit www.drewodoherty.com One Way by Drew O'Doherty (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast and receive these songs and reviews automatically iTunes users click right here I don't know anything about Drew O'Doherty, or whether "One Way" is representative of his style. If it is, Drew might appeal to coffee house acoustic music fans. "One Way" is a narcotic, brooding ballad about dead ends, rules, and relationships, utilizing an extended metaphor about cars and driving. There's no discernible chorus, just an ongoing reflection in a slow, plaintive voice. The tasty acoustic guitar, accompanied only by ambient drums, draws comparisons to Beck's Sea Change CD, some elements of Death Cab For Cutie , and even Worcester's Walter The Orange Ocean . If you like a stinging ballad that lets your thoughts swim down in your beer, this is it. --Matt Robert Drew O'Doherty plays Friday March 7, 2008 at The Hotel Vernon in Worcester along withThe Curtain Society and Aloud For more information visit www.drewodoherty.com One Way by Drew O'Doherty (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast and receive these songs and reviews automatically iTunes users click right here tag:odeo.com,2008-03-07,22232866 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:21:33 -0800 no Volcano Boy music Reviews website boy Bands Singers massachusetts wortown worcester wormtown volcanoboy wooster volcano http://www.odeo.com/episodes/22232867-Stop-Snitching-by-The-Perennials This is pretty cool and not what I was expecting at all. I listened to a couple songs on this bands MySpace a couple weeks ago and kind of threw them in the dance punk category, a genre which I despise, and didn't really think much about them again. This has me wondering if those songs are indicative of what the band sounds like or if this song is a better example. Stop Snitching is really different. I wish the production was a little better because it seems like there is a great deal of stuff going on and I'd really like to hear all of it. It could be the crappy speakers I am listing to this on however. It's a really interesting song that I can't quite place the influences on. These folks are listening to some cool music to put this out though. Thumbs up from me, I'll tell you that much. Hope I get to go see them around here soon. Take a listen for yourself. - Jimmy The Perennials play Tammany Hall 3/22/08Read more about them at myspace.com/perennialsareforever Stop Snitching by Th... This is pretty cool and not what I was expecting at all. I listened to a couple songs on this bands MySpace a couple weeks ago and kind of threw them in the dance punk category, a genre which I despise, and didn't really think much about them again. This has me wondering if those songs are indicative of what the band sounds like or if this song is a better example. Stop Snitching is really different. I wish the production was a little better because it seems like there is a great deal of stuff going on and I'd really like to hear all of it. It could be the crappy speakers I am listing to this on however. It's a really interesting song that I can't quite place the influences on. These folks are listening to some cool music to put this out though. Thumbs up from me, I'll tell you that much. Hope I get to go see them around here soon. Take a listen for yourself. - Jimmy The Perennials play Tammany Hall 3/22/08Read more about them at myspace.com/perennialsareforever Stop Snitching by The Perennials (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast and receive these songs and reviews automatically iTunes users click right here This is pretty cool and not what I was expecting at all. I listened to a couple songs on this bands MySpace a couple weeks ago and kind of threw them in the dance punk category, a genre which I despise, and didn't really think much about them again. This has me wondering if those songs are indicative of what the band sounds like or if this song is a better example. Stop Snitching is really different. I wish the production was a little better because it seems like there is a great deal of stuff going on and I'd really like to hear all of it. It could be the crappy speakers I am listing to this on however. It's a really interesting song that I can't quite place the influences on. These folks are listening to some cool music to put this out though. Thumbs up from me, I'll tell you that much. Hope I get to go see them around here soon. Take a listen for yourself. - Jimmy The Perennials play Tammany Hall 3/22/08Read more about them at myspace.com/perennialsareforever Stop Snitching by The Perennials (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast and receive these songs and reviews automatically iTunes users click right here tag:odeo.com,2008-03-03,22232867 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:23:55 -0800 no Volcano Boy music Reviews website boy Bands Singers massachusetts wortown worcester wormtown volcanoboy wooster volcano http://www.odeo.com/episodes/22232868-All-of-the-Time-by-Luke-MacNeil While listening to Luke MacNeil's tune All of the Time, there was something that I couldn't put my finger on. It has all of the color, emotion and execution of the contemporary singer/songwriter, but there is something else there. Then I read through his web site and I think I have figured it out. The man has an all reaching appreciation for music, including a history with metal that seems to be far reaching. That is what I hear: the melodic twists of classic Pantera and Dream Theater laid over the groove of the modern day singer/songwriter. I know, I know, it sounds like a weird mix, but it works, it works very well in fact. I am not saying that the whole melody harkens back to classic prog metal, but there are turns throughout and especially in the middle eight that made me double take for a moment, until I realized how well it worked. The song on the whole is very nice and the recording makes me think that Mr. MacNeil handles playing solo very well, which is not as easy to pull o... While listening to Luke MacNeil's tune All of the Time, there was something that I couldn't put my finger on. It has all of the color, emotion and execution of the contemporary singer/songwriter, but there is something else there. Then I read through his web site and I think I have figured it out. The man has an all reaching appreciation for music, including a history with metal that seems to be far reaching. That is what I hear: the melodic twists of classic Pantera and Dream Theater laid over the groove of the modern day singer/songwriter. I know, I know, it sounds like a weird mix, but it works, it works very well in fact. I am not saying that the whole melody harkens back to classic prog metal, but there are turns throughout and especially in the middle eight that made me double take for a moment, until I realized how well it worked. The song on the whole is very nice and the recording makes me think that Mr. MacNeil handles playing solo very well, which is not as easy to pull off as it may seem. This is someone that all contemporary singer/songwriter and acoustic groove fans should check out. for more information visit www.lukemacneil.com Luke MacNeil - All of the Time (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast and receive these songs and reviews automatically While listening to Luke MacNeil's tune All of the Time, there was something that I couldn't put my finger on. It has all of the color, emotion and execution of the contemporary singer/songwriter, but there is something else there. Then I read through his web site and I think I have figured it out. The man has an all reaching appreciation for music, including a history with metal that seems to be far reaching. That is what I hear: the melodic twists of classic Pantera and Dream Theater laid over the groove of the modern day singer/songwriter. I know, I know, it sounds like a weird mix, but it works, it works very well in fact. I am not saying that the whole melody harkens back to classic prog metal, but there are turns throughout and especially in the middle eight that made me double take for a moment, until I realized how well it worked. The song on the whole is very nice and the recording makes me think that Mr. MacNeil handles playing solo very well, which is not as easy to pull off as it may seem. This is someone that all contemporary singer/songwriter and acoustic groove fans should check out. for more information visit www.lukemacneil.com Luke MacNeil - All of the Time (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast and receive these songs and reviews automatically tag:odeo.com,2007-04-16,22232868 Mon, 16 Apr 2007 18:20:13 -0700 no Volcano Boy music Reviews website boy Bands Singers massachusetts wortown worcester wormtown volcanoboy wooster volcano http://www.odeo.com/episodes/22232869-Shame-by-Me-And-The-Kid I am a pretty big fan of Black Sabbath. I am an even bigger fan of Black Sabbath covers. See, Black Sabbath, at least early Black Sabbath, were never the best musicians on the block. The stuff was always a bit sloppy. Wow are those songs good though. It is when you hear a tighter band cover a Sabbath song though that it is really mind blowing how good those songs are.  Such might be the case with Shame by Me and the Kid. Let me state first that this is a great song. Not a good song, but a great song. The ?one, two, three? chorus is pretty damn awesome. The way it develops is pretty damn awesome. Most everything about the song on paper is pretty damn awesome. The weak link here is the performance of the song. Two things I can sight right off the bat are the vocals and the percussion. At times the percussionist tries to get a little bit too much of a lazy jazzy laid back feel to the detriment of the song because it really just comes off as sloppy. The vocals too, well, I have nev... I am a pretty big fan of Black Sabbath. I am an even bigger fan of Black Sabbath covers. See, Black Sabbath, at least early Black Sabbath, were never the best musicians on the block. The stuff was always a bit sloppy. Wow are those songs good though. It is when you hear a tighter band cover a Sabbath song though that it is really mind blowing how good those songs are.  Such might be the case with Shame by Me and the Kid. Let me state first that this is a great song. Not a good song, but a great song. The ?one, two, three? chorus is pretty damn awesome. The way it develops is pretty damn awesome. Most everything about the song on paper is pretty damn awesome. The weak link here is the performance of the song. Two things I can sight right off the bat are the vocals and the percussion. At times the percussionist tries to get a little bit too much of a lazy jazzy laid back feel to the detriment of the song because it really just comes off as sloppy. The vocals too, well, I have never been a fan of affectation in vocals. There really isn?t much affectation in the vocals but when it is there it is really there and sounds a bit too forced. The really funny part about is that the few times the vocalist does seem to go out of key is when he seems to be pushing this really dramatic singing of his. I must repeat again that this is a great song though. Anyone can practice a Pearl Jam or U2 song until they can?t get it wrong but so few of those same people can actually write a great song. I will take the band that can write a great song over the band that can only play a song great every time and Me and the Kid, at least on this song, are one of those bands.   -Jimmy   For more information visit www.meandthekid.com Me And The Kid - Shame (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast and receive these songs and reviews automatically  I am a pretty big fan of Black Sabbath. I am an even bigger fan of Black Sabbath covers. See, Black Sabbath, at least early Black Sabbath, were never the best musicians on the block. The stuff was always a bit sloppy. Wow are those songs good though. It is when you hear a tighter band cover a Sabbath song though that it is really mind blowing how good those songs are.  Such might be the case with Shame by Me and the Kid. Let me state first that this is a great song. Not a good song, but a great song. The ?one, two, three? chorus is pretty damn awesome. The way it develops is pretty damn awesome. Most everything about the song on paper is pretty damn awesome. The weak link here is the performance of the song. Two things I can sight right off the bat are the vocals and the percussion. At times the percussionist tries to get a little bit too much of a lazy jazzy laid back feel to the detriment of the song because it really just comes off as sloppy. The vocals too, well, I have never been a fan of affectation in vocals. There really isn?t much affectation in the vocals but when it is there it is really there and sounds a bit too forced. The really funny part about is that the few times the vocalist does seem to go out of key is when he seems to be pushing this really dramatic singing of his. I must repeat again that this is a great song though. Anyone can practice a Pearl Jam or U2 song until they can?t get it wrong but so few of those same people can actually write a great song. I will take the band that can write a great song over the band that can only play a song great every time and Me and the Kid, at least on this song, are one of those bands.   -Jimmy   For more information visit www.meandthekid.com Me And The Kid - Shame (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast and receive these songs and reviews automatically  tag:odeo.com,2007-04-12,22232869 Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:40:00 -0700 no Volcano Boy music Reviews website boy Bands Singers massachusetts wortown worcester wormtown volcanoboy wooster volcano http://www.odeo.com/episodes/22232870-23-Years-by-OSB Over the past few years, OSB has consistently churned out radio-ready pop songs.  From their first release, the Grey Area, to their well attended live shows, OSB has displayed a polish that is rare in the local clubs. Their song, 23 Years, keeps them on that path. The song follows the mold of a good, pop/rock radio song. 23 Years finds the middle of the road right from the beginning and never loses track. With the exception of a few production moves that I am not fond of (the echoing reverb at phrase endings is a little much for me), this track seems to take you right where you would expect and is executed smoothly. From just listening to 23 Years, I think it is safe to say that you WXLO-heads out there have a local band that can easily compete with your favorite national bands, so go out there and take them as your own while you still can.   --Yeti        For more information visit www.osbband.com     OSB - 23 Years (mp3)  Subscribe to t... Over the past few years, OSB has consistently churned out radio-ready pop songs.  From their first release, the Grey Area, to their well attended live shows, OSB has displayed a polish that is rare in the local clubs. Their song, 23 Years, keeps them on that path. The song follows the mold of a good, pop/rock radio song. 23 Years finds the middle of the road right from the beginning and never loses track. With the exception of a few production moves that I am not fond of (the echoing reverb at phrase endings is a little much for me), this track seems to take you right where you would expect and is executed smoothly. From just listening to 23 Years, I think it is safe to say that you WXLO-heads out there have a local band that can easily compete with your favorite national bands, so go out there and take them as your own while you still can.   --Yeti        For more information visit www.osbband.com     OSB - 23 Years (mp3)  Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast and receive these songs and reviews automatically Over the past few years, OSB has consistently churned out radio-ready pop songs.  From their first release, the Grey Area, to their well attended live shows, OSB has displayed a polish that is rare in the local clubs. Their song, 23 Years, keeps them on that path. The song follows the mold of a good, pop/rock radio song. 23 Years finds the middle of the road right from the beginning and never loses track. With the exception of a few production moves that I am not fond of (the echoing reverb at phrase endings is a little much for me), this track seems to take you right where you would expect and is executed smoothly. From just listening to 23 Years, I think it is safe to say that you WXLO-heads out there have a local band that can easily compete with your favorite national bands, so go out there and take them as your own while you still can.   --Yeti        For more information visit www.osbband.com     OSB - 23 Years (mp3)  Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast and receive these songs and reviews automatically tag:odeo.com,2007-04-11,22232870 Wed, 11 Apr 2007 09:03:56 -0700 no Volcano Boy music Reviews website boy Bands Singers massachusetts wortown worcester wormtown volcanoboy wooster volcano http://www.odeo.com/episodes/22232871-And-Sang-P-by-Bovachevo Hopefully, someone on the Bovachevo team has sent their material to every videogame developer and every producer of those crotch-busting, X Games-style skateboarding and motocross videos I see on television now and then.  Bovachevo's instrumental track "And Sang P" is a two minute and fifteen second tantrum of shifting time signatures (or maybe they don't shift, what do I know), pounding drums and repetitive, crunchy guitar riffs with a dissonant, spidery guitar solo circling above the whole affair; it would be g reat background music for some violent video game or a movie chase scene.  If forced to use the standard music review cliché "this band sounds like so-and-so met so-and-so and did something" I'd say they sound like The Dillinger Escape Plan met my second grade piano teacher.  I'm not sure what they did, but my piano teacher was a stickler for practicing scales, and Bovachevo is nothing if not proficient in repetitive riffs.  I'd compare this song to a ro... Hopefully, someone on the Bovachevo team has sent their material to every videogame developer and every producer of those crotch-busting, X Games-style skateboarding and motocross videos I see on television now and then.  Bovachevo's instrumental track "And Sang P" is a two minute and fifteen second tantrum of shifting time signatures (or maybe they don't shift, what do I know), pounding drums and repetitive, crunchy guitar riffs with a dissonant, spidery guitar solo circling above the whole affair; it would be g reat background music for some violent video game or a movie chase scene.  If forced to use the standard music review cliché "this band sounds like so-and-so met so-and-so and did something" I'd say they sound like The Dillinger Escape Plan met my second grade piano teacher.  I'm not sure what they did, but my piano teacher was a stickler for practicing scales, and Bovachevo is nothing if not proficient in repetitive riffs.  I'd compare this song to a roller coaster, but it would be a roller coaster that takes you on a crazy ride and then drops you off outside the amusement park instead of back where you started, leaving your girlfriend standing next to the ticket booth by herself, holding your drippy ice cream and wondering where the hell you went.  While you wander the parking lot and search your pockets for your ticket stub so you can get back in, some sinister Bovachevo-style carnie hits on your girlfriend, telling her he was sure he saw you leave with another girl.  Flog the metaphor?  I think I'm done.   Hold my corndog, honey, I'm going for another ride. ~Sagacious C       For more information visit: www.myspace.com/bovachevo Bovachevo - And Sang P (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast and recieve these songs and reviews automatically Hopefully, someone on the Bovachevo team has sent their material to every videogame developer and every producer of those crotch-busting, X Games-style skateboarding and motocross videos I see on television now and then.  Bovachevo's instrumental track "And Sang P" is a two minute and fifteen second tantrum of shifting time signatures (or maybe they don't shift, what do I know), pounding drums and repetitive, crunchy guitar riffs with a dissonant, spidery guitar solo circling above the whole affair; it would be g reat background music for some violent video game or a movie chase scene.  If forced to use the standard music review cliché "this band sounds like so-and-so met so-and-so and did something" I'd say they sound like The Dillinger Escape Plan met my second grade piano teacher.  I'm not sure what they did, but my piano teacher was a stickler for practicing scales, and Bovachevo is nothing if not proficient in repetitive riffs.  I'd compare this song to a roller coaster, but it would be a roller coaster that takes you on a crazy ride and then drops you off outside the amusement park instead of back where you started, leaving your girlfriend standing next to the ticket booth by herself, holding your drippy ice cream and wondering where the hell you went.  While you wander the parking lot and search your pockets for your ticket stub so you can get back in, some sinister Bovachevo-style carnie hits on your girlfriend, telling her he was sure he saw you leave with another girl.  Flog the metaphor?  I think I'm done.   Hold my corndog, honey, I'm going for another ride. ~Sagacious C       For more information visit: www.myspace.com/bovachevo Bovachevo - And Sang P (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast and recieve these songs and reviews automatically tag:odeo.com,2007-04-10,22232871 Tue, 10 Apr 2007 15:26:41 -0700 no Volcano Boy music Reviews website boy Bands Singers massachusetts wortown worcester wormtown volcanoboy wooster volcano http://www.odeo.com/episodes/22232872-Better-and-Better-by-Lisa-Lawrence When I was approached by Volcano Boy to write these one song reviews, I made a promise to myself to not hold back; to be as honest as possible. So here it goes. Better and Better by Lisa Lawrence needs to get just that. Harmonically and instrumentally, this song is just fine. I really like the synth accents that really make the song jump at you when you first listen. Melodically and vocally, this songs suffers. Performance problems abound as Ms. Lawrence struggles to keep up rhythmically and her pitch is all over the place. The chorus, what should be the main hook of this song, is nearly stifled by the singers inability to catch her breath and stay in time. Looking beyond the performance, this song still does little for me. Ms. Lawrence is trying her damnedest to cram in as many syllables as possible into three minutes. This causes the melody to lose it's arch, it's bite. The song becomes a jumbled ramble that loses sight of its original intent. There is a good base here and... When I was approached by Volcano Boy to write these one song reviews, I made a promise to myself to not hold back; to be as honest as possible. So here it goes. Better and Better by Lisa Lawrence needs to get just that. Harmonically and instrumentally, this song is just fine. I really like the synth accents that really make the song jump at you when you first listen. Melodically and vocally, this songs suffers. Performance problems abound as Ms. Lawrence struggles to keep up rhythmically and her pitch is all over the place. The chorus, what should be the main hook of this song, is nearly stifled by the singers inability to catch her breath and stay in time. Looking beyond the performance, this song still does little for me. Ms. Lawrence is trying her damnedest to cram in as many syllables as possible into three minutes. This causes the melody to lose it's arch, it's bite. The song becomes a jumbled ramble that loses sight of its original intent. There is a good base here and some good ideas, but the overzealous Ms. Lawrence took this songs a few steps too far. With some reigning in, her songwriting could develop nicely. --Yeti       for more information visit www.lisalawrencerocks.com Lisa Lawrence - Better and Better (mp3)   Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast and recieve these songs and reviews automatically When I was approached by Volcano Boy to write these one song reviews, I made a promise to myself to not hold back; to be as honest as possible. So here it goes. Better and Better by Lisa Lawrence needs to get just that. Harmonically and instrumentally, this song is just fine. I really like the synth accents that really make the song jump at you when you first listen. Melodically and vocally, this songs suffers. Performance problems abound as Ms. Lawrence struggles to keep up rhythmically and her pitch is all over the place. The chorus, what should be the main hook of this song, is nearly stifled by the singers inability to catch her breath and stay in time. Looking beyond the performance, this song still does little for me. Ms. Lawrence is trying her damnedest to cram in as many syllables as possible into three minutes. This causes the melody to lose it's arch, it's bite. The song becomes a jumbled ramble that loses sight of its original intent. There is a good base here and some good ideas, but the overzealous Ms. Lawrence took this songs a few steps too far. With some reigning in, her songwriting could develop nicely. --Yeti       for more information visit www.lisalawrencerocks.com Lisa Lawrence - Better and Better (mp3)   Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast and recieve these songs and reviews automatically tag:odeo.com,2007-03-16,22232872 Fri, 16 Mar 2007 07:33:24 -0700 no Volcano Boy music Reviews website boy Bands Singers massachusetts wortown worcester wormtown volcanoboy wooster volcano http://www.odeo.com/episodes/22232873-Sudafed-Maker-039-s-Mark-by-Preacher-Roe Preacher Roe has a great little ditty on their myspace page entitled "Roadside Crosses". Its dark, low-fi twang really puts my imagination into an uproar. The song really stuck with me. Its simplistic perfection haunted me all day. Each note evoking images of Jack Daniel's fueled revolver-ridden road trips. Needless to say, I dug the song. Unfortunately, the kind folks in charge didn’t ask me to review that song. No kind reader, I was left with the unenviable task of trying to find something to write about "Sudafed & Maker's Mark". Stripped of all the charms that made Crosses so enthralling, S&M, does everything that can be expected of a song on its most basic levels. It begins, it ends, and does seemingly everything in its power to avoid anything interesting in-between. It’s an upbeat little number with the fidelity and attack reminiscent of Murmur era REM. But truth be told, the whole thing just seems unfinished. I have no doubt that... Preacher Roe has a great little ditty on their myspace page entitled "Roadside Crosses". Its dark, low-fi twang really puts my imagination into an uproar. The song really stuck with me. Its simplistic perfection haunted me all day. Each note evoking images of Jack Daniel's fueled revolver-ridden road trips. Needless to say, I dug the song. Unfortunately, the kind folks in charge didn’t ask me to review that song. No kind reader, I was left with the unenviable task of trying to find something to write about "Sudafed & Maker's Mark". Stripped of all the charms that made Crosses so enthralling, S&M, does everything that can be expected of a song on its most basic levels. It begins, it ends, and does seemingly everything in its power to avoid anything interesting in-between. It’s an upbeat little number with the fidelity and attack reminiscent of Murmur era REM. But truth be told, the whole thing just seems unfinished. I have no doubt that there is a cool song in here somewhere. What I’ve viewed as a failed experiment in upbeat pop, could very well be a successful expedition into jangily blandness, if the song writing aptitude shown in Crosses is any indication. Preacher Roe is certainly in control on its own whiskey-driven destiny, but it is difficult to believe anyone would set out to write anything that screamed “full length album filler” as much as this tedious track does. By all means check these guys out, they definitely have a lot to offer. But tread carefully if you stumble upon this track, and take the title as a warning – because Sudafed & Maker's Mark just ain’t good for you. -- Michael Mars Jr. For more information visit www.myspace.com/preacherroe Preacher Roe - Sudafed & Maker's Mark (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast here Preacher Roe has a great little ditty on their myspace page entitled "Roadside Crosses". Its dark, low-fi twang really puts my imagination into an uproar. The song really stuck with me. Its simplistic perfection haunted me all day. Each note evoking images of Jack Daniel's fueled revolver-ridden road trips. Needless to say, I dug the song. Unfortunately, the kind folks in charge didn’t ask me to review that song. No kind reader, I was left with the unenviable task of trying to find something to write about "Sudafed & Maker's Mark". Stripped of all the charms that made Crosses so enthralling, S&M, does everything that can be expected of a song on its most basic levels. It begins, it ends, and does seemingly everything in its power to avoid anything interesting in-between. It’s an upbeat little number with the fidelity and attack reminiscent of Murmur era REM. But truth be told, the whole thing just seems unfinished. I have no doubt that there is a cool song in here somewhere. What I’ve viewed as a failed experiment in upbeat pop, could very well be a successful expedition into jangily blandness, if the song writing aptitude shown in Crosses is any indication. Preacher Roe is certainly in control on its own whiskey-driven destiny, but it is difficult to believe anyone would set out to write anything that screamed “full length album filler” as much as this tedious track does. By all means check these guys out, they definitely have a lot to offer. But tread carefully if you stumble upon this track, and take the title as a warning – because Sudafed & Maker's Mark just ain’t good for you. -- Michael Mars Jr. For more information visit www.myspace.com/preacherroe Preacher Roe - Sudafed & Maker's Mark (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast here tag:odeo.com,2007-03-11,22232873 Sun, 11 Mar 2007 20:00:00 -0700 no Volcano Boy music Reviews website boy Bands Singers massachusetts wortown worcester wormtown volcanoboy wooster volcano http://www.odeo.com/episodes/22232874-You-Say-by-Lusting-Kay When the MP3 of Lusting Kay’s “You Say” was emailed to me, I listened to the first few seconds of the fuzzy guitar riff and stuttering drums that open the song and hit pause, searching my huge, pulsating brain for songs it reminded me of from days of yore, or maybe olden times.  I landed on Smackmelon’s eponymous 1994 EP on Cherrydisc Records.  I love that record.  I'm not sure what I heard on this MP3 that reminded me of it, and as I listened to the rest of “You Say” I quickly forgot about Smackmelon and instead remembered the time my mother made quiche when company was coming over and forgot to put in the eggs. I'm not making that up.  She put empty pie crusts in the oven to bake, and only when she opened the oven door to check on them did she realize that she'd left the filling in a bowl on the counter.  Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with empty pie crusts, but when people are expecting quiche, ... When the MP3 of Lusting Kay’s “You Say” was emailed to me, I listened to the first few seconds of the fuzzy guitar riff and stuttering drums that open the song and hit pause, searching my huge, pulsating brain for songs it reminded me of from days of yore, or maybe olden times.  I landed on Smackmelon’s eponymous 1994 EP on Cherrydisc Records.  I love that record.  I'm not sure what I heard on this MP3 that reminded me of it, and as I listened to the rest of “You Say” I quickly forgot about Smackmelon and instead remembered the time my mother made quiche when company was coming over and forgot to put in the eggs. I'm not making that up.  She put empty pie crusts in the oven to bake, and only when she opened the oven door to check on them did she realize that she'd left the filling in a bowl on the counter.  Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with empty pie crusts, but when people are expecting quiche, empty shells are a disappointment.  “You Say” is clearly a demo, four minutes and ten seconds of distorted guitar, simple melody, some really earnest drumming, and a few backwards cymbal effects for ear candy.  That said, I can’t help but think of it as a good idea for a song instead of an actual song.  The cool ideas are derailed by a lack of solid song structure; I know that following a formula when writing songs sounds like something to be avoided, but if you’re going to reinvent the wheel, you should have a pretty good idea of how wheels are made to begin with.  Several times during the song I get the feeling that I’m listening to a sort of placeholder, a part of the song where there’s just nothing happening.  Maybe the band plans to go back and fill in these barren spots later.  If they do, I’d love to hear the final product.  The drumming is frenetic to the point of distraction, and I would suggest to the drummer that there can be passion in restraint, and that music isn’t only the notes but the spaces between as well.  If this song was shorter by at least a minute and had a real bridge, I’d like it a lot more.  If the bass didn’t mirror the guitar through the entire song I’d like it even more than that, and if the melody was a little more adventurous, I’d ask this song if it maybe wanted to do something later, like see a movie or like, I don’t know, make-out and stuff.  -- Sagacious C   for more information visit www.myspace.com/lustingkay Lusting Kay - You Say (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast here When the MP3 of Lusting Kay’s “You Say” was emailed to me, I listened to the first few seconds of the fuzzy guitar riff and stuttering drums that open the song and hit pause, searching my huge, pulsating brain for songs it reminded me of from days of yore, or maybe olden times.  I landed on Smackmelon’s eponymous 1994 EP on Cherrydisc Records.  I love that record.  I'm not sure what I heard on this MP3 that reminded me of it, and as I listened to the rest of “You Say” I quickly forgot about Smackmelon and instead remembered the time my mother made quiche when company was coming over and forgot to put in the eggs. I'm not making that up.  She put empty pie crusts in the oven to bake, and only when she opened the oven door to check on them did she realize that she'd left the filling in a bowl on the counter.  Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with empty pie crusts, but when people are expecting quiche, empty shells are a disappointment.  “You Say” is clearly a demo, four minutes and ten seconds of distorted guitar, simple melody, some really earnest drumming, and a few backwards cymbal effects for ear candy.  That said, I can’t help but think of it as a good idea for a song instead of an actual song.  The cool ideas are derailed by a lack of solid song structure; I know that following a formula when writing songs sounds like something to be avoided, but if you’re going to reinvent the wheel, you should have a pretty good idea of how wheels are made to begin with.  Several times during the song I get the feeling that I’m listening to a sort of placeholder, a part of the song where there’s just nothing happening.  Maybe the band plans to go back and fill in these barren spots later.  If they do, I’d love to hear the final product.  The drumming is frenetic to the point of distraction, and I would suggest to the drummer that there can be passion in restraint, and that music isn’t only the notes but the spaces between as well.  If this song was shorter by at least a minute and had a real bridge, I’d like it a lot more.  If the bass didn’t mirror the guitar through the entire song I’d like it even more than that, and if the melody was a little more adventurous, I’d ask this song if it maybe wanted to do something later, like see a movie or like, I don’t know, make-out and stuff.  -- Sagacious C   for more information visit www.myspace.com/lustingkay Lusting Kay - You Say (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast here tag:odeo.com,2007-03-02,22232874 Fri, 02 Mar 2007 07:51:58 -0800 no Volcano Boy music Reviews website boy Bands Singers massachusetts wortown worcester wormtown volcanoboy wooster volcano http://www.odeo.com/episodes/22232875-Requiem-for-Rebirth-by-Snow-Ghost WTF? Okay as bizarre as this is going to sound, imagine one night Mark E Smith (of The Fall) is out at the club. You know, he’s raising the roof and he bumps into none other than Lil’ John. They talk and decide they have a lot in common, and they hit it off. They go back to Lil’s studio, make mad passionate crunk love and Requiem for Rebirth is what pops out nine months later.  This is original, and it is original in the same way Beck achieves originality by taking styles no one would ever think of combining and putting them together. Does it work here? For shear novelties sake I am going to say it does. It’s the kind of thing you link to your friends, specifically if they are fans of The Fall and say, “listen to this absurdity.”I will download this and keep it on my shuffle just so it will come up and make me smile. I am not sure if the aim here is to try and be funny or not but this song most definitely is funny.  I would love to hear ... WTF? Okay as bizarre as this is going to sound, imagine one night Mark E Smith (of The Fall) is out at the club. You know, he’s raising the roof and he bumps into none other than Lil’ John. They talk and decide they have a lot in common, and they hit it off. They go back to Lil’s studio, make mad passionate crunk love and Requiem for Rebirth is what pops out nine months later.  This is original, and it is original in the same way Beck achieves originality by taking styles no one would ever think of combining and putting them together. Does it work here? For shear novelties sake I am going to say it does. It’s the kind of thing you link to your friends, specifically if they are fans of The Fall and say, “listen to this absurdity.”I will download this and keep it on my shuffle just so it will come up and make me smile. I am not sure if the aim here is to try and be funny or not but this song most definitely is funny.  I would love to hear the actual thought process behind this song and find out exactly what Snow Ghost was trying to accomplish here. I cannot really understand what is being said, which kind of adds to the mouth droppedness of the whole thing.  What is a requiem for rebirth you may ask? Well it might be “a bloody thirsty musical holocaust satanic revival of the uptight”, which is cool I guess. I mean it’s probably about time for a bloody satanic musical holocaust. My weekend is wide-open Mr. The Snow Ghost. Hit me up. ---Jimmy O       for more information visit www.myspace.com/thesnowghost Snow Ghost - Requiem for Rebirth (mp3)  Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast here WTF? Okay as bizarre as this is going to sound, imagine one night Mark E Smith (of The Fall) is out at the club. You know, he’s raising the roof and he bumps into none other than Lil’ John. They talk and decide they have a lot in common, and they hit it off. They go back to Lil’s studio, make mad passionate crunk love and Requiem for Rebirth is what pops out nine months later.  This is original, and it is original in the same way Beck achieves originality by taking styles no one would ever think of combining and putting them together. Does it work here? For shear novelties sake I am going to say it does. It’s the kind of thing you link to your friends, specifically if they are fans of The Fall and say, “listen to this absurdity.”I will download this and keep it on my shuffle just so it will come up and make me smile. I am not sure if the aim here is to try and be funny or not but this song most definitely is funny.  I would love to hear the actual thought process behind this song and find out exactly what Snow Ghost was trying to accomplish here. I cannot really understand what is being said, which kind of adds to the mouth droppedness of the whole thing.  What is a requiem for rebirth you may ask? Well it might be “a bloody thirsty musical holocaust satanic revival of the uptight”, which is cool I guess. I mean it’s probably about time for a bloody satanic musical holocaust. My weekend is wide-open Mr. The Snow Ghost. Hit me up. ---Jimmy O       for more information visit www.myspace.com/thesnowghost Snow Ghost - Requiem for Rebirth (mp3)  Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast here tag:odeo.com,2007-02-23,22232875 Fri, 23 Feb 2007 13:12:37 -0800 no Volcano Boy music Reviews website boy Bands Singers massachusetts wortown worcester wormtown volcanoboy wooster volcano http://www.odeo.com/episodes/22232876-Photograph-by-Bean-Pickers-Union Story songs can be real iffy. I find them to be pretty difficult most of the time, with the music and the tale not jiving as one. Chuck Melchin of the Bean Pickers Union has found a nice melding with Photograph. This dark and murky number tells a dark and murky tale of destruction and loss. The eerie, octave piano melody lays the framework for the story, as it lies on top of tremolo drenched rhythm guitar. Melchin is in great voice; confident, yet frail. Photograph falls in line with many story song by the likes of the Band or Neil Young; sparse and disconcerting, yet familiar. Overall, this a well-crafted song that beautifully melds words and music to bring it's story across. -- Yeti     for more information visit www.myspace.com/beanpickersunion Bean Pickers Union - Photograph (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast here Story songs can be real iffy. I find them to be pretty difficult most of the time, with the music and the tale not jiving as one. Chuck Melchin of the Bean Pickers Union has found a nice melding with Photograph. This dark and murky number tells a dark and murky tale of destruction and loss. The eerie, octave piano melody lays the framework for the story, as it lies on top of tremolo drenched rhythm guitar. Melchin is in great voice; confident, yet frail. Photograph falls in line with many story song by the likes of the Band or Neil Young; sparse and disconcerting, yet familiar. Overall, this a well-crafted song that beautifully melds words and music to bring it's story across. -- Yeti     for more information visit www.myspace.com/beanpickersunion Bean Pickers Union - Photograph (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast here Story songs can be real iffy. I find them to be pretty difficult most of the time, with the music and the tale not jiving as one. Chuck Melchin of the Bean Pickers Union has found a nice melding with Photograph. This dark and murky number tells a dark and murky tale of destruction and loss. The eerie, octave piano melody lays the framework for the story, as it lies on top of tremolo drenched rhythm guitar. Melchin is in great voice; confident, yet frail. Photograph falls in line with many story song by the likes of the Band or Neil Young; sparse and disconcerting, yet familiar. Overall, this a well-crafted song that beautifully melds words and music to bring it's story across. -- Yeti     for more information visit www.myspace.com/beanpickersunion Bean Pickers Union - Photograph (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast here tag:odeo.com,2007-02-20,22232876 Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:30:00 -0800 no Volcano Boy music Reviews website boy Bands Singers massachusetts wortown worcester wormtown volcanoboy wooster volcano http://www.odeo.com/episodes/22232877-Favorite-Blue-by-Pop So this starts with a nice whispy 70’s style acoustic chord progression and some tasteful lead guitar when suddenly there’s a singer who’s somehow managed to find himself at the bottom of a deep crevasse and I want to throw him a caribiner and a rope. Dude, there’s reverb and then there’s singing from atop a Mayan temple into a canyon. The pre chorus has a really nice melody reminiscent of 60’s psychedelic country that goes smoothly into a Shins type chorus. An obviously good lead guitarist is an asset and the jazzy solo in the middle works but the noodling between every phrase in the verse is like that slab of pasty bun in the middle of my otherwise delicious big mac. The singer has a slightly frail voice which does not detract but trying to make it sound like Thor is sending us proclamations from Asgard might be the wrong way to go. I didn’t mind this tune though and would like to hear more. --Sally for more information visit www.myspace.c... So this starts with a nice whispy 70’s style acoustic chord progression and some tasteful lead guitar when suddenly there’s a singer who’s somehow managed to find himself at the bottom of a deep crevasse and I want to throw him a caribiner and a rope. Dude, there’s reverb and then there’s singing from atop a Mayan temple into a canyon. The pre chorus has a really nice melody reminiscent of 60’s psychedelic country that goes smoothly into a Shins type chorus. An obviously good lead guitarist is an asset and the jazzy solo in the middle works but the noodling between every phrase in the verse is like that slab of pasty bun in the middle of my otherwise delicious big mac. The singer has a slightly frail voice which does not detract but trying to make it sound like Thor is sending us proclamations from Asgard might be the wrong way to go. I didn’t mind this tune though and would like to hear more. --Sally for more information visit www.myspace.com/thisbandcalledpop Pop - Favorite Blue (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast here So this starts with a nice whispy 70’s style acoustic chord progression and some tasteful lead guitar when suddenly there’s a singer who’s somehow managed to find himself at the bottom of a deep crevasse and I want to throw him a caribiner and a rope. Dude, there’s reverb and then there’s singing from atop a Mayan temple into a canyon. The pre chorus has a really nice melody reminiscent of 60’s psychedelic country that goes smoothly into a Shins type chorus. An obviously good lead guitarist is an asset and the jazzy solo in the middle works but the noodling between every phrase in the verse is like that slab of pasty bun in the middle of my otherwise delicious big mac. The singer has a slightly frail voice which does not detract but trying to make it sound like Thor is sending us proclamations from Asgard might be the wrong way to go. I didn’t mind this tune though and would like to hear more. --Sally for more information visit www.myspace.com/thisbandcalledpop Pop - Favorite Blue (mp3) Subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast here tag:odeo.com,2007-02-16,22232877 Fri, 16 Feb 2007 21:00:00 -0800 no Volcano Boy music Reviews website boy Bands Singers massachusetts wortown worcester wormtown volcanoboy wooster volcano http://www.odeo.com/episodes/22232878-Foggy-Notion-by-Craig The first thing that comes to mind when hearing this song is 90?s MOR. Think Live, The Counting Crows, The Wallflowers, Fuel, and Tonic, stuff like that. The song starts out with this really cool kind of swirling guitar, which is pretty interesting until this bouncy kick drum comes in that kind of changes the feel of the original guitar intro. I think it?s more on what beat it comes in on that does this, than the kick itself. Now here come the vocals, which is where we will spend most of this review. I don?t believe this is this guy?s actual sincere real voice. He sounds exactly like someone and whom that is escapes me at the moment. It?s not the tone but the way he is phrasing and the way he is annunciating the words. Use your real voice dude. If you can sing like whatever 90?s joker you are trying to sound like than you can sound like yourself. Find your own voice. All in all this is a very passable song though if you are a fan of this type of thing. I am actually intrigued by Cra... The first thing that comes to mind when hearing this song is 90?s MOR. Think Live, The Counting Crows, The Wallflowers, Fuel, and Tonic, stuff like that. The song starts out with this really cool kind of swirling guitar, which is pretty interesting until this bouncy kick drum comes in that kind of changes the feel of the original guitar intro. I think it?s more on what beat it comes in on that does this, than the kick itself. Now here come the vocals, which is where we will spend most of this review. I don?t believe this is this guy?s actual sincere real voice. He sounds exactly like someone and whom that is escapes me at the moment. It?s not the tone but the way he is phrasing and the way he is annunciating the words. Use your real voice dude. If you can sing like whatever 90?s joker you are trying to sound like than you can sound like yourself. Find your own voice. All in all this is a very passable song though if you are a fan of this type of thing. I am actually intrigued by Craig after hearing this song because it is not at all what I thought they sounded like. This song will actually get me out to see them which I guess is the idea. Once again, nothing earth shattering here, pretty middle of the road, but just as good as anything else that has good major label marketing behind it, or at least as good as anything that had major label marketing behind it in 1996.  --Jimmy O     for more information visit www.craig2000.com Craig - Foggy Notion (mp3) subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast here  The first thing that comes to mind when hearing this song is 90?s MOR. Think Live, The Counting Crows, The Wallflowers, Fuel, and Tonic, stuff like that. The song starts out with this really cool kind of swirling guitar, which is pretty interesting until this bouncy kick drum comes in that kind of changes the feel of the original guitar intro. I think it?s more on what beat it comes in on that does this, than the kick itself. Now here come the vocals, which is where we will spend most of this review. I don?t believe this is this guy?s actual sincere real voice. He sounds exactly like someone and whom that is escapes me at the moment. It?s not the tone but the way he is phrasing and the way he is annunciating the words. Use your real voice dude. If you can sing like whatever 90?s joker you are trying to sound like than you can sound like yourself. Find your own voice. All in all this is a very passable song though if you are a fan of this type of thing. I am actually intrigued by Craig after hearing this song because it is not at all what I thought they sounded like. This song will actually get me out to see them which I guess is the idea. Once again, nothing earth shattering here, pretty middle of the road, but just as good as anything else that has good major label marketing behind it, or at least as good as anything that had major label marketing behind it in 1996.  --Jimmy O     for more information visit www.craig2000.com Craig - Foggy Notion (mp3) subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast here  tag:odeo.com,2007-02-16,22232878 Fri, 16 Feb 2007 06:43:25 -0800 no Volcano Boy music Reviews website boy Bands Singers massachusetts wortown worcester wormtown volcanoboy wooster volcano http://www.odeo.com/episodes/22232879-Luv-by-Houston-Bernard OK, so we’ve got some noisy blips and beats into a pretty piano riff with some bluesy type vocals. Think Ben Harper meets a Cure progression with a stick up its ass - seriously, that’s one stiff programmed drum beat. The one note chorus is a cool idea and Houston’s got a decent voice but the falsetto at the end of each one makes me want to murder small and infirm children. Like the intro there are distorted blips and percussive things floating in and out that sound like they were a good idea at 3:30 am after some PBR’s and a good spliff but sound tacked on. Synthesized keys add to the cheese but there is some potential here. The drums dropping in and out work well to create a mood, the baroque arrangement is interesting and the melody carries you forward, although I feel there’s some sort of climax that never happens. You know, it could be the soundtrack to the girl looking wistfully out of the bus window as she leaves her summer love to return to the d... OK, so we’ve got some noisy blips and beats into a pretty piano riff with some bluesy type vocals. Think Ben Harper meets a Cure progression with a stick up its ass - seriously, that’s one stiff programmed drum beat. The one note chorus is a cool idea and Houston’s got a decent voice but the falsetto at the end of each one makes me want to murder small and infirm children. Like the intro there are distorted blips and percussive things floating in and out that sound like they were a good idea at 3:30 am after some PBR’s and a good spliff but sound tacked on. Synthesized keys add to the cheese but there is some potential here. The drums dropping in and out work well to create a mood, the baroque arrangement is interesting and the melody carries you forward, although I feel there’s some sort of climax that never happens. You know, it could be the soundtrack to the girl looking wistfully out of the bus window as she leaves her summer love to return to the drudgery of junior year. --Sally         for more information visit www.myspace.com/houstonbernardlover Houston Bernard - Luv (mp3)   subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast here OK, so we’ve got some noisy blips and beats into a pretty piano riff with some bluesy type vocals. Think Ben Harper meets a Cure progression with a stick up its ass - seriously, that’s one stiff programmed drum beat. The one note chorus is a cool idea and Houston’s got a decent voice but the falsetto at the end of each one makes me want to murder small and infirm children. Like the intro there are distorted blips and percussive things floating in and out that sound like they were a good idea at 3:30 am after some PBR’s and a good spliff but sound tacked on. Synthesized keys add to the cheese but there is some potential here. The drums dropping in and out work well to create a mood, the baroque arrangement is interesting and the melody carries you forward, although I feel there’s some sort of climax that never happens. You know, it could be the soundtrack to the girl looking wistfully out of the bus window as she leaves her summer love to return to the drudgery of junior year. --Sally         for more information visit www.myspace.com/houstonbernardlover Houston Bernard - Luv (mp3)   subscribe to the One Song Review Podcast here tag:odeo.com,2007-02-15,22232879 Thu, 15 Feb 2007 07:50:00 -0800 no Volcano Boy music Reviews website boy Bands Singers massachusetts wortown worcester wormtown volcanoboy wooster volcano