Anya M. Wassenberg's Blog: Art & Culture Maven, page 76

CD Review: Rich Lerner & the Groove - PUSH ON THRU (Independent, May 5, 2017)

CD Review:
Rich Lerner and The Groove - PUSH ON THRU
(Independent, May 5, 2017)
• Stream on Spotify
• Buy on CDBaby

This latest from North Carolina band Rich Lerner and The Groove continues in the Southern-tinged rock vein the band has been plumbing for many years and through many releases. With a flair for hook-laden songwriting and the tight playing that give it an instant likability factor.

Push On Thru, the title track, has a bit of a country swing, with twangy guitar lines and lyrics about just keeping on.

There's a little bit of glory on the avenue
Ya we're gonna drive it, that's what we're gonna do
We're gonna push on thru

The songs cover life and love from a working man's perspective, something that the band's local following no doubt connect with. She Kept My Room Warm is another track that leans towards country rock, with a wry, down to earth message about relationships. It's Always Something turns to classic rock for inspiration, with a nice guitar solo in the middle.

Lord Have Mercy is one of the stand out tracks. The band's easy groove translates perfectly into the retro vibe of the song. They've had largely the same personnel for the past several years and you can hear that loose/tight swing in the music.

Love Monkey is another interesting song with a stripped down, bluesy feel that layers in a wailing steel pedal together with a prominent bass riff and inventive drumming. The lyrics mine the well worn territory of love with insight and hard earned wisdom.

I stumble to submission
I'm falling through the cracks
Should've seen it coming
Like a full on freight train running
Got this monkey on my back

Soul Sistah is a radio friendly song in a mournful minor key that sticks in your head.

Back in the 1990s, Rich recorded and released four solo albums on the Rockduster label. Since 2000 Rich Lerner and The Groove have released four more albums on their own Freethemusic label. As longtime members of the community, the band founded their own annual Groove Jam Music Festival to benefit their local homeless shelter and food bank. The festival has been running since 2012.

If you're looking for solid rocking blues with a dash of country played with an upbeat groove, this is your album.

Personnel:
Rich Lerner - guitar & vocals; Sammy Smith - guitar & vocals; Craig Pannell bass & vocals; Sam Seawell - drums; Bob Sykes- pedal steel & guitar; Steve Taub - keyboards

Websites:
FREETHEMUSIC.US
GROOVEJAMGREENSBORO.COM

It's a blurry live video, but the sound is not bad on Lord Have Mercy

Rock Review: Chrystyna Marie - LIFE (Independent - July 24, 2017)

Rock Review:
Chrystyna Marie - LIFE
(Independent - July 24, 2017)
• Buy the CD

LIFE is the solo debut release from Chrystyna Marie, a full length album full of rock and blues hooks. Chrystyna says she's inspired as much by classics as contemporary singers and musicians, from Janis Joplin, Ottis Redding and Etta James to Selena and Christina Aguilera. Born in Toronto, Canada, she now makes her home in Los Angeles.

I Want That Boom Boom, the lead single, is a straight ahead driving rocker with her strong, clear voice threading through the heavy guitar licks. Chrystyna attacks vocal duties with a strong rhythmic sense and while she has the obvious control of a trained and experienced vocalist, she knows when to let a sense of abandon take over, as in the bouncy, bluesy Devil The Angel Eyes.



She's been active in the music industry since the age of 18, when she began as a demo singer on indie label. She's also an actress, and has appeared in local community plays like West Side Story as Maria and Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, along with accumulating a long list of smaller roles in music videos, and TV. She was the lead singer in an LA founded pop group called Greencat.

Mr. Insecurity, the second single, is a torchy ode to Mr. Wrong, with some nice guitar riffs from David Gavin Baxter. Stylistically, she takes from the rock/blues/classic rock genre, but adds polished vocals and harmonies that create a different effect - more sophisticated and urban. Special props to drummer Michelle Josef, who provides not only solid beats but some impressive fills.

She covers the old blues classic Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out. It's a version that plumbs the vocal virtuosity rather than the bluesy irony inherent in the lyrics. If that's the one critique I'd make, it's that the vocals are a little too polished for truly convincing blues expression.

Chrystyna sounds more at home on A Woman Knows, an original song about...well you can pretty much guess. It's always about that damn man, but here she really connects with the sense of the song. Mama's Blues goes into a traditional 12-bar blues mode, her vocals alternating between sultry and strident. It's one of the stand out tracks on the release.

If you're into rock and blues with a polish rather than an edge, this is a release you'll want to dig into.

Personnel: Artist: Chrystyna Marie; Bazil Donovan: Bass; Michelle Josef: Drums and Percussion; Jason Sniderman: Piano, organ, guitar; David Gavin Baxter:  Guitars, Banjo, keyboards and percussion; Paul Reddick: Harmonica; Jim McGrath: Trumpet; Philip Oleksiak: Background Vocals; Joanna Medeiros: Background Vocals

Tracklisting:
1)  I Want That Boom Boom
2)  Devil With The Angel Eyes
3)  Mr.  Insecurity
4) The Witching Hour
5) Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
6)  Stop Stoppin' Myself
7)  A Woman Knows
8) MaMa's Blues

Websites:
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/chrystynamariemusic
Soundcloud:  www.soundcloud.com/chrystynamariemusic
Twitter:  Chrystynamarie
Instagram:  Theonlychrys

Prog Rock Review: Jacqui L - PLANET PARALLEL 5 (Independent - 5 May 2017)

Review:
Jacqui L - PLANET PARALLEL 5
(Independent - 5 May 2017)
• Buy the CD

Prog Rock gets a bad rap these days, but in this era of canned and pre-packaged music created to play well to marketing research, maybe a return to virtuosity and imaginative theatricality is in order.

PLANET PARALLEL 5 is that rare of beasts, a concept album. Jacqui L is a character, an alien scorpion-like creature from the planet PP5, known as Planet Parallel 5ians by its inhabitants, if we are to take Jacqui L at her word. Jacqui L only knows about Earthlings from TV shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians and The Simpsons.

The results are quite interesting. Happy Birthday, the lead track, is a spooky, alien-esque little ditty, featuring sweet, high vocals with a weirdly dissonant chorus that swings right into the next track, Frankenstein. She's got an eccentric sense of instrumentation that works nicely with the theme.

Alice Cooper is the only obvious comparison in terms of the cemetery inspiration, but his delivery was decidedly more bombastic seventies rock. Jacqui L veers into the classically inspired territory of progrock confidently, using complicated keyboard lines and orchestral arrangements, but still with an insistent rhythmic drive. She goes for haunting and ethereal as opposed to bombastic.

Scared to throw my eggs in your basket
Shocked at how wrong I could be...

is the odd refrain to the song Frankenstein.



Jacqui L is based in Sydney, Australia. Vocally, she has a lovely, soft soprano voice that floats effortlessly and dreamily above the complicated texture of the music. Vocals are low key rather than strident, weaving into the music rather than rising on top of it. Some of the lyrics offer social commentary - from the alien point of view, naturally.

From Rich Man,

Keep them sick,
Keep them stupid,
Inside your machines...

I'll Covet is a stand out track, opening with a syncopated rhythm that breaks into a jazzy, contemplative song. It's quite compelling.



Decaying Orbit has a dancey, almost disco feel, with an insistent synthy beat underneath it all. Could Be is probably the most conventional track, a rock ballad with a seductive and hypnotic beat. Distraction is another languid, trippy song with an interesting rhythmic complexity.

Forget the labels - if you're into imaginative and melodic music that's out of the ordinary, you'll want to give it a listen.

Personnel:
All songs written by Jacqui L; All vocals and keys - Jacqui L; Produced/drums/percussion - Joe Accaria; Produced/guitars/engineered and mixed - Marty Hailey; Bass on all tracks (except Rich Man and Could Be) - Dave Symes; Bass on Rich Man and Could Be - James Haselwood


Tracklisting:
1. Happy Birthday
2. Frankenstein
3. Rich Man
4. I'll Covet
5. Cold
6. Decaying Orbit
7. Under the Noise
8. Could Be
9. Stroke It
10. Distraction

Websites
http://www.jacquil.com/
https://www.facebook.com/PlanetParallel5/

Review: Freddie Nelson - Shake The Cage (Independent - July 7 2017)

Review:
Freddie Nelson - Shake The Cage
(Independent - July 7, 2017)
• Buy the CD

Shake The Cage is the first solo effort by veteran Pittsburgh, PA musician, composer, and producer Freddie Nelson.

Turn You On, the first track, sets the tone with hard driving guitar and a punk rock vibe, with sonic hooks to keep the ear entertained, and flashes of clever phrasing.

I wanna turn you on
Instead of working it out...

Freddie's guitar playing turns seamlessly from minimalist hard rock power chords to nimble melodic riffs. Hey Doll, the first single, veers into pop rock territory with a catchy melody and chorus. Seventies influences are abundant on the release, along with shades of Eighties and Nineties power rock.



Vocally, his literature compares him (several times) to Freddy Mercury, but I'd say he might be a bit closer to Ian Astbury of The Cult fame in terms of tone and sound, especially on tracks like All Night Long. He's said to have a four-octave range; certainly, he has range, power, and fluidity.

It's not surprising. Freddie first took the stage as an 11 year-old in his native Pittsburgh. After establishing himself as a working musician, Guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer Freddie Nelson caught the attention of renowned guitarist Paul Gilbert (Racer X, Mr. Big) in 2009 and collaborated on an album titled United States. It was released on Mascot Records and the two toured Japan and Europe in support of the CD.

Freddie began work on Shake The Cage, his first solo effort, in 2015. He does all the writing and producing on the album, along with all of the musical and vocal performances, with the exception of drums performed by the legendary Thomas Lang (Peter Gabriel, Kelly Clarkson, John Wetton, among others).

Light is definitely inspired by Freddy Mercury and Queen, and he does achieve the right sound both musically and vocally. My Girl is a stand up track, sexy and strutting like a good hair rock band from the 1980s.

The Show is one of the album's slower ballads, with a twangy slide guitar lick, a slow waltz time, and a story about the woman who let him go.

The musicianship and vocals are next level, making this a must hear release for punk, rock, or retro metal addicts out there.

Tracklisting:
01.  Turn You On
02.  Hey Doll
03.  Light
04.  Never Fight Alone
05.  Keep Running
06.  Let You Go
07.  My Girl
08.  The Show
09.  All Night Long
10.  Monster In My Room
11.  For Those Who Die

Get Connected:
www.freddienelson.com
www.facebook.com/freddienelsonofficial
www.twitter.com/imfreddienelson
www.instagram.com/freddienelsonofficial
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6StoGBtfxI9DjqUncrvjZQ

Muyonjo Jonah: Art for Change

Muyonjo Jonah: Art for Change
Muyonjo Jonah is an artist living and working in Jinja, Uganda. He works with children, many of whom have lost one or both parents and families to HIV, and some of whom are themselves infected.
Muyonjo Jonah, artistThe art he makes and sells goes towards helping to support them. He also teaches the kids how to make their own creations.
Muyonjo Jonah, artistMuyonjo Ayubu Jonah - or simply Muyonjo Jonah, his artist name - is 27 years old. As he tells the story, he was born of Muyonjo Akhamada and Irene Nakku into a family of seven.
Muyonjo Jonah, artistHe was drawn to art since his childhood. His father was a barber, a craft he also credits with sparking his artistic talents. He's passing on his love for creating art by teaching younger and vulnerable talented youngsters, along with making art for charity .

He's a graduate of the JIPRA-Jinja Progressive Academy SS. Muyonjo works in pastels and paints to create scenes of the world around him, including traditional themes, wildlife, and working people.
Muyonjo Jonah, artistHe's got a lovely technique with colour and composition, with the beauty of Uganda and its people to inspire him.
Muyonjo Jonah, artistSome pieces are stylized and abstracted, with decorative elements, while others are more realistic in their depiction. They all have a really dynamic sense of design.
Muyonjo Jonah, artistMuyonjo works with an NGO called Living Hope Children's Organization, and if you are interested in his paintings, or would like to know more, you can get hold of them through their Facebook page and contact information.

• https://www.facebook.com/livinghopeshildrensorganization/

Muyonjo Jonah, artist Muyonjo Jonah, artist Muyonjo Jonah and friends Muyonjo Jonah, artist Muyonjo Jonah, artist Muyonjo Jonah, artist

Electronic music: ds|fečo - "Jihad du Jour"

With material from a media release:

Electronic music:
ds|fečo - "Jihad du Jour"
ds|fečo was born David Fetcho, and he had this to say about his recent single release:

"In light of the recent spate of deadly attacks by lone wolf, "self-radicalized" extremists—Egypt, Sweden, London, Manchester, London again, Iran, etc., etc.—and all past attacks perpetrated by self-radicalized religious ideologues (the Orlando club attack being one of the worst), I started thinking about how to investigate and interrogate the psychic vulnerabilities of a would be jihadist recruit. As a response, I wrote and recorded this song."

The track is appropriately dissonant and discordant, the vocals harsh, and the lyrics trying to look into the mind of a person who would commit suicide to create destruction.

The problem is that lyrically, he reduces the entire phenomenon of religious extremism to an individual experience of disturbed people making incomprehensible choices. There is obviously an individual experience that occurs each time, but the recurrence of it across time and over many people tells us that there are larger forces at work. In fact, it's the identity with a group that actually prescribes the nature of the attacks by radical extremists.

Reducing the whole thing to,

Will you join their fantasy of desolation,
learn to kill and rape without hesitation?

doesn't tell you anything about the phenomenon at all. Why do such religious extremist groups exist? And why are there so many disaffected people - including those born and raised in the West - who seem to identify with the philosophy? A look at the possible answers - rather than just the questions - would tell you far more about the nature of radical religious extremism.

Fetcho has been working in the music biz for a long time. In 1967, his folk trio in college was signed to Jubilee Records by producer Lou Guarino (Chad and Jeremy, The Skyliners). From 1980 to 1993, he and wife Susan English Fetcho, a choreographer, created and wrote the music to 14 performance pieces that were presented in the San Francisco area, and he's written music for radio and other media. At age 67 he released his debut solo EP called "Watch It Sparkle."

The music works, and the sentiment seems sincere, it's just the idea doesn't get the real exploration he's aiming for in this release.

Websites: 
https://twitter.com/dsfeco

Electronic music: ds|fec?o - "Jihad du Jour"

With material from a media release:

Electronic music:
ds|fec?o - "Jihad du Jour"
dsfeco was born David Fetcho, and he had this to say about his recent single release:

"In light of the recent spate of deadly attacks by lone wolf, "self-radicalized" extremists—Egypt, Sweden, London, Manchester, London again, Iran, etc., etc.—and all past attacks perpetrated by self-radicalized religious ideologues (the Orlando club attack being one of the worst), I started thinking about how to investigate and interrogate the psychic vulnerabilities of a would be jihadist recruit. As a response, I wrote and recorded this song."

The track is appropriately dissonant and discordant, the vocals harsh, and the lyrics trying to look into the mind of a person who would commit suicide to create destruction.

The problem is that lyrically, he reduces the entire phenomenon of religious extremism to an individual experience of disturbed people making incomprehensible choices. There is obviously an individual experience that occurs each time, but the recurrence of it across time and over many people tells us that there are larger forces at work. In fact, it's the identity with a group that actually prescribes the nature of the attacks by radical extremists.

Reducing the whole thing to,

Will you join their fantasy of desolation,
learn to kill and rape without hesitation?

doesn't tell you anything about the phenomenon at all. Why do such religious extremist groups exist? And why are there so many disaffected people - including those born and raised in the West - who seem to identify with the philosophy? A look at the possible answers - rather than just the questions - would tell you far more about the nature of radical religious extremism.

Fetcho has been working in the music biz for a long time. In 1967, his folk trio in college was signed to Jubilee Records by producer Lou Guarino (Chad and Jeremy, The Skyliners). From 1980 to 1993, he and wife Susan English Fetcho, a choreographer, created and wrote the music to 14 performance pieces that were presented in the San Francisco area, and he's written music for radio and other media. At age 67 he released his debut solo EP called "Watch It Sparkle."

The music works, and the sentiment seems sincere, it's just the idea doesn't get the real exploration he's aiming for in this release.

Websites: 
https://twitter.com/dsfeco

Roots Folk Release: Adam Winn EP (Independent - May 6 2017)

Roots Folk Release:
Adam Winn EP
(Independent - May 6, 2017)
• Buy the EP

Resident of Fort St. John, British Columbia, Adam Winn is a firefighter as well as a working musician, and his experiences have given him a real sense of the fragility of life and relationships.

He's a singer songwriter in the folk/country/rock veins, with a nice sense of melody and lyricism that raise it above the usual. Creston tells a classic kind of story about young lovers on a pioneer's quest for a new home. Burnout, the first single, combines poetic lyrics with some nice rhythmic complexity.


So I'll watch you burnout I won't make a soundI had to let goYou were pulling me downI could scream, I could shoutI won't make a soundTill these flames die downTill these flames die down
Adam's voice ranges from a gravelly lower range to a more insistent tenor, with a plaintive cast that lends itself to the music. The songs cover familiar territory from fragile relationships to lifelong love with a well developed sense of melody and songwriting.

The music has a stripped down feel that leaves the spotlight on the stories and emotions of the songs, and Adam's got enough melodic and lyrical hooks to hold your interest through the EP.

Global Beats: Alarma - World Ignition (Independent, November 17 2016)

Global Beats:Alarma - World Ignition(Independent, November 17, 2016)
• Buy the CD on iTunes
• Listen and share via Spotify



Alarma bring the ill-defined realm of world music down to your local bar or college campus with this collection of globally flavoured pop/rock music.

Based in Northeast Los Angeles, California, the band has been interviewed on LA's KPFK and has been featured on a number of internet radio stations across the country. They have been busy delivering their live show at community music festivals, clubs and colleges across California for the past several years.



The new release is their third. Their initial, self-titled EP  consisted largely of Latin rock sung in Spanish. A live performance on Fox 11’s Good Day LA boosted their profile, and they followed up with a self-released full-length album titled Ripe Conditions in 2014.

For their latest release, World Ignition, they delve deeper into the vast range of influences in world music. Fire has an insistent beat reminiscent of West African musical genres.

You'll hear Latin cumbia - Negra Tomasa is a stand out track in that vein, a song stripped to its urgency of feeling and the bouncy cumbia beat - along with reggae, ska, African, and Middle Eastern influences blended into a danceable groove.

Chaingang is a song that wraps up a number of influences inside a classic pop song structure. We Are The Ones includes a message about solidarity in action inside a ska/punk beat. It's a winning blend of elements where the result ends up greater than the sum of its parts.

Alarma band began in their native northeastern Los Angeles as an experimental Latin rock project along the lines of Santana and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, and their signature sound continues to evolve.

On the album:
Pedro Martinez-  lead vocals, guitars, keyboard; Alessandro Morosin- guitars, backup vocals; Richard Esparza: bass (tracks 1-4, 6, 7). Back up vocals track 7; Eduardo Sandoval: drums and percussion (tracks 1,3, 4, 6, 7); Rito Fonseca: drums (track 2 and 5); Ulises Rodriguez: accordion track 8; Track 6 by Guillermo Rodriguez Fiffe (English translation by Pedro Martinez); All other songs by Martinez/Morosin

Stingray Music Celebrates the Musical Talent of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Communities

From a media release:

Stingray Celebrates the Musical Talent of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Communities
Stingray Music partners with Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Native Communications Inc. and First Peoples Radio Inc. to promote Aboriginal music from Canada

Montreal, July 26, 2017 – Stingray is proud to announce a content partnership with Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), Native Communications Inc. (NCI-FM Manitoba) and First Peoples Radio (FPR) in Ottawa and Toronto.

Starting today, all Stingray Music mobile app users can listen to channels featuring contemporary artists from Canada’s First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities curated in collaboration with the experts at APTN and NCI-FM Manitoba.

Two channels, “Aboriginal Music from Canada – Contemporary” and “Aboriginal Music from Canada – Retro” are currently streaming worldwide on the Stingray Music mobile app. Stingray thus maintains and strengthens its position as the only streaming service dedicated to promoting Canadian music from Coast to Coast to Coast, at home and abroad.

• Listen to “Aboriginal Music from Canada – Contemporary”
• Listen to “Aboriginal Music from Canada – Retro”

The Stingray Music mobile app is offered free to all subscribers to a service that carries Stingray Music. The app can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play. The partners expressed their enthusiasm for the new initiative.

“We could not claim to be a truly Canadian music service without promoting the talent of our country’s First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities,” said Mathieu Péloquin, Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Communications of Stingray. “We are truly honoured that APTN, NCI-FM Manitoba, and FPR choose Stingray as a partner to share the vitality of their music with the world.”

“APTN has been, from its inception, a strong proponent and supporter of musical talent in our communities, said Jean La Rose, CEO of APTN and FPR. “When Stingray proposed this partnership, we immediately agreed but asked that NCI be part of this new relationship given their strong involvement in this area as well. Together with FPR, we will work to evolve the opportunity for our musical talent and artists.”

“NCI has a long history, since 1971, of providing exposure and airtime for our musicians and artists”, said Dave McLeod, CEO of NCI Inc.” This partnership with Stingray gives us the opportunity to share our communities’ musical talent and will provide our artists with well-deserved national and international exposure. We are confident that recognition for our artists is destined to grow as the world discovers the wide variety of musical talents within our Indigenous music community. I expect we will get many requests for more tracks and even more channels reflecting the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis talent.”

About Stingray
Stingray (TSX: RAY.A; RAY.B) is a leading business-to-business multi-platform music and in-store media solutions provider operating on a global scale, reaching an estimated 400 million pay TV subscribers (or households) in 156 countries. Geared towards individuals and businesses alike, Stingray’s products include the following leading digital music and video services: Stingray Music, Stingray Concerts, Stingray iConcerts, Stingray Brava, Stingray DJAZZ, Stingray Music Videos, Stingray Lite TV, Stingray Ambiance, Stingray Karaoke, Stingray Loud, Stingray Vibe, Stingray Juicebox, Stingray Retro, Festival 4K, and Classica. Stingray also offers various business solutions, including music and digital display-based solutions, through its Stingray Business division. Stingray is headquartered in Montreal and currently has close to 350 employees worldwide, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Israel, Australia, South Korea, and Singapore. Stingray was recognized in 2013 and 2014 as a finalist in the Top 50 of Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50TM list, and figures amongst PROFIT magazine’s fastest-growing Canadian companies. In 2016, Stingray was awarded best IR for an IPO at the IR Magazine Awards – Canada. For more information, please visit www.stingray.com

About APTN
September 1, 2017, will mark the 18-year anniversary of the launch of the first national Aboriginal television network in the world with programming by, for and about Aboriginal Peoples to share with all Canadians and viewers around the world. APTN is available in approximately 11 million Canadian households and commercial establishments with cable, direct-to-home satellite, telco-delivered and fixed wireless television service providers. The network launched its high definition channel, APTN HD, in 2008. In 2017, First Peoples Radio Inc., a non-profit corporation established by APTN was granted licences to operate English and Indigenous-language Type B Native FM radio stations to serve the urban Indigenous communities in Ottawa and Toronto. The stations are expected to launch in the spring of 2018.  APTN does not receive government funding for operations but generates revenue through subscriber fees, advertising sales and strategic partnerships. APTN broadcasts programming with 72% offered in English, 10% in French and 18% in Aboriginal languages. For program schedule or for more information, please contact APTN at (204) 947-9331 or toll-free at 1-888-278-8862 (Canada), or visit the website at http://www.aptn.ca

About NCI-FM Manitoba
Native Communications Inc. (NCI) operates in Manitoba as a public broadcaster. NCI is an Indigenous service organization offering radio programming, designed for and by Indigenous people. NCI has been broadcasting since 1971, providing Indigenous language and cultural programming. The NCI-FM radio network is composed of 59 FM transmitters located from Winnipeg to Churchill, reaching 98% of Manitoba’s population. NCI also produces the multiple-award winning program, the Indigenous Music Countdown, a weekly two-hour top 40 program heard on twelve stations across Canada including SiriusXM Canada.