Renee Zawawi- Legends Review

Artist: Renee Zawawi
Title: Legends
Website: http://www.reneezawawi.com
Style: Pop Dance
Label: Sapines Record
Rating: 7.9 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

Renee Zawawi's life is fascinating and much of it can be found in this, her debut release, Legends. While still a young child, Zawawi was abducted from her home in Philadelphia and taken overseas. "I sang to release my soul and relieve the heartache of what I was going through," Zawawi explains. "Through perseverance and determination, I was eventually reunited with my family here in the USA." Unfortunately she didn't get the chance to see her mother before she passed away.

 

Renee has girl-next-door beauty with big puppy dog eyes and a smile that can light up a room.  She competed in and won several beauty pageants including, 'Miss PA 2004.'

 

Renee's true passion though has always been her music. "I can't imagine living without music in my life," Zawawi explains. "There is no better feeling than sharing touching moments with my audience. I think there are songs on my record for everyone, and I can't wait for people to hear it!"

 

Legends offer up many different offshoots to its main theme of pop dance music. Several of the songs have a Middle Eastern flair to them along with the very Spanish sounding, "Never Knew" with its castanets.

 

The songs alternate from heavy bass pumping dance tracks like "American Girrrl" and "Flirt With Me" to more melodic ones including the final track, "On the Road." That song deals with not letting people pull you down, to live your dreams.

 

Another track worth mentioning is, "Children of the World." This song was written to raise funds to help children suffering from war, violence, and disaster. The chorus of the song was translated into 7 different languages so children listening to the song could enjoy it in their native language.

 

When asked about where the inspiration comes from for her songs Renee says, "...the songs (are) from my heart and soul, about the best and the worst experiences that I have been through-through out my life trip in general and through out traveling to various countries. Each song speaks of dances, cultures, and encounters..."

 

With its club world beats and strong lyrics you should be hearing the songs from Renee Zawawi's Legends pumping from both your local club and favorite radio station.

 

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir- I'll Say Yes Review

Artist: The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
Title: I'll Say Yes
Website: http://www.brooklyntabernacle.org
Purchase Online: http://www.integritydirect.com
Style: Gospel Choir
Label: Provident-Integrity Distribution
Rating: 9 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

I'll Say Yes is the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir's 26th album in a recording history that stretches back to 1981, with the choir itself being formed in the early 1970's. Over that time they've won 6-Grammy Awards, 7-Dove Awards, and sold over 4-million albums, not to mention gaining the reputation as one of the best choirs in the world.

 

They've also performed at noted venues like, Carnegie Hall, Radio Center Music Hall and a sold out Madison Square Garden.

 

What even makes all of those accomplishments even more spectacular is the fact that many of the choir's 300 members have never had any type of formal vocal training and choir founder and director Carol Cymbala cannot read or write music.

 

I'll Say Yes features 13-tracks of stellar music and last for just over 71 minutes. It all starts off with a rousing rendition of the song, "Holy is the Lord."

 

Besides the traditional gospel choir sound you'll also find the soulful song, "I Never Lost My Praise," along with a Latin flavored number entitled,
"We Fill the Sanctuary."

 

It's all about the vocals on this release. Nothing sounds better then a choir with all of its different vocal ranges all working together in perfect harmony.

 

Almost as big of a story as the choir's music is the members that make up the choir. Pulling on different ethnic and economic backgrounds the choir is made up of everyone from lawyers, and nurses to street people and former crack addicts.

 

When ask about their music choir founder and director Carol Cymbala said, "I just want to see people drawn to Jesus Christ." she continued, "I want the music to be the arrow that points them to Him."

 

Senior Church Pastor and husband of Carol adds, "The choir represents all different walks of life and every kind of sin. You name it and we have someone who has been saved out of it, standing right next to another one who has grown up in the church." he continues, "None of us would have met if it weren't for the Christ." he then added, "Our backgrounds are just too diverse. But all of us have one thing on common: we all have been lifted up and saved. So the choir sings-not about a theological position- but about what has happened to them. It's not a theory; it's a reality."

 

Whether you just enjoy hearing good choir music or your looking to experience it for the first time you can't go wrong with The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir's music.

 

Number One Gun- The North Pole Project Review

Artist: Number One Gun
Title: The North Pole Project
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/numberonegun
Style: Christian Rock/ EMO
Label: Tooth & Nail Records
Rating: 7.8 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

The title for this release, The North Pole Project, fits well. Gone are the other members of the band and left is frontman/vocalist Jeff Schneeweis.  Last Spring Jeff spent three months in his hometown of Chico, CA. working on this release. Jeff said that, "I just wrote and recorded as I went, playing every instrument."

 

This was to be the third full-length release from the band. Although this release will fly under the Number One Gun band flag it's more of a solo effort from Jeff.

 

The ten songs found on The North Pole Project for the most part are rock/emo in style with guitar hooks driving the songs along with a few melodic ballads added into the mix.

 

The lyrics aren't overtly Christian and tend to deal more with the themes of hope and overcoming life's problems. Jeff says, "I want to write songs that can give people hope..."

 

Jeff has already put together a touring band that includes, Justin Richards, and Jonathan Russo.

 

You can tell that Jeff has spent a lot of time and put a lot of effort into the making of this release. Just know going in that this isn't the usual Number One Gun lineup.

 

Midnight Falling- Beautiful Pearl Review

 

Artist: Midnight Falling
Title: Beautiful Pearl
Website: http://www.midnightfalling.com/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/midnightmusiconline
Style: Progressive/ Hard Rock
Label: Midnight Music Online Publishing
Rating: 8.3 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

The band hails for Manchester, New Hampshire. At the time of recording Beautiful Pearl the band was made up of only two members, Stacey Scerbo (lead vocals) and Silvio Giarratana (all instruments and some vocals). Since then the band has added two new members, Sebastian Schmidt (drums, percussion) and Billy Mitchell (bass).

 

The new band members were added so that the sound found on Beautiful Pearl could be recreated live.

 

The first thing that struck me when I listened to Beautiful Pearl was its rich full sound. Stacey Scerbo handles all of the lead vocal duties except for on two songs, "Hard, Inflexible" a rock/blues number with a funky bass, and "I'm Dyin' Inside" where Silvio Giarratana handles them.

 

Stacey Scerbo's vocals are gritty and work well with the rock-based songs. They have a Pat Benatar meets Ann Wilson (Heart) tone to them.

 

Silvio Giarratana knows how to handle a guitar, from wailing hard rock to Texas blues riffs he makes it sing with joy with each new chord he hits.

 

The band's songs deal with life, both the good and bad parts of it. The band shows their more mellow side with the title cut rock ballad, "Beautiful Pearl".

 

For a debut release this band really has all of their cards in order and comes out of the starting gate at full speed. I'm sure that we'll be hearing a lot more from them now and well into the future.

 

Kate Tucker & the Sons of Sweden Interview

Kate Tucker & the Sons of Sweden Interview

By C.W. Ross

 

Band Name: Kate Tucker & the Sons of Sweden
Style: Indie / Pop / Rock
Location: Ballard, Washington
Website: http://www.katetuckerandthesonsofsweden.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/katetuckermusic
Record Label: Red Valise
Influences: Mazzy Star, Portishead, Blonde Redhead, Radiohead, Starflyer 59, Morella's Forest, Velour 100, Beth Orton, Bob Dylan, Wilco, Neko Case, Cat Power, Robert Deeble, Damien Jurado, Josh Ryan, Innocence Mission, The Police, Crosstide, Bloc Party, Low 

Below is a recent interview the band done with me.

1. The first thing I need to ask you about is the band's name and how you chose it?

We live in Ballard, a Scandinavian fishing village on the Puget Sound. There is a Sons of Norway Hall down the street from our house. We always wanted to play a show there, even though we are Swedish. So we are called the Sons of Sweden. Someday we will storm the Sons of Norway Hall.

2. Who are some of your musical influences?

We grew up in nineties Seattle (except Kate who listened from across the country). The underground scene here was dominated by Tooth and Nail bands. We still listen to Starflyer 59 obsessively. Morella's Forest is Kate's guilty pleasure. Others that are often referenced during songwriting sessions include Mazzy Star, Stars, Pedro the Lion, Shout Out Louds, Wilco, Neko Case, Bob Dylan, R.E.M. The Smiths, The Cure...

3. What do you hope people take away with them after hearing your music?

Whatever they're looking for.

4. Besides your own music what was the last music CD that you listened to?

Boxer- The National

5. Where can people buy your music?

Amazon.com, Itunes.com, Sonicboomrecords.com (our favorite record store!)

6. Has anything strange or funny ever happened to you while performing on stage?

Only the unmentionable.

7. What's the one dream place that you would like to perform a show at?

The now defunct Crocodile in Seattle, WA (it was our favorite place to play)

8.Anything we missed that you would like to tell the readers?

We feel privileged to have occupied a bit of your time. Thanks for the love.

 

Steve Thaemert - Indiedrive Inc. Interview

Steve Thaemert Interview

By C.W. Ross

 

Steve Thaemert is the President/Artist Rep. for Indiedrive Inc. a company that offers a unique way for independent artist to sell their music using a USB flash-drive.

 

Indiedrive Inc. is not a record label but a music store. Artist sell their music through the site and control what they put on the flash-drives and set their own prices.

 

Customers can then browse through the music selections and buy the USB flash-drives that they want.

 

The drives are guaranteed to work and are double checked to make sure that they are virus free.

 

Below is an interview that I recently done with Steve.

 

Indiedrive Website- http://www.Indiedrive.com

 

1- Will you tell us a little bit about your company, how long has it been around, its start, what your drives are etc...?

 

Steve: The Indiedrive concept originated a couple years ago when I was at a show with my band and one of the other bands there was selling their music on flash drives. We thought, "Hey! What a great idea." It has taken two years to launch Indiedrive... but we finally got it going - making Indiedrive.com the first dedicated USB flash-drive album storefront in the world. With CD sales dropping steadily, we believe flash-drive albums will serve as a way to suppliment a bands income, and ultimately will replace CD's altogether. Besides, flash drives are a convenient way to transfer MP3's and other fun stuff. Bands get their music out there in a new and exciting way, and the consumer gets exclusive material on a high-quality reuseable drive. Everybody wins!

 

2- Since your drives are USB I'm guessing that they're compatible with both MAC and Windows based computers?

 

Steve: The flash drives we use are compatible with almost everything that has a USB port, and work in both MAC and PC systems. Our drives are among the smallest you can get, and are very high quality with fast transfer speeds. We decided to use the cooler, higher-quality drives as opposed to the cheapies, and offer something unique that we can guarantee will last. We also welcome bands who have their own flash drives to sell those at indiedrive.com too, but we can't guarantee anything that is not a genuine indiedrive.

 

3- Your site list the genres of Rock, Country, Blues, R&B and Hip-Hop. Are you open to other styles of music?

 

Steve: This is something that was very intentional. I've always hated going to music websites and having to browse through 300 genres, half of which I've never heard of... I mean, cmon. There are so many genres and sub-genres out there, I wanted to take a different approach. We put those general categories out there, but we also allow the bands to choose their own "keywords" to really describe themselves. I think it empowers the bands, and lets them decide exactly how they want to be labeled. If you want to label yourself as an experimental-funk-gospel-punk band, than go for it.

 

4- If a band/artist is interested in selling their music through your site what do they have to do to get things started?

 

Steve: The first step in selling your music through Indiedrive is to put together your album. A flash-drive album can be made up of MP3's, videos, lyric sheets, pictures, photos, artwork, buddy icons, ringtones - I mean, you name it. We only use 1gig drives, so there is plenty of room to be creative. A band can register right at indiedrive.com and set up their artist page and add their album(s). Once registered, one of our artist reps will contact them and arrange a file transfer. We have several options available to get the files into our database. When someone orders a drive, we fill the order and ship it out, and mail out checks to the bands every month. The cool thing about Indiedrive is the fact that we are in personal contact with every band on our site... we're here to help in any way we can.

 

5- What do see looking ahead for your company? Are their any specific new ideas that your working on now?

 

Steve: Well, we are in phase one right now - so we have a lot of new ideas on the table for phase two. We are trying to offer laser etching on our drives, as well as more choices in drive shapes and sizes. We are currently populating the site, which we expect to take a few months... in that time we would like to see a few hundred bands selling drives at indiedrive.com. We are also always networking and finding new ways to promote the bands selling drives through our site.

 

6- Anything I missed that you would like to share with our readers?

 

Steve: The main thing that I would like to express to anyone interested in trying the whole flash-drive album idea is that it is absolutely free. The idea behind Indiedrive is to create a marketplace where people can browse through flash-drive albums just like they would at any other music store website. We are creating this by empowering the indies, not taking their money. This company was started by independent musicians, and that's really where the heart of Indiedrive is.

 

Girls Don't Cry- 3 Song Promo Review

Artist: Girls Don't Cry
Title: 3 Song Promo
Website: http://www.girlsdontcry.com/
MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/officialgirlsdontcry
Style: Rock/Pop/Electronica
Label: Flatiron Rock
Rating: 8.1 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

Girls Don't Cry, as you might expect from the name, is made up of five female members, Liz Kelly (drums, vocals), Rachael Cornick (keys, vocals), Hannah Fairlight (guitars, vocals), Caitlin Gray (bass, vocals), and Sora-An (guitars, vocals) .

The band has been playing in clubs and venues located throughout the New York City nightlife honing their skills. This three-song promo gives a good snack sized bit of their music. The band says that the three songs found on it are, "Our favorites from over a year and a half of hard work."

The band pulls on several musical styles to create their sound. Track-1 "American Boy," starts out with a Jimi Hendrick's-esque acid rock guitar riff before quickly breaking into a dance pop groove. Track-2 "That's The Sound" is a keyboard rich new wave feeling track with several tempo changes in it. The last track, "Cobain," is an all out rocker with its guitar lead driving beats.

If you're into a Violent Femmes meets the The Go Go's sound then Girls Don't Cry is the band for you.

Late Model Humans- War of the Worlds Review

Artist:  Late Model Humans
Title: War of the Worlds
Website: http://www.latemodelhumans.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/latemodelhuman
CDBaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/lmhumans3
Style: Alternative / Indie / Rock
Rating: 8.2 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

Late Model Humans is a band that's not afraid to walk down their own musical path. On their latest release War of the Worlds the band's songs range from talking about being in Paris on the Eiffel Tower making love to sitting on a bed in a seedy hotel room with a shotgun lying across your body.

 

The songs are set against everything from all out rockers like, "That Texas Girl, "Real, Real Man" and "Sweet Agony" to the country folk ballads, "Tennessee Boy (It's All Over)", and "Honey Belle." You'll also find some retro-sounding moments in several of the songs along with an island rock number, "Invisible Prison."

 

It's the guitar parts that drive the songs along with drumbeats that both mark time and control the tempo of each song. The vocals are solid and hold their own against the strong instrumentation found in the songs.

 

This band has a lot to say and does it well in the songs found on, War of the Worlds. If you like your rock mixed with some Americana and retro ala bands like, The Kinks, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and The Clash then you need to add this CD to your music collection.

 

Oneway-Up- On Our Way Review

Artist: Oneway-Up
Title: On Our Way
Website: http://www.myspace.com/chitownonewayup
CDBaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/onewayup
Style: Blues/Rock
Rating: 8.4 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

This band got its start in 2005 when two different bands came together to form Oneway-Up. Their big lineup includes, Mike Kackos (bass), Gilbert Keller (guitar), Jim Johansen (vocals, keys, guitar), Mike Mackey (harp, vocals, guitar), Lee Medina (lead guitar, vocals), Charlie Watson (drums) and Doug Frazier (guitar).

 

The band's music is a smorgasbord of styles including rock and blues from the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's to present day. They pull on a wide variety of musical influences that includes, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Santana, The Doors , Allman Bros., Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pearl Jam, James Cotton, and Blues Traveler.

 

The songs found on this CD are guitar driven with deep steady drumbeats, spicy harp parts along with booming vocals. The song's subjects are built upon dealing with real life situations and experiences.

 

The songs also vary in tempo with most of them being more upbeat in the blues-rock vain. You'll also find a few melodic ballad tracks.

 

The one song that seemed a little bit out of place is, "In Our Love." I liked the song but it had a 50's slow dance love song feel to it.

 

My favorite song off of the release is track-6, "Oneway-Up." This song is a southern rocker with deep drumbeats, wailing guitars and great harp action.

 

Overall if your a fan of The Blues (Chicago style) and Rock n' Roll then Oneway-Up's On Our Way will have you dancing with joy.

 

Kuwahara- Roam Arrow Review

Artist: Kuwahara
Title: Roam Arrow
Website: http://www.myspace.com/kuwaharasongs
Style: Alternative/ Pop/Rock
Rating: 7.95 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

Kuwahara is, Mike McCarthy (vocals, guitar), Sylvan Maloney (guitar, vocals), Dave Miller (bass, vocals), and Cory Flanigan (drums).

 

Roam Arrow is the band's debut release. On it you'll find a sound that brings to mind bands from the past like The Kinks, Cheap Trick, and The Byrds.

 

The band blends moments of psychedelia like in the song, "Black Light Fashion" along with power pop tracks, "Monterey," and "Romero." The band's music also has an underlying early punk rock swagger that runs throughout the release.

 

One unique thing I found on this release that really caught my attention was the way the band ended the songs. While most bands are content with just a simple stop dead type-ending Kuwahara really put in some extra effort to make sure that the songs end with a bang.

 

Roam Arrow is a really solid effort from the band that should help to get their music out to the masses.

 

Synthar- Evenings and Weekends Review

Artist: Synthar
Title: Evenings and Weekends
Website: http://www.synthar.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/synthar
Style: Electronic Pop/Rock
Rating: 8.7 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

Synthar is longtime friends Johnny Bertram (vocals, laptops, keyboards, guitars) and Matt Basinger (laptops, keyboards, guitars) along with Andrew Best (vocals, laptops, keyboards, bass) and since he moved to China honorary band member Joel Hartse (drums, inspiration).

 

Several of the group's members also have a connection via previous bands that they played in together, Biltus and The Dandelion Method.

 

Evenings and Weekends is the band's debut release. On it you'll find a glorious fusion of synths, keyboards, and electronic drumbeats mixed with gritty rock guitar licks.

 

Unlike a lot of electronic music though this release is filled with vocals that defy you to not listen with their powerful style. On songs like "Hurricane" who's lyrics were written by band member Johnny Bertram after having witnessed both hurricane Rita and Katrina firsthand.

 

Another interesting element is the way tracks 4 and 5 work together. The two songs have a futuristic space flow. Track-4 "047" is a 27 second radio like transmission from control central while track-5, "The Robots are Among Us" acts as the answer to track-4. 

 

"The Robots are Among Us" is rich with the way it intermixes the rock guitar parts, deep bass beats and synth elements all together.

 

I've listened to this release now 3 times the whole way through and I still keep hearing new nuances and elements.  Evenings and Weekends is an impressive debut from Synthar that should be able to launch their musical rocket to the next level.

Dean Strickland- Hitchhiking Guitarman Review

Artist: Dean Strickland
Title: Hitchhiking Guitarman
Website: http://www.deanstrickland.com
Style: Country
Label: Never Die Records
Rating: 8.75 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

Dean Strickland's first full length CD, Hitchhiking Guitarman is a collection of thirteen original songs that Dean has written from his experiences while hitchhiking from show to show in Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and California for over the past two years.

 

Over these 13 songs you'll get to know Dean pretty well. He sings about his life in the songs, of which, a big part of revolves around his faith.

 

Songs like, "I Believe the Lord Has Put Me Here to Sing to You" with lyrics that talk about an angel coming down  from heaven to Dean's mom to let her know that she'd be having a boy and to name him Dean. Along with that he was given the gift from God to sing to the people.

 

You'll also find cowboys sitting around the open fire resting from a long day playing the guitar and singing feel on several of the songs. I think that Dean is a man who would have fit right in if he'd been born and lived in an earlier time period when the west was still wild.

 

On the song, "Why Did Classic Country Music Have to Die?" Dean laments for the older times before Country music got intertwined with Pop and Rock music styles to make it more acceptable for mainstream radio stations to play.

 

Dean's music is clean, honest, crisp, heartfelt and pure country. Nothing fancy or over worked just a man and his guitar making music for the world to hear.

 

I really enjoyed my time spent listening to Dean's original style of Country music that's found on Hitchhiking Guitarman.

Ethanz Ride- Ethanz Ride EP Review

Artist: Ethanz Ride
Title: Ethanz Ride EP
Website: http://www.ethanzride.com
Style: Punk Rock
Rating: 8.4 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

This Orange County, California band got its start in early 2005, since then they have been building a loyal fan base. The band recently had the opportunity to perform at the 2007 Vans Warped Tour.

 

The band's lineup is, Justin (lead vocals), Dustin (bass, bkg vocals), Drew (guitar, bkg vocals), and Rob (drums).

 

Ethanz Ride combines Pop Punk, Rock and Alternative styles of music to form what they call, 'Punk Fusion.'

 

On this seven song self-titled EP you'll find songs that start-off a lot of the time with an almost heavy rock guitar lead in quickly followed by very active punk flavored fast drum beats and expressive vocals.

 

You'll also find some killer bass lines that help drive the songs. One of the best examples of this is found right at the start of the EP on track -1 "That Guy."

 

This EP offers up a nice bite-size taste of the band's music and should continue to get them noticed in music circles.

 

Dave Patten- Fly Away Review

Artist: Dave Patten
Title: Fly Away
Website: http://www.davepatten.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/davepatten 
CDBaby: http://cdbaby.com/cd/davepatten2
Style: Acoustic Rock
Label: Clark Records
Rating: 8.9 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

Fly Away is the follow up to Dave Patten's debut release, Too Close, Too Far. On this release Patten has surrounded himself with longtime friends and musicians, Josh Druhan (electric guitar), Chris Baglivo (bass), Brian Boyle (piano) and session drummer John Whitely.

 

The Havertown, Pennsylvania based group list John Legend, Ben Folds Five, Pink Floyd Led Zeppelin Neil Young, and Coldplay as a few of their musical influences.

 

For the most part the 12 songs found on this release have a soft rock sound with the guitar and piano parts getting their fair share of time at the song's forefront. It's Patten's vocals though that drives the songs home.

 

When I first heard the vocals found on Fly Away I thought that Dave Patten was a little bit older maybe in his late 30's-early 40's because of the little bit of grizzle that his voice has that often comes with a few years on the road. I was surprised to find out that Patten is only in his 20's.

 

Lyrically the songs deal a lot with relationships and dealing with beak ups. Track10, "Taken" a piano ballad is a touching song that deals with death and seeing someone again in Heaven.  Patten's vocals are dripping with pure emotion in the song.

 

When asked about where he gets his inspiration for his songs Patten said, "My emotions drive my song writing. When I'm really enveloped in a particular mood or feeling, I like to sit down at the piano and just bang out chords. I literally slam my hands down on the keys. After awhile something always comes together and I almost always have some idea how to get started on the lyrics..."

 

If you're looking for a nice mid-tempo rock release then Dave Patten's Fly Away will more-then-met your needs. I really liked what I heard on Fly Away and expect to be hearing a lot more from Dave Patten and friends in the future.

 

Red Carpet Rats Interview

Below is a recent interview that we done with Red Carpet Rats' singer Uni:

1. For anyone that hasn't heard your band's music before how would you describe it?

Red Carpet Rats is driving against traffic down a one-way street and yelling, "But we ARE going one way!" kind of music. It's songs to tailgate by. Makes you feel like you're hanging, I believe the criminal term here is loitering, in the parking lot, with one arm around that special someone and the other around your beverage of choice. Mine is Jack Daniels by the way. Yes sir. No deep, introspective, stroke-your-beard-like-you're-listening-to-Radiohead, intended message here. At least not yet. We consider it our moral and civic duty to use any means necessary to help you forget about any harmful toxins that may be in your life. And we're glad to be of service.

2. Who are some of your musical influences?

As a band, our musical influences cover a range wider than the state of Oklahoma. All swinging I might add. And when I say swinging, I mean in a Miles Davis at the supper club in a 3 A.M. jam kind of way. You want our back-story, I'm talking the ups and downs and ins and outs and in betweens of the 20th and 21st century's most slammin' popular music. Singing the praises of heaven movers and ground shakers from Van Morrison to Van Halen. Black Sabbath to The Black Crowes. Not just one, but both Elvises. Or is that Elvi? I'm not sure.

3. What do you hope that peopple take away from listening to your music?

Red Carpet Rats offers good-old fashioned, school's out, big blockbuster, summer fun. It's Will Smith versus the aliens. Russell Crowe against the Romans. The underdog of all underdogs fighting for truth, justice and your entertainment dollar. I like to think that listening to RCR is like riding the Cyclone at Coney Island, where you might feel a little light-headed afterwards, but man it was fun while it lasted.

4.What is the most interesting live show you ever played?

Funny how the mind works. You say interesting, I think excruciating. Ya' see, at one time we were gonna be cool and flirt with some alternate tuned guitars. RCR rocking classically like the Stones. Get our collective Keith on, so to speak. Had a few songs worked up. It was gonna be brilliant. Well... cut to the opening of our show when our fearless lead guitar player McCabe hits the first few chords and gets a "what the hell was that?" look, not only from the rest of the band, but also everyone in attendance. Ok. Gotta roll with the punches to get to what's real, right? And hey, it's not that bad, he can just switch to the guitar that's in the appropriate tuning, can't he? Of course not! Cause our rent-a-roadie-for-the-night got his wires crossed and thought we played all of our songs in that tuning. So here we are mid-song, as McCabe disappears to give someone side stage a piece of his mind and a few other things, while yours truly is left soldiering on with, oh yeah, of course my guitar was also tuned incorrectly! To make a worst-experience-of-my-life story short, we were a three piece for about 4 of the longest minutes in recorded history, sounding like a bad version of a band playing a bad version of a bad Sex Pistols song. I'm nevertheless proud to say that eventually we came out the other side and, after much therapy, have fully recovered, and are now ready to lead relatively happy, semi-productive lives.

5.What music do you avaliable now and where can people buy it?

Right now, we are threatening to release our first full-length RCR CD. It's our maiden voyage into parts unknown. Songs of faith, hope and jealousy. No, that's not the title, but it should be. We're calling it 'The Big Picture'. Just so we don't lose sight, ya' know? And when we are finally ready to unleash the beast onto John and Joan Q. Public, it will be available in all the usual locations. And some of the unusual ones. From iTunes to IHOP, that's our marketing strategy, and also where we get our sense of style.

6.What was the last two band's music that you listened to besides your own?

I've been up to my ears in RCR stuff for the past I don't know how long that unfortunately I haven't really had the chance to give a good listen to much else. And honestly, throughout the recording process specifically, I tried to implement a little something I picked up from producer extraordinaire Michael Wagner, who doesn't listen to anything except what he's working on at the time. Buuuuut, there's always a but, isn't there, now that the record is finished, I've accepted my mission and entered phase one of Operation: Full Media Assault. Sounds all military-like, huh? Nothing to be too afraid of, or maybe it is, it's my own radio show, 'Club Uni', on the U.K. based station Error FM, streaming on www.errorfm.com and airing every Monday at 6 P.M. EST. That's 6 A.M. the next day, for those of you in Bangkok! I'm spinning a lot of pop rock stuff from the way-back and not-so-way-back machine, and looking forward to becoming a hyperactive listener again. Feel free to stop by. I'll leave you + 1 at the door.

7.You mentioned in our earlier e-mails about a Red Carpet Rats comic book that's in development will you tell us alittle bit about that?

A while back, an engineer we were working with once told us that given our vibe, he wouldn't be surprised if one of us could fly. Now normally I'd chalk this kind of talk up to an over abundance of pot smoked in the 90's. However this time I thought, well that's it right there. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! What better way to get the Red Carpet Rats message to the people than that age old purveyor of the superhero credo, the comic book. So after brainstorming a premise, I beat the streets to get a first class company interested in the project. Just dotting the i's and crossing our fingers at this point. With any luck, we'll have a booth at the next Comic Con, sandwiched tightly between Supergirl and the ladies from Sin City!

8.Anything we missed that you want to touch on before we end the interview?

That all depends on what you're wearing! Actually, thanks to you and Indie Music Stop, we're flashing the Batsignal as we speak requesting everyone to be in attendance as we make our way across the map. It's a block party, covering about 65,000 blocks. Dress appropriately. Or as inappropriately as you like. Oh don't worry, the band will be cooking. Look for me, I'll be the one wearing cowboy boots and the 'Kiss Me, I'm The Singer' apron.

Website Links:

http://www.redcarpetrats.com

http://www.myspace.com/redcarpetrats

Tiffany Apan Interview

Below is an interview that I recently done with Tiffany Apan:

Interview:

1. How would you describe your music stylistically?

The style of my music is ambience mixed in with rock and classical vocals. We draw from many different genres and styles of music, but that is the basic gist of the music's style.

2. Will you tell us about your debut release, Poet?

Absolutely! It is an album that came together by my drawing for journal entries and poems that I had written throughout the years hence the name, Poet. This is a very personal album and I believe it is a good introduction to who I am as a person and certain aspects of my life. It is also unique in the sense that the music is such that people have found difficult to place into one particular genre. As a result, the released songs from the album are being played on a wide variety of radio stations ranging from goth to metal to pop to folk/americana and other genres. I love it because it is resulting in me reaching out to a broad range of audiences; people of all ages and all walks of life.

3. Where can people purchase Poet?

It will be available online and in some stores. A few places that I can think of off the top of my head include Amazon, CDBaby, some Borders stores, Dave's Music Mine, and FYE online. A complete list of locations on where to pick up the album will soon be up on my website and myspace.

4. Where does the inspiration come from for your songs?

Life, Love, the world, relationships, breakups, events that have occured in my life, history, the present, the future, EVERYTHING. I'm constantly getting ideas in my mind for new song. Anything can trigger it be it a glance back into an old journal, a news broadcast or current event, or a chat with a friend. I've been writing poems since I was a child and it is the best therapy (for me at least).

5. What is your favorite song that you've written and why?

That's a tough one as all the songs on the album are special to me. But if I had to choose one, I would pick Ashes to Dust. It's what best suits my state of mind at this time:)

6. Do you do many live show?

Well, we are just wrapping up a warm up mini tour for which we played six shows in five cities. We peformed in art galleries, churches, and clubs. Now in 2008, we are kicking off the first half of "A Poet's Labyrinth" Tour which is set to run for January through June and that consists of 12 confirmed shows and 10 cities. For one of those shows, we will be playing a show with the internationally acclaimed prog rock band, Persephone's Dream. We possibly may add one or two more shows on to the January-June tour schedule. The second half set to run from July through November will be announced in April or May.

7. What artist do you enjoy listening to?

There are many- I enjoy many different artists from almost all genres of music. But a few I can pick out include Sarah Brightman, Nightwish, Tarja Turunen, Loreena McKennit, Dead Can Dance, Lacuna Coil, Black Eyed Peas, The Cure, Judy Garland, Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, Celtic Woman, Mandy Moore, Opeth, Frank Sinatra, Bjork, Sade to only name a few.

8. Your bio. includes some acting credits especially in the genre of horror films. I'm curious how did you get involved with that and is acting something that you hope to pursue more in the future?

I've been acting since a very young age. I was involved with local and regional theatre from middle school up until mid college doing shakespeare, musical theatre, and cabaret styled shows. I have also always loved horror movies and I had the opportunity to be in a couple throughout the years. For me, the horror films are a chance to relax, have fun, and hang out with some people I wouldn't have otherwise met. Music is my primary career, but I plan to do some more with film and theatre in the future. I will also be contributing some songs of mine to a couple films, so watch for that;)

9. What's the one non-living thing that you couldn't make it through the day without?

Well on an everyday basis, I would have to say lip balm because even though I'm a big water drinker, my lips get really dry pretty easily. As far as being a singeis concerned, Rowen Poole of the band Persephone's Dream introduced me to a wonderful tea called Throat Coat. Now I'm never without it for a show or recording session along with Vicks and my mini vaporizer:)

10. Anything I missed that you want to tell our readers?

Check out my websites at:
http://www.tiffany-apan.com
http://www.myspace.com/tiffanyapanmusic
http://www.iacmusic.com/tiffanyapan

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Karmic Whiplash- The Nervous System Review

Artist: Karmic Whiplash
Title: The Nervous System
Website: http://www.karmicwhiplash.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/karmicwhiplash
Style: Folk/Rock
Label: City Duck Records
Rating: 8.3 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

Karmic Whiplash got started when Brendan Themes (vocals, acoustic guitar, bass), who had decided to go solo after tiring of playing his bass in punk and metal bands and having to deal with other band members decided to give the band thing another try.

 

He hooked up with multi-instrumentalist Travis Lund (drums, harmonica, electric guitar, banjo) and the two of them got started recording The Nervous System, which the guys say was recorded over a one-year period in various apartments and basements in Minnesota.

 

This release features 10- tracks with a running time of 24 minutes.

 

Their MySpace page list their musical influences as, Violent Femmes, Ani DiFranco, and Billy Bragg.

 

Even though Brendan may have left his punk roots for a softer sound you can still hear a punk meets folk rock music in several of the songs with their fast beats and robust acoustic guitar strumming.

 

For the most parts the songs are lively and focus on the vocals, which at times deal with quirky issues. The songs also feature very controlled drum parts that are often soft and melted into the background of the songs. I also liked the little punches of extras that come from the harmonica.

 

Karmic Whiplash's The Nervous System offered enough to keep my attention and is a pretty-well-done project from the duo.

Alien Father- Paste Review

Artist: Alien Father
Title: Paste
Website: http://www.myspace.com/alienfather
Style: Avant Punk Rock
Label: Brother and Brother Records
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

The lineup for Alien Father is, Dave Hallinger (vocals,guitar,synth,bass), Curtis Regian (bass, synth,guitar), and Mike Topley(drums). The band is currently based out of Boston, Massachusetts.

 

The music found on their release, Paste is definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea. It's so distinctive in style that your either going to love or hate it.

 

Paste features 23 tracks of music that the band says is "...the culmination of their first year and a half of existence". Even with all of those tracks though the total running time for this release is only 40 minutes, with several of the songs lasting for only a minute or two.

 

The music is built on a base of punk with a lot of experimental elements added in to create the unique mix. This stuff is definitely on the experimental side with its twist and turns.

 

I kept hearing this squealing noise that sounded like a pig getting stuck and couldn't figure out what it was untill I visited the band's website and followed a link found there to a short video that the band made. On it they describes how they uses a bow to play the guitar to get this unusual sound.

 

The songs and their lyrics have that punk attitude and brought words like, total chaos, anarchy, revolution, pissed-off, and insane to mind while listening to them.

 

If you're looking for something in the punk vein with a lot of extra on the edge elements then Alien Father's Paste is for you.

 

Vary Lumar- Waiting Room Review

Artist: Vary Lumar
Title: Waiting Room
Website: http://www.varylumar.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/varylumar

Style: Rock
Rating: 8.4 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

Vary Lumar was formed in 2004 by Paul De Pasquale (vocals, guitar), and Rob Fusco (drums, fx). Later Ben Case (guitar, effects), and Rob Laff (bass) joined to round out the quartet.

 

Waiting Room is the band's debut release and the follow up to their EP The Cold Heart Bru Hah Hah released in 2006.

 

Vary Lumar's music seems to be following a growing trend of taking rock music and stretching its boundaries to create unique new styles of the genre.

 

On Waiting Room they take a base of rock and add in progressive and modern rock elements along with psychedelic and experimental to achieve their band's style of rock music.

 

The band refers to their music style as being 'Pre- Apocalyptic Psychedelic Rock.' When asked about their material band member Paul De Pasquale described it as being, "Watercolor Chaos."

 

The band's music is driven by wailing guitars and drum beats that like to run free in the songs, along with the occasional sound effect added in to give the songs that little extra punch.

 

The band likes to use repetitive chords along with repeated vocals that add an almost echoing effect to the songs. While most of the songs have driving tempos the band also mixes in the occasional more melodic track for a change of pace along with several instrumental tracks.

 

The band has a lot to say and gets a lot of it off of their chest in the 13 tracks found on Waiting Room.

 

Overall Waiting Room is a solid release that offers a lot for the listener to take in while still rocking your socks off.

 

intodown- Brave New World Review

Artist: intodown
Title: Brave New World
Website: http://www.intodown.com/
CDBaby: http://cdbaby.com/cd/intodown
Style: Progressive Rock/ Psychedelic
Rating: 8.2 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

Michael Clark leads the musical cast that also includes a rotation of several musicians playing bass and drum parts found on Brave New World.

 

Clark wears many hats on this release that include, guitarist, composer, and producer.

 

As an old car ad use to say, 'This isn't your dad's Oldsmobile' intodown isn't your normal music. Clark's music is a built upon a base of progressive rock along with big heapings of psychedelic, stoner, 60's guitar rock, blues, and experimental mixed in to create a very unique sound.

 

They want their music to be more then a singular sound intodown wants to, 'create a world of sound, a musical journey'.

 

The music found on Brave New World has a dark almost industrial sound that always is there lurking in the background while Clark's guitar playing keeps you mesmerized. The music has the feeling of always being on the edge of total chaos but manages to never crossover the line into musical madness.

 

For the most part Brave New World is instrumental minus the occasional low-tone vocals or haunting background words.

 

This release lets you hear what music can sound like when not under the, keep it short for radio play rule. 7 and 8-minute songs are the norm with both the 12 minutes ( "Nostradamous") and 20 minutes medley ( "Fire", "V", "Revolution","Message Understood", "The Mission, "Revolution 2" "Voice of the Past")

 

If you're looking for epic music where the psychedelic past of the 60's meets up with a dark futuristic industrial sound, that is dripping with great guitar work, then you need to get intodown's Brave New World.

 

Brave New World isn't an easy listen but if you're willing to spend the time and take this musical thrill ride you will be justly rewarded.

Patrick Coman- An Audience of One EP Review

Artist: Patrick Coman
Title: An Audience of One EP
Website: http://www.myspace.com/patrickcoman
Style: Folk/Rock/Country
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

Patrick Coman is a singer/songwriter from Tulsa Oklahoma. His new EP An Audience Of One, features 5 original songs. Patrick has been involved in music and bands since the age of 17 and lists his musical influences as, Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams, Josh Rouse, The Black Crowes, Gram Parsons, Drive-By Truckers, Rolling Stones, and Noel Gallagher.

 

This release takes more of a hard edge then his previous acoustic work. The first four songs found on, An Audience of One, are filled with lively guitar parts and steady drumbeats. The vocals are gritty and emotional dealing with the down and dirty side of life while still keeping a slight glimpse of optimism in them.

 

Patrick (guitar, vocals) is also joined by Erin Nelson (drums, vocals) and Nashville veteran Steve Goodie (upright bass) on track-5 "Maria."

 

While the first four tracks are more rock-flavored track-5 "Maria" goes more of folk/rock ballad ala Bob Dylan for its sound.

 

This release has that little extra musical swagger to it that starts right from the release's cover that is a picture of an outdoor show with only one fan in the audience whipping the bird.

 

I like my music with a little side order of grit and gumption ala Steve Earle so Patrick Coman's An Audience of One EP hit the right spot for me.

Time Life's Songs 4 Ever Collection - Worship Review

Artist: Time Life's Songs 4 Ever Collection
Title: Worship
Website: http://www.timelife.com
Style: Praise & Worship
Rating: 8 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

Time Life's Songs 4 Ever is a 10 CD set but I've decided to review each CD found in the set individually. Last time we reviewed the CD Shout from the boxed set.

 

While Shout was more about loud and rocking music for the young or young at heart Worship is more for reflective type worship.

 

The fifteen songs that are found on Worship are ones that you 'd hear being sung during a Sunday morning or evening church service.

 

The songs fall more into the melodic and rich range with strings, organs and flutes found in them. The songs also feature rich vocal harmonies and choir like parts.

 

Worship features artist, Chris Tomlin, New Life Worship, Passion Worship Band, Hillsong, Delirious?, Robin Mark, Marty Nystorm, Don Moen, Twila Paris, Integrity Worship, Newsong, Graham Kendrick, and Kathryn Scott .

 

This release is one that you put in your stereo, get down on your knees, and spend time in worship.

 

Cougar Magnum- Green EP Review

Artist: Cougar Magnum
Title: Green EP
Website: http://www.cougarmagnum.com
Style: Jam/Rock
Rating: 8 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

 

Cougar Magnum started out in September 2006 hailing from the city of Raleigh, North Carolina and is comprised of, Shane Smith (guitar, vocals, harmonica), Brandon McLean (guitar, vocals, kazoo), Alex Shepherd drums, vocals), John Federal (bass, vocals) and Tim Lee (keys, vocals).

 

The band combines many elements to achieve their sound found on their first release the Green EP. The 5 tracks (1.Emily's Song, 2.The Outer Banks, 3.The Trail, 4. Jump In, 5. Felix Chesapeake) do have some things in common including a light and fun feeling that runs throughout.

 

You'll also find an ever-present drum beat that is built upon with free flowing dual guitar parts, and smooth keyboard work along with layered vocal harmonies. Several of the songs also feature nice little extras like whistling and harmonica.

 

On their website the band says that their name comes from, the cougar-cat and magnum-condom.

 

The Green EP offers the listener a nice big bite sized morsel of the band's music.

 

The band also has an interesting court case about to happen. In the spring of 2007 they competed in a Battle of the Bands and won. They were suppose to win $400 cash, 20 hours of studio time, a promotional deal, and a guaranteed gig at a large event however all they ended up getting was the cash.

 

So they turned to TV justice and will be appearing before TV Judge Greg Mathis on January 23rd. That episode of the show is scheduled to then air in February or March.