Category: Album Reviews

Hearing Aide: Mingo Fishtrap ‘On Time’

As with any new album that’s headed for another spin, it’s usually for one of two reasons: the band either had some potential on that first go-around, peaking your general curiosity, or the rarer option where you can’t help but race to start it over. Mingo Fishtrap definitely falls into the latter with their latest album On Time.

For longtime fans, their talent might be old news, but there are many who have never heard the name, and that needs to change quickly! The band has been around almost 20 years now and they’ve been riding a wave lately that has lead to them finding new fans. As with any listener nowadays, there is simply a fire hose-stream of music with only so much you can drink. Occasionally, and unfortunately in my case, bands nowadays can elude the most exploratory of listeners. The album was released this past June, and even if you missed their appearance at Jazz Fest in Rochester, the band is headed back to The Egg in Albany on Oct. 4 and The Club at Water Street in Rochester on Oct. 5. If you’re anywhere in the region, you’re not going to want to miss these shows.

The opener “End of the World” is a feel-good kick-off to the album, despite the tracks name. The dark and sexy side shown throughout the verses strikes the perfect contrast for the upbeat chorus that has an intoxicatingly good melody to it. If this is the entrance, Mingo provides a warm welcome and a full tour of their sound.

For those seeking solid lyrics and a soul-soothing voice, Roger Blevins, Jr. delivers an all-encompassing approach that is as rich in history as it is deep in emotion. The complimentary instrumentation that strikes a balance between providing a solid backbone and touching various genres rounds out the rest of what you’ll hear; you’re going to dig this album. Mingo Fishtrap does a phenomenal job at mixing blues, jazz, soul, and funk into a beautiful array of color and sound. To be blunt, as long as you have some ears and a pulse, this is going to get your foot tapping and put a smile on your face.

Throughout the album, there are incredible displays of musicianship. The solo on “Things Ain’t What They Was” is the first time I’ve heard a hint of Derek Trucks influence performed flawlessly. That tip of the hat also rears its face on “Born Without a Heart”. The vocal depth and emotion in “Silver Lining” pulls at your soul and is immediately in tune to life’s natural rhythm. Everything simply feels right with these guys. The piano solo on “Silver Lining” is another must-hear on this album. In fact, if you’re going to give this band a small taste-test, fast forward to the 3:30 mark and just let it play. The solo closes the song on a stroll that turns into its own entity, complete with a raging attitude and swagger.

Austin, Texas has always been a hotbed for music, raising acts like Willie Nelson and Ciara, to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Janis Joplin, and Nelly. Mingo embraces their eclectic heritage and shares in the talent that their hometown is known for. On Time is exceptional from start to finish and I would strongly recommend you put the fire hose down to take a drink from the deep waters of Mingo’s diverse and refreshing sound.

Buy the album on iTunes or Amazon.

Mingo Fishtrap is:

Roger Blevins, Jr.- guitar and vocals
Chip Vayenas- drums and backup vocals
Dane Farnsworth- organ and keys
Mikel Urdy- Percussion and backup vocals
Roger Blevins, Sr.- bass
Steve Butts- trumpet and flugelhorn
Dan Bechdolt- tenor/alto sax and backup vocals
Zol Waterhouse – Trombone

Key Tracks: Too Far Gone, Fireproof, Silver Lining

October 4, 2014
Hearing Aide: Ocupanther’s Third Album, ‘Data Stretching’

To mark the first day of autumn, Ocupanther released their third album, Data Stretching, showing a conscious evolution from last year’s release, Progressor, while continuing to hammer down a focused sound. Overall the record might fit into generalized categories like “dance”, “progressive” or “fusion”. But really, the excellence of Data Stretching comes in the details – the careful blending of seemingly unrelated influences, and a perfect balance of organic vs electronic – resulting in a danceable, intelligent record from start to finish.

Data Stretching‘s opening track, “Obtuse Snoot”, is perhaps the perfect calling for the album; patently danceable, featuring disco-staccato guitars drifting to washed out wah-funk, hold steady bass and tight-pocket drumming. The changes are inconspicuous but occur frequently, offering good variation without stopping the groove. This notion carries into albums second track, “III E III”, which is more subdued but equally as locomotive. The bass is swampy and warm, with guitar parts piercing through the darkness. For an album with such a big, full sound (arguably the fullest Ocupanther sound to date), Data Stretching does an exceptional job varying between minimalist components. This sentiment is exemplified on “III E III” as well as later on the album with “Yerkrewrun”, a meditative, calming song balanced equally with blues guitars licks. “Treat Me Like A Telescope” is another great example of such a balance, with strong electronic undertones and masterful weaving guitar lines that scream classic rock-n-roll.

All descriptors and classifications aside, what really defines an albums success is listenability and feel – two categories where Data Stretching scores an “A”. This record would be just as good alone in your car as it would at a house party. The variations in mood throughout the record are enough to keep the listener engaged without forcing feel-good vibes or lingering too long in the dark. This balance, along with the balance of genres and styles, appears to be the recipe for success. Fans of the New Deal to LCD Soundsystem to Maserati and everything in between will surely lock into this album, as will anyone who has traveled long highways for music. Ocupanther cut their teeth on the road, after all, and much of the album serves a perfect soundtrack for a roadtrip to and from a show with a carful of friends.

Ocupanther will be supporting Data Stretching in the Upstate area over the next two months, playing alongside notable acts such as Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, The New Mastersounds, and super-group Electron. A complete list of tour dates and additional information can be found at: Ocupanther.com or on Facebook.

Key Tracks: III E III, Treat Me Like A Telescope, The Great Oxygenation

October 1, 2014
Hearing Aide: Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad ‘Steady’

Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad is set to drop their new album Steady today, September 30th. Steady is Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad’s first studio album since 2012, and their first collaboration with Easy Star Records. Steady was also co- produced with Craig Welsh of 10. Ft. Ganja Plant. According to bassist James Searl “this is without a doubt the best sounding record we’ve ever made,” and I would have to agree. Upon first listen it really stuck out that the sound is very clear and clean.

GPGDS, based out of Rochester, have produced an album that recycles old reggae themes in a newer, more nuanced way. The themes that flow throughout the album fall in line with what traditional reggae music was born to address; love, change (both political and personal), peace and positivity. “Steady”, the title track of this album, is a slow and easy-going love ballad. “Steady” was co-produced by Danny Kalb (The Green, Ben Harper) is very melodic, along with most of the other songs on the album, with smooth lyrics that just make you want to sway.

“Mr. Cop” is similar in that way but retains an island music feel to it. The song addresses issues with police, expounding on the relationship between law enforcement and society. With lyrics like “Mr. cop, Mr. cop don’t want you searching/we’ve been all day working/nobody that we hurtin’/Just a little herb we smokin’” the song illustrates a theme that is often touched upon in reggae music. From the tropical feel of the song to the lyrics, for a New York based reggae band GPGDS really exhibits an authentic Caribbean feel.

Giant Panda has also dabbled in playing Americana music especially with their previous album Country which was released in 2012. This influence can be heard on songs like “.45,” “Not The Fool,” and “Home.” They add a bit of country twang to the traditional reggae sound that this record embodies.

“.45” specifically breaks pace from those peaceful hymns they were espousing. With lyrics like “If you see me on the streets/and you want to get wise with me/ I’ll pull out my .45,” it’s like a reggae version of the slogan “don’t mess with Texas.” It’s very bluesy and has full force guitar rifts that are in your face…in a good way.

Overall this is the kind of album that is good to listen to anywhere, like a soundtrack to a beach vacation. If you’re interested in checking it out, their title track “Steady” as well as “Mr. Cop” and “Take Your Place” are available to stream at LivePanda.com.

Key Tracks: “Steady” “Mr. Cop” “.45”

Check out Giant Panda this week across Upstate New York!

Oct 2: Buffalo, NY – Tralf Music Hall
Oct 3: Syracuse, NY – Westcott Theater
Oct 4: Rochester, NY – Zeppa Auditorium

September 30, 2014
Hearing Aide: Medeski, Scofield, Martin, and Wood ‘Juice’

“You want me to start it like that” is the first sounds one hears on the great new album Juice by Medeski, Scofield, Martin, and Wood. All four members shine throughout the fourth album of this great collaboration. John Medeski, Billy Martin, and Chris Wood induce jaw dropping reactions when they play as a trio, and when you had a legend like John Scofield to the mix, the jaws can only get lower to the floor. After that initial start of “Sham Time”, the foursome meander through some latin-jazz that will get you moving in your seat right away. In an interview with Relix, John Scofield gives a track by track breakdown of the record and it is wonderful to get some insight to how they worked through the album. Each member brought a few songs to the group and let the other three tackle it to their liking. All 10 tracks leave you wanting more as one goes by and the next one starts.

“North London” is driven by a call and response between Scofield’s guitar and Medeski’s organ trading off sections of the tune. The ease that the four of them feel when in a room together to experiment and push one another is beautiful. Scofield takes the riff from “Louie Louie” and turns it just slightly to the left as Martin’s drums start up to make “Juicy Lucy” the Latin-Jazz cousin of the famous riff. “I Know You” sees quiet spaces enter the music as no one member dominates the song and the blank area of the song become a fifth member of the group. “Light My Fire” and “Sunshine of Your Love” are two of the most famous songs to come out of the 60’s and one is completely turned on its head by MSMW on the record. “Light My Fire” is similar in beat and the guitar does what would have been the vocals to the song, while “Sunshine of Your Love” becomes a reggae filled jazz piece that barely resembles anything we know of the song. Both are beautiful in their owns ways and its great to see these talented musicians tackle such legendary songs.

The last song is a cover of “The Times They are A-Changin’” and it sees the band be the quietest they are on the whole album. They take one of Bob Dylan’s most famous songs and make it a moody jazz song that you can rally behind. The band truly shines again when it isn’t stuffing notes upon notes into the song and lets each member stretch out their parts to fill the voids left by the other members, with Wood’s bass driving the beat in the middle of the entire mix. The only downfall of this album is that it ends and you don’t know when the next time Scofield will join MMW in the studio. If only MSMW was a permanent group, every year to two years a new album of delectable jazz would be in your ears from these four great musicians. Catch them on tour this winter at Philadelphia’s Union Transfer on December 5th, Boston’s House of Blues on December 7th, and New York City’s Terminal 5 on December 11.

Key Tracks: Sham Time, Juicy Lucy, The Time’s They are A-Changin’

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September 22, 2014
Hearing Aide: Cannibal Corpse ‘A Skeletal Domain’

Cannibal Corpse are nothing if not punishing and unrelenting, but since their career defining album Kill in 2006 they’ve also become complacent, yet at the same time they’re consistent. Cannibal Corpse has yet to put out a bad album but they also haven’t put out any material since Kill that pushes the band outside of their comfort zone, a zone they’ve been in since the band started.

Fans know what to expect with the band and on their 13th effort A Skeletal Domain they deliver the goods. The album is a great death metal record. Songs are heavy, dark, fast, and full of the slightly cheesy but oh so good twisted lyrics that the band is known for. A Skeletal Domain doesn’t have the same pop some of their other efforts do but there are a couple of songs here that will find a long stint on their live setlist.

Cannibal Corpse leave producer Erik Rutan, who did their last three releases, in favor of Mark Lewis. Lewis himself is becoming a go-to producer having been behind the boards for the fantastic Die Without Hope by Carnifex, Our Endless War by Whitechapel, and Battlecross’ War of Will in the past two years alone. Cannibal Corpse made a great choice because Lewis makes the band sound as heavy as ever with a great mix. Each instrument is fully represented and you don’t get that weird “where did the bass go?” feeling a lot of metal albums have.

Speaking of the bass player though, Alex Webster is a little less pronounced this time around. The legendary bassist has long been herald as one of the all time greats and usually has a few songs where you get a taste of his technical skills. But even without those moments, the musicianship on display here is at the same level it’s always been with Cannibal Corpse, at the highest of those in their genre.

Two of the songs on A Skeletal Remain rise above the rest. The opening salvo “High Velocity Impact Splatter” starts things off right. A relentless assault of guitars and blistering drums that lets you know that the kings of old school death metal are back with a new record. The highlight track of the album has to be “Kill or Become”, which will no doubt become a fan favorite when played live. Just picture a room full of metal junkies screaming along with vocalist George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher when he bellows “Fire up the chainsaw!”

However, that complacency does start to become apparent as the album moves through its middle stages. Few of the middle tracks have parts that stick with you. It isn’t until the final few songs that things pick up again. The album starts off great and finishes strong but songs like “Bloodstained Cement” sound like they’re using recycled riffs from albums past.

It’s hard to complain about sameness with a band like this; this is what they do. They make great death metal. They have a recipe and they stick to it. And after all these years it still isn’t old. Some bands can’t figure out what they want to sound like and go from album to album bouncing from gimmick to gimmick never finding their footing. Cannibal Corpse stuck their hooks into old school slamming death metal decades ago and they’ll never stop and they’ll never change. And to be honest, I don’t think anyone wants them to.

Key Tracks: Hight Velocity Impact Splatter, Kill or Become, Asphyxiate to Resuscitate

You can purchase “A Skeletal Domain” here.

September 19, 2014
Hearing Aide: Marco Benevento ‘Swift’

Adding another instrument to a band is always a hard choice, but when it works out so well, the band and its’ fans embrace it forever. On his new album Swift, Marco Benevento has done just this, except the instrument he added is his own voice. Not one known for singing, Benevento sprinkled his voice all over Swift and it works great. Opening track “At The Show” has been played live for about a year and it is finally nice to hear the studio version. His voice adds character to a song that was already a great one from the wizard of the keyboards. Benevento explains. “I’m surprised it took me this long to sing, but growing older, getting into music by The Band and James Booker and the Grateful Dead, the singing door has opened. It’s a new instrument.”

Andy Borger and Dave Dreiwitz, on drums and bass respectively, are not hidden by the new instrument on the scene either. They are an integral part of what makes Marco’s music so special. Borger’s drums are heavy throughout the record, constantly driving each song forward while Dreiwitz’s bass dances right along with Benevento’s keys and lyrics, keeping them honest. “Eye to Eye” is a slowed down hazy dream that you get lost in immediately and feels longer than the four minutes that it is listed as. For fans of jamming, “Coyote Hearing” is a blissful jam, creeping closer to craziness the longer the track goes. This song is sure to thrive in a live setting with the beautiful work on the keys from Benevento, the thumping bass from Dreiwitz, and Borger’s impeccable drum work.

On “The Saint” an evil bass line pushes everyone else to go down the path of full on rock and roll and should be another one that thrives in the live setting. Album closer “Free Us All” is one that will be one of the tracks you find yourself listening to and clapping along with it. The song is sure to get stuck in your head. The vocals shine on this one with Marco belting out “Why don’t you free us all?”, over and over. Swift is new territory for the band and it should come as no surprise that these great musicians thrive on it. The band is going to be touring the country behind the album and make a stop in New York early in the tour with album release parties in New York City on Sept. 16 and 17, and a stop at Kingston’s BSP on Sept. 26. Grab the album before going the show though so you can learn the words and sing along with Marco; I’m sure he’d love it.

Key Tracks: At The Show, Coyote Hearing, The Saint, Free Us All

September 17, 2014
Hearing Aide: Greensky Bluegrass ‘If Sorrows Swim’

Emotionally driven and musically diverse, Greensky Bluegrass’s newest studio effort, If Sorrows Swim, defines the group’s growth going into their fifteenth year. This intense collection of road-tested and unheard originals aims to capture the quintets dynamic, contrasting stage sound.

Targeting a more concise sound than previous albums, If Sorrows Swim, does exactly that. The album opens with Paul Hoffman’s (mandolin/vocals), “Windshield”. Strong, yet desperate, Hoffman’s vocals grow intense and dramatic, bringing an immediate sense of emotional release to the album. Impassioned rhythmic interplay between Mike Bont (banjo) and Dave Bruzza (guitar/vocals) immediately engage the listener as bass player, Michael Devol, adds light bass lines to the mix.

“In Control” displays the bands ability to weave intricate layers of sound. The albums MVP’s, Michael Bont (banjo/vocals) and Anders Beck (dobro), create delicate, yet fiery lines that gives Hoffman’s ballad a powerful texture that doesn’t quite exist on earlier albums.

What stands out the most on this album is the extreme attention to detail compared to their previous releases. If Sorrows Swim captures some of Hoffman’s and Bruzza’s best songwriting, as well as the band’s meticulous interplay. While the album loses a little steam over the twelve tracks, “Leap Year” brings back an energy that features a Garcia/n inspired sound. Reaching past the five-minute mark, the tracks dramatic instrumental exchanges make this the improvisational cut on the album.

While putting out what could be their best studio album, If Sorrows Swim still falls somewhat short of recreating their intoxicating and energized stage sound.

Key Tracks: Forget Everything, Leap Year, Windshield

Order the album here

September 16, 2014
‘Wake Up to Find Out’ – Revisit The Grateful Dead Live at Nassau Coliseum March 29, 1990

Culled from a tour now represented by two box sets and a number of official releases, the new Grateful Dead vault release, Wake Up to Find Out captures the most famous and arguably the most powerful performance of the Spring 1990 tour taking place on March 29, 1990. This concert occurred during the middle night of a legendary three night stand at Nassau Coliseum, the site of many memorable Dead Head convergences. In Dead Head circles this particular tour is mentioned in the same breath as Europe 1972 and Spring 1977, well-known era’s containing musical alchemy occurring on a nightly basis.

The factor that contributes to making this particular concert even more unique is the addition of jazz saxophonist extraordinaire Branford Marsalis joining the band for one song in the first set and the entirety of the second set. As is usual for the Grateful Dead, when guest artists sit in it often drives the band members to new and unusual heights in their improvisations. In the case of Marsalis who was no stranger to jamming, he was indeed a virgin to Grateful Dead music, making his instant assimilation and dissemination of their music even more impressive. Wake Up to Find Out captures the Grateful Dead prior to their slow decent and at their final musical pinnacle. Following Garcia’s 1986 coma and 1987’s gigantic resurgence with the hit LP In the Dark, the Spring of 1990 is witness to a culmination of the group’s career coming to a head in a flurry of all-star performances.

Taken from the original multi-track recordings, the sonic clarity and definition on this release is unsurpassed. As this particular run of shows was being recorded for the eventual live release, Without a Net, all of the shows were being captured for posterity in a professional manner. This ain’t no bootleg. The high musical standard set during the playing of the tour was equaled by the recording method of the shows.

The concert and recording begin with the high tempo on-two punch of a “Jack Straw”/”Bertha” opener. Rough but ready and extremely high energy the band comes out swinging with a stinging duo of opening songs. The entire first set is typical of the era, which is to say played to an extremely high standard. The set is somewhat short but in this case quality outweighs quantity. After reaching an early summit with a fragrant and fat “Ramble On Rose” the first highlight of the set lifts off of the earth with a breezy and all time version of “Bird Song”.

Marsalis joins the band for an extended and delicately constructed version of the song in which his saxophone blends in with the band like a permanent fixture. Immediately Garcia and Marsalis trade feathery licks while Lesh and the drummers navigate the winds aloft, rising and falling with the altitude. It doesn’t take long for the band to generate a blustery convalescence of sound. Garcia switches to rhythm causing the jam to collect and disperse momentum. Once the tempo has been stated Mydland, Garcia and Marsalis weave their scaled discoveries into a slithering melodic dance. The song is driven by the breezes of inspiration, moving by its own accord, Lesh the main impetus constantly shifting the directive allowing for the soloists to create on an ever changing canvas. “Bird Song” soon gently returns to earth, headed toward the “Promised Land” and a rip snortin’ rock n roll conclusion to the first set. The rendition of “Bird Song” obviously got everyone off because as Marsalis prepared to leave after his appearance, he was notified by Lesh and other band members that he would be invited to join the band for the entirety of the second set. What a set it would turn out to be.

The second half begins with a patient and jazzy “Eyes of the World” built like the old days, this is actually the version that would end up being represented on the official release Without a Net. Finding the perfect tempo, this “Eyes” feels like the band has discovered the version they have been waiting their entire career to perform. Billy and Mickey tumble like rolling thunder and Lesh swings like a nimble club musician. Marsalis streaks across the landscape with transcendent melodic statements that not only play against Garcia’s statements but draw them in intimately before shooting across the bands percolating groove. Garcia uses his new-found MIDI capabilities to join Marsalis not only on guitar but on a breathy oboe.

In contrast to normal procedure the band segues into “Estimated Prophet” after a wonderfully strange wah-wah’d outro jam. Again, this “Estimated Prophet” is one of the better versions you will hear and an ace choice for Marsalis to play on because of its 7/4 time signature and jazz aesthetics. This is solid electric blue 1990’s Grateful Dead, containing tasteful true ensemble playing where the band interplay drives the jams, not individual soloing. This is what has and will always separate the Dead from other improv ‘Jam’ bands, their ability to listen and respond to the minutest musical detail and grow it into a stately sonic statement.

“Estimated” stretches like warm taffy, Marsalis drops out, Garcia starts to get strange and the jam has nowhere to go except for its natural resting place, “Dark Star”. The obvious choice to go after the delicious jamming that has preceded it, this “Dark Star” makes up the central meat of the set encompassing a pre-drums first verse, drums/space and a post space verse two. The band skips around the theme for a while making glorious statements. After the first verse is sung a kinetic ambiance settles on the band and they enter a sideways fusion flavored groove. A strange brew develops with the drummers getting especially excited by the proceedings by laying down a three dimensional dissonant rhythm. The central orbit of “Dark Star” is reached and the highlight of the concert is created with all members locked into an unseen influence. The jam takes on a tangible form, a pinwheel tumbling through a star filled transparent box that lacks gravity. Garcia thumbs through his diverse MIDI index hitting on multiple tones and even a “Close Encounters” vibe at one point while Lesh slides across wooden floors in his sock feet. Marsalis joyfully syncopates with Garcia tumbling into a multicolored ball of experimental scales, converging and then drifting away. The jam gets thick and heavy with quirky additions by Mydland and Weir before falling into a trippy drums segment and a spacious space horizon of bells, clinks, dings and other playful ‘noises’ by the drummers.

In all honesty I feel the band had busted their proverbial nut at this point as they move out of a foggy space and into verse two of “Dark Star” then into the joyousness of the “Wheel’. This is not negative in any way, I just feel had reached the end of their journey of discovery and now locked it into cruise control to rock the assembled crowd home. The band then blasts through “Throwing Stones” >”Lovelight” and the poignant encore of “Knockin on Heavens Door” – all played extremely well and find the band exhibiting the same enthusiasm in place since the opening numbers. Marsalis illuminates “Lovelight” with his sexy horn blasts, making the familiar brand spanking new as he has consistently the entire evening. The crowd walks dazed to the exits after the gentle closing of “Knockin On Heavens Door”.

Wake Up to Find Out is a wonderful document of a band getting a second and even third wind after an extended and influential touring career. The concert is possibly the finest of an era saturated with evenings always perched on the edges of musical genius. The addition of Branford Marsalis only increases the bands penchant for improvisation and originality. This 1990 concert can lock into any era of Grateful Dead music and compete with the finest nights the band ever played. The quality of performance, recording capture and song selection combine for a perfect and proper listening experience.

Key Tracks: Bird Song, Eyes, Dark Star

September 16, 2014
Hearing Aide: Mary Fahl ‘Live at The Mauch Chunk Opera House’

Mary Fahl has released a two cd live performance, Mary Fahl Live at The Mauch Chunk Opera House. Recorded at The Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe, Pa., as a follow-up to her 2013 cd Love & Gravity and a precursor to several upcoming live dates including a performance at Syracuse’s Red House on Oct. 4. Her concert at The Mauch Chunk Opera House was filmed for PBS and is scheduled to air this fall nationwide. Fahl’s musical history is highlighted as a founding member of October Project and her critically acclaimed solo career is growing exponentially through live performances.

This concert features CNY’s premier multi-instrumentalist, music director, arranger and producer, Mark Doyle (acoustic + electric guitars, grand piano, vocals), along with Edgar Pagan (bass), Bill DiCosimo (keyboards), Joshua Dekaney (percussion) of Syracuse’s “Grupo Pagan” and John Lissauer (piano) accompanying Fahl (acoustic guitar, vocals). Recorded by Andrew Roberts of Purple Audio on Sept. 7, 2013, engineered and mixed by Leonard Hospidor, this 24 track offering includes Fahl originals, October Project material, a taste of her re-imaging of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of The Moon” she self-released in 2011 as “From The Dark Side Of The Moon”, along with some extremely well-chosen covers.

Of note is how the Fahl/Doyle collaboration happened. In 2005, David Werner, longtime friend and former band mate of Doyle, approached him about re-doing a classic album in its entirety with Fahl in mind. Werner would produce, Doyle would co-produce, engineer, as well as play most of the instruments with Fahl vocalizing the rest.

After meeting Fahl, they agreed to try one song, then decide on the completion of the project. They recorded “Us and Them” in October ’05 at Doyle’s studio in Syracuse, the same starting point Pink Floyd had. A similar magic happened, culminating in the full recording happening, during the summer of ’06. Having to prove the recording could be re-produced live to receive their contract, Fahl and Doyle presented the project in concert to V2 Records. V2 signed them, gave a budget, the recording was finished and sent to legendary mixologist Bob Clearmountain. The label promptly folded a week before the project’s release and it was shelved until Fahl self-released it in 2011. This cd is absolutely worthy of a listen by anyone affected by the themes, history and magnitude of Pink Floyd’s masterwork. It is indeed a re-imaging. This was the beginning of an amazing musical relationship between artists Fahl and Doyle, which continues today.

Now, on with this most current release.

At first breath it may seem easy to pigeon-hole Fahl’s voice, she’s another Joni, Joan, Judy or Sarah, but there’s something more there. From the first song, “Deep As You Go”, when she sings, “Don’t save me – Don’t lose me – Don’t wake me now – You let me – You release me – Let me drown – Take me down – Take me down” you know she’s coming from a place very deep in her soul. This, being an early ’90s October Project song, should also bring knowledge of how long her road has been to this point in her career.

While firmly planted in the singer/songwriter category, her voice, whether performing originals or songs written for her, is magnified fronting a full band. Especially when that band is under direction from someone whose skills are so deft and subtle as Doyle’s. They’re so perfectly complimentary that her stories rise and fall emotionally without contrast from the accompaniment. Instead, they’re enhanced and taken to another level. Not the simplest task or for the faint of heart, even Doyle’s backing vocals provide depth, counterpoint and richness as if he was in fact the protagonist without taking that spotlight.

Fahl’s ability and range give her the flexibility to take on a wide range of expression not available to most singers. One of the most dramatic examples is the three-song medley from Dark Side as she voices instruments and verbalizes with a breath of Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention or Clannad. At moments the Celtic feel echoes a little Sinead O’Connor to me, but that may well be the depth of emotion she carries in her instrument and that alone speaks volumes for Ms. Fahl’s talent.

“Coming Home” opens the second disc and was used in the Civil War movie “Gods and Generals”, it’s appropriately deep and fitting for a movie of this context. I would be remiss not to mention the skills of Julie Flanders and Emil Adler, the credited songwriters from October Project who had an uncanny ability to write with Fahl’s voice in mind. They consistently nailed it. “Bury My Lovely” is another great example of this. Her reading of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” is close enough to the box to be a homage and drifts far enough to accentuate the difference. Her rich contralto ranges freely from dark to light, breathy and rich, railing against category into individuality.

Fahl’s own compositions fall directly from her heart and the subject matter is reflective of this. I suppose this could be construed as ordinary from a singer/songwriter, but the difference comes through in the depth of her emotion and her ability to express them without over-personalization or false dramatization. She flexes her writing with “Exiles”, the theme song for Anne Rice’s audiobook “The Wolves of Midwinter”, released last fall. Though she admonishes the previous “goddess of Goth” moniker, bestowed on her by the vampire movement in the October Project days, perhaps it paid-off a little. She surely can adapt to the darkness of the role, but does it as just another page in her novel of artistry through this song and does it well.

Fahl’s emotional take on the traditional Irish tune “The Dawning of The Day” is her lyrical tribute to the fallen firefighters from 9-11 that was performed by Ronan Tynan at the re-dedication of the Seven World Trade Center in NY. It’s riveting and is followed artfully by “Meant To Be” with pianist John Lissauer sitting in. “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” may well be the poppiest song of the night with Doyle on call and response backing vocals, all hands on deck doing oohs and aahs, while Mary jumps into a bit of Flo and Eddie for good measure.

“Be My Hero” is a fantastic closer that allows not only Fahl’s world-class voice to shine, but the band has space to cut loose with each individual finding a little place to rave-up the ending, especially Doyle ripping his signature Stratocaster to finish.

The combination of musicianship, arrangement and delivery are far beyond anything I’ve heard recently. If only more musicians were this thorough in their preparation and execution, the life of rock and roll would surely be extended. This is the kind of release that can send an artist to world-wide exposure, something akin to “Frampton Comes Alive” in the sense that the audience knows the songs as the live album is being toured. This work and the people associated with it all deserve just that kind of acclaim. It’s my sincere hope they attain just that. Kudos!

Key Tracks: Deep As You Go, Ben Aindi Habibi, Take Me As I Am

Mary has a very nice series of solo and full band dates available on her website including a date at The Lestat Coronation Ball in New Orleans on October 31st. There she’ll highlight her work with Anne Rice, her song “Exiles: The Wolves Of Midwinter” was written for Ms. Rice’s audiobook, “The Wolves Of Midwinter” (check here for details). Full band shows include a supremely intimate concert at Syracuse’s Red House on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at The Red House online, do not sleep on this 100 seat venue, it will sell-out quickly! Then at The Cutting Room in NYC on Nov. 15 and at “Concert For Epilepsy Awareness” at Trinity United Methodist Church in Ewing, NJ on Feb. 7, 2015.

Follow her rise on Twitter and on FaceBook she’s a great follow!

September 15, 2014
Hearing Aide: The Contortionist ‘Language’

Indianapolis based progressive metallers The Contortionist show with the third record, Language that when modern prog metal works, it’s great, but when it starts to falter, it can be cringe inducing. The band does a lot right on this album, but they fall into traps that many bands in their genre find themselves stuck in. Language has some incredible moments where melodies mix into beautiful arrangements but also has moments where the band sounds like they’re trying way too hard.

The introductory track on Language, “The Course,” shows off new singer Michael Lessard’s impressive vocal range with runs up and down the scale. But as the album wears on, I couldn’t stop but wonder if what I’m listening to would be better off without any vocals at all. The Contortionist do mix the very melodic clean style of Lessard’s voice with harsh screams of death metal singers which comes as a bit of a jarring experience when you first hear them (especially if you weren’t aware it was part of their sound). The problem is, despite the weird mix of elegant sounds being produced by guitarists Robby Baca and Cameron Maynard, bassist Jordan Eberhardt, keyboardist Eric Guenther, and drummer Joey Baca, it’s the harsh vocals that fit the best. The clean singing comes across as very over dramatic and at times takes away from the fantastic instrumentation.

I don’t mean to keep harping on the vocals but I will say that the lyrics here absolutely distract from the band. They come off very pretentious like they were written in a fever after reading introductory philosophical texts. The Contortionist peers The Kindred also end up in this category but they know when to pull back on the reigns. The best example I can give of this is the fact that The Contortionist sing the phrase “ebb and flow” on four separate songs including one titled “Ebb and Flow”.

The musical chops here are first-rate. These guys know how to play their instruments and are at the top of the heap when it comes to technical playing in progressive metal. The album from a musical standpoint is very well thought out and everything flows nicely into each other which is something I look for when listening to music like this. The counter of the atmospheric like melodies and very heavy distorted chugging by the guitars works well and plays off each other. They have the star/stop jittery time signature riffs that prog metal fans love. However, there is one big musical blunder on the record, the song “Integration” has a synth line that does not fit at all. So much so it’s like they put the wrong track in the mix when working on the album. It really takes you out of the listening experience.

The Contortionist are a band still trying to figure out what they want to do. They have promise, that’s for sure. But it may take them another record or two to finally figure out what they need to do to push forward to the front of their genre. They have the talent to do it, but we’ll see if they can put it all together and create something truly special.

Buy the album here

September 12, 2014