NASH - BLACK SUIT, WHITE SUIT EP

Nash is probably best known for his work with Electric Six.  For those of you who don't know Johnny Na$hinal... he's also known as the White Wolf.  He's lead guitarist and this is his solo project.  It's a self release and you won't find it in stores.  You can, however, order it through bandcamp or pick it up at a show he's playing.

Let me first say, I sometimes have a hard time being objective when it comes to Electric Six and some of the side projects band members are involved in.  I love the music they release and because of that, I tend to lump the side project material in with their main body of work.

That being said, I like most of what I hear on this disc.  But I do find a couple of things distracting.  The tempo can be a bit slow.  I want it to speed up.  Especially on 'The Sound Of Ghosts'.  My other complaint is the echo on the vocals.  In my experience, overuse of the echo effect is because the vocalist doesn't feel confident.  That may be the reason for it here.  Too often, Nash's voice is completely lost in the mix.  He sounds so far away, it's hard to connect to the music. 

'Children Of Doom' is an interesting tune.  It starts off with a deep bass guitar motif that reminds me of 'Dance-A-Thon 2005'.  It's also interesting to note the inclusion of lyrics such as "Saturday" and "Knife Fight" which have all recently also appeared on music released by E6 bandmate, Christopher Tait on his side project, Belle Ghoul.  He sings the song with a breathy vocal and the echo effect is there.  With the deeper tones, a faster speed would give the song some energy.  However, those deeper tones also make you instinctively slow things down.  Minor chords and sounds often do.  

'Phone It In' is next and this track is pure bliss.  It starts off sounding like some Spanish guitar playing and it transitions into a conglomerate of sound mixing live and programmed drum sounds together along with some excellent mixing of guitar sound.  'The Sound Of Ghosts' is both lyrically and musically a great idea from start to finish.  The vocal arrangement and timing is similar to the lyrics of E6's 'Waste Of Time And Money'.  

'Mindy Kisses Stars' has a great beat, nice music...  It's followed by 'Black Suit, White Suit'.  Once again, you get some Spanish guitar up front.  Very acoustic and reminiscent of something you'd hear from early Adam And The Ants.  I actually like this number quite a bit.  It's got a lot of character and feel.  Next up is 'Good Times' and this is by far the best song on the disc.  This is one I'll be including on playlists for awhile from now on.  It's got a marvelous blend of synth sounds, guitars and drum tracks.  I can't praise this one enough.

The final track is 'Love Design'.  It starts off sounding like an early 80's new wave number.  I hear The Cars...  And finally, we hear Nash's voice without too much echo effect.  The vocal arrangement leaves a lot of room for animated punctuation, but Nash pulls his punches.  He seems almost embarrassed to animate his vocals.  He's hesitant, but that's not unusual.  It's not always easy to transition from singing backup to being the front man.  I really like this EP and I like what Nash is doing.  All of the reasons he's one of the main songwriters for Electric Six are here.  He's got great ideas, excellent timing musically and he comes up with some amazing melodies.  The tunes are fun and enjoyable to listen to.  I actually listen to this disc a lot while I'm driving.  

I want to hear more!  It would be interesting to see if Nash decides to put a full length project together.  The material is there...  The songwriting is there...  The musicianship is there...  Do it!

My final words:  A SOMETIMES WHISPY, BUT MOSTLY STRONG MUSICAL FORAY LEAVING ONE HUNGRY FOR MORE!  PLEASE, NASH, CAN WE HAVE SOME MORE???

NASH - BLACK SUIT, WHITE SUIT EP
01. Children Of Doom
02. Phone It In
03. The Sound Of Ghosts
04. Mindy Kisses Stars
05. Black Suit, White Suit
06. Good Times
07. Love Design

BOOK OF LOVE - BOOK OF LOVE

I think the thing I liked the most about Book Of Love when I first heard them was how similar their music was to the music I was writing at the time.  And the many friends and musicians around me.  We had similar keyboards and sound banks.  They used very simple drum machines and drum patterns to create catchy and often very dance able tracks.  The lyrics were right in line with most of the British New Wave that was filtering in except this band was American.  They were definitely more European in sound and appearance.

I think this was their first album and it contains a whole slew of memorable and popular tracks.  The very first track, 'Modigliani (Lost In Your Eyes)' begins with a swelling synth chorus and then a pounding drum drops in and we're off.  Another wonderful trick Book Of Love were really good at was the inclusion of bell sounds.  Those sweet tinkling sounds so many people find enchanting.  More recently, Owl City have developed a similar musical sense.  They use a lot of clear bells and chimes to create magic in their music.  So right off the bat, you've got a track that is very sweetly drawing you in.  Susan Ottaviano, the lead singer, has a very deadpan vocal delivery that allows the music to swell and cascade around her like white chocolate drizzle.  She's the somewhat bitter punch that grounds the music and keeps it from spiraling out of orbit and flying away.

Track 2 is 'You Make Me Feel So Good' and it's another upbeat, bell encrusted creation with catchy hooks and even more catchy lyrics.  Thus far, you can't find fault with anything that's happening here.  It's delightful without crossing over into that strange place where Americans sound like they're copying a British sound.  so much of what this group actually does can be traced back to the American roots of 80's New Wave.  You can hear the influence of Talking Heads, The Cars and Missing Persons in the way Ottaviano delivers her vocals.  'Still Angry' starts out with a heavier drum track than the previous songs.  The music is also more subdued and simple.  The focus is on the rhythm track.  As you can guess, this track is more negative and aggressive than the previous two.  Still, the group never crosses the line into a purely aggressive form of music.  The lilting bells are still present in this number.

The first ballad of the album, 'White Lies' is up next and it starts with a very simple progression you can literally hear playing at a high school dance.  Even though it's slower, the delicate sound the group has developed carries through.  Once again, more bells.  Absolutely genius use and very effective.  'Lost Souls' starts off with the sound of Chinese gongs and some straining synth lines.  Then it veers off into something I don't like initially.  It starts to sound a bit generic.  It uses drum sounds that were fairly common at the time.  Once again, the bells eventually kick in playing the melody and Ottaviano begins to sing and we find some footing in the song.  The build is nice, but on this particular track, there's a lot of starts and stops with different motifs and though you might call it a more complex piece, it suffers from the transitions.  

'Late Show' is an instrumental and for what it is, it's actually quite interesting.  It maintains a steady rhythm.  It's a little too fast...  You want to slow it down, but it's still enjoyable.  And now, boys and girls, we have my favorite song on the album, 'I Touch Roses'!  Once again, we have lovely bells ringing all through the song and it's sheer perfection.  The drum track is compelling.  They use a guitar sample to heighten the beat and it's delightful.  There's even some xylophone thrown in.  It's a fantastic song that leaves you feeling good and what more could you ask for from a tune?  'Yellow Sky' is next and it starts off with an oriental feel that carries on throughout the song.  The most striking thing about this track is the fact Ottaviano actually sings this one and spends more time hitting higher notes then she has on all the previous tracks.  It's followed by my second most favorite number on this disc, 'Boy'.  Although this song actually speaks a lot to gender identity and sexual confusion.  Especially when you consider it's written by a guy.  I could go on for awhile about this one, but I won't.  Suffice it to say, it certainly found a very specific audience.  And btw, bells, bells, bells...

'Happy Day' is track number 10 and even though the tinkling continues, there's a harpsichord sound giving this song a paisley psychedelic feel.  There's some echo on the vocal delivery accentuating the hippy dippy trippiness of the music.  Still, I like the song!  'Die Matrosen' starts off sounding like a boy scout jamboree and then devolves into something that musically resembles a Missing Persons creation before those scouts whistling return...  They're spread throughout the track so be prepared.  There's a dramatic shift in this song from major to minor movements.  It's actually a lot of fun.  'Book Of Love' is technically the last song on the album.  It rounds the disc off nicely and seals the deal.  Book Of Love have delivered a consistent and enjoyable album you can listen to all the way through without getting bored or skipping tracks.

My CD features another five tracks, but they're all mixes and 12" single releases.  It's awesome to have them included.  The first is 'Modigliani (Lost In Your Eyes) (I Dream Of Jeanne Mix)'.  I believe this was the 12" extended version of the song.  It's followed by 'Modigliani (Requiem Mass)'....  This is a version of the song that could actually be performed by bell ringers.  It's a quiet, instrumental but still enjoyable.  Track 15 is 'You Make Me Feel So Good (Flutter Mix)'.  Like the previous two mixes, this one stays fairly close to the original number.  It doesn't get crazy.  Still, these extended versions of songs you liked were always great fun to have back in the day.  It's followed by 'I Touch Roses (Long Stemmed Version)' which is code for extended mix.  And this is probably the best of the bunch.  Love it.  Finally, we round the disc out with 'Boy (Extended Mix)'.  This one is fairly straight forward.  No beating around the bush, it's just longer.  And there's nothing wrong with that.

I'm not sure how successful Book Of Love were, but as far as I'm concerned, it wasn't enough.  I think this band was largely overlooked and sadly, never garnered the attention they deserved.  This album was delightful, fun and easy to sing along with.  It had all the ingredients to be a huge hit!  I'm guessing the record company didn't put much money in promoting them and that's why they never achieved international status.  For those of us who discovered them and followed along for the ride, Book Of Love gave us some of the most memorable and personal songs of our youth.  My final words:  AN UNSUNG 80'S CLASSIC!  REDISCOVER THIS GEM!!!

BOOK OF LOVE - BOOK OF LOVE
01. Modigliani (Lost In Your Eyes)
02. You Make Me Feel So Good
03. Still Angry
04. White Lies
05. Lost Souls
06. Late Show
07. I Touch Roses
08. Yellow Sky
09. Boy
10. Happy Day
11. Die Matrosen
12. Book Of Love
13. Modigliani (Lost In Your Eyes) (I Dream Of Jeanne Mix)
14. Modigliani (Requiem Mass)
15. You Make Me Feel So Good (Flutter Mix)
16. I Touch Roses (Long Stemmed Version)
17. Boy (Extended Mix)

ELECTRIC SIX - MIMICRY AND MEMORIES

Usually when I get a new CD I spend some time with it before I write a review.  I let the music kinda permeate and soak in before I attempt to share an opinion of it.  But I'm not gonna be able to do that with this album.  I've been waiting for it for almost a year and when I picked it out of my mailbox this afternoon, I just about lost it.  I dumped it straight into my truck and hit the road.  Had to drive to experience this amazing double disc release...  And let me tell you, it really is AMAZING!!!!

For those of you who aren't familiar with Electric Six, do a search of my blog and you can read reviews of other albums the band has released.  As for this beauty...  It was the result of a Kickstarter campaign and you could only get the disc if you participated.  For those of you who didn't, you're kinda outta luck.  The band won't print anymore copies and they won't sell them online, in stores or at shows.  This was your one and only chance.  I guess copies might show up on eBay or other sites, but I'm guessing they'll run you a pretty penny by the time they show up.

Anyway, for those of you who didn't get it, here's what you're missing...  There are two discs:  Mimicry (comprised of covers the band recorded); and Memories (a selection of demos, outtakes, unused tracks, single tracks and anything the band wanted to put out there).

The first track on the Mimicry disc is 'I Got The Six'.  Written by Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, this track is from ZZ Top's 1983 "Eliminator" album.  This is a great song to start the album off with.  E6 doesn't pull any punches on this one, but they also don't do anything strange or unusual.  This is a very straightforward rockin' version of the original track.  The biggest difference is the inclusion of keyboards on E6's version.  I also think E6's version is more substantial.  There's a bigger feel to it and it's more satisfying.  Although ZZ Top really rock this number, all recordings of the song I've heard sound thin and old.  The fuller production and larger sound make this a track ZZ Top should reconsider updating.  It still packs an enormous punch.

The second track is 'Easy Lover'.  This chart topping hit is a duet between Philip Bailey and Phil Collins.  The two share writing credits along with Nathan East.  It's taken from Bailey's 1984 album, "Chinese Wall" and I very much doubt there's a single person who lived in the 80's that wasn't aware of this song.  I was never a huge fan of it back then and I was a bit suspicious when it turned up here.  But Dick Valentine and crew deftly turn it out in E6 style and make it a song that could easily be a standard for them.  Although it's better not to be known for covers.  It's followed by a song I've never heard before.  A little research shows the track was written by Donnie Iris and Mark Avsec.  It was originally released on Donnie Iris And The Cruisers' 1992 album "Out Of The Blue".  I listened to the original and it sounds familiar.  It reminds me of something I might have heard back in the early 80's.  Maybe even some early Cars.  But it's a bit strange and goofy.   E6 take the camp out and deliver an anthem rock version.  Once again, it stays true to the original, but Valentine is more convincing singing this song than Donnie Iris.  Giorgio Moroder and David Bowie teamed up on the next number, 'Cat People (Putting Out Fire)'.  This creepy track is taken from the soundtrack to a 1982 film I never saw.  And haven't even heard about.  I checked out the original version and I have to say...  Yikes.  It was around this time Bowie was transitioning to 80's pop icon with his hit record, "Let's Dance".  But this precursor is a bit on the "ummmmmm, what???" side.  This is the first track E6 offer us a drastically different version than the original.  And it rocks!  It is vastly superior and a great example of how a song can be great with a different arrangement.

'Do You Love Me?' is from Kiss' 1976 album, "Destroyer".  Written by Paul Stanley, Kim Fowley and Bob Ezrin; this was a dynamic song that sounds a  bit dated.  Much like ZZ Top's 'I Got The Six'.  E6 restore it to stadium rock status with this exuberant cover.  So far, I think all of the covers have been just as good as or better than the originals.  Michael Melchiondo Jr, and Aaron Freeman are credited with writing 'Buckingham Green' from Ween's 1997 album, "The Mollusk".  I always thought this song was a bit thin, but grandiose.  In this case, I'm not sure which version is superior, but Valentine delivers a creepy vocal performance worthy of the creepiness of the song and the production value on E6's version is far superior to Ween's.  

Next up is a track E6 played last year on tour.  It was an encore number and supporting act, Yip Deceiver would join on vocals.  Taken from 1987's "Tango In The Night", 'Everywhere' is Christine McVie's contribution to Fleetwood Mac's record and although I've excitedly waited for this song more than any other, I'm not as thrilled with it as I wanted to be.  And here's why...  Musically, it stays true to the Fleetwood Mac version and that's great!  It's an amazing song you probably shouldn't mess with.  Tait's keyboards are spot on.  But, this studio recording was done with Yip Deceiver and the shared vocals don't really cut it here.  I love both bands and I hate saying this.  But I'd much rather hear Valentine on all verses.  His deeper tone somehow suits the song far better than Yip Deceiver's higher sound.  Still, the music is flawless.  Written by Per Gessle, 'The Look' is taken from Roxette's breakthrough 1988 record, "Look Sharp!"  I didn't mind this Swedish duo, but I didn't like them either.  Most of my friends picked up this record but I skipped it.  I really thought they were a copy cat band.  Of all the tracks on this first disc, this is the one I think is completely out of place.  It just doesn't fit in here.  It's hard to judge covers of songs that were released as singles and were successful for their original artists.  It's more exciting to find an obscure song from a group and breathe new life into it.  E6 tackle some big hits here and this one is probably the only one I feel like they fail on.  There's no way you can convert this piece of pop fluff into a song you'd want to hear Dick Valentine sing.  I'm disappointed to say it, but waste of a track.  I would've picked something more funk or R&B oriented for this number.  Valentine has proven he's got the chops for some heavy funk.  Much better direction.

'Girls Want To Be With The Girls' kicks in and I think to myself, "That's a right jaunty jig!"  This David Byrne composition appears on Talking Heads 1978 album, "More Songs About Buildings And Food".  The Talking Heads are one of the bands who defined New Wave sound in the 80's.  The art-centric lyrics and descriptions David Byrne litters his songs with was copied by many acts following behind and the genius of his work is given new life in this fun and full version.  I love what E6 has done here and I can't praise this number enough.  Pure brilliance.  In 1988, Weird Al Yankovic released his record, "Even Worse" and the second track was an original tune he wrote called, 'Stuck In A Closet With Vanna White'.  To his credit, Yankovic treats this campy number as seriously as he can.  He tries to deliver a serious vocal, but it gets washed away in the 70's piano stylings and bland music production.  E6 keep the slamming keys, but they filter them through a wall of screaming guitar!  After years of singing songs dealing with suspect subject matter, Valentine gives us the energetic rock vocal Yankovic always intended for this song.  It doesn't feel stuck in a foregone decade...  It reaches out, grabs you by the balls and drags you screaming into the closet right next to Dick and Vanna.  Whew!  You could blow a gasket here.

Tomas Ford's 2014 album, "An audience with Tomas Form" is an interesting piece of music.  I haven't heard the whole thing, but I sampled it on Amazon.  E6's cover of 'Rockets' starts out sounding like a theme from a 1950's suspense film.  It gradually moves into a more sinister rendition.  Compared to the original minimalist version, E6 once again fill a rather empty room with strong and sparkling sound.  Easily the better version, I quite love this song and I'd be interested in hearing a collaboration between E6 and Ford in the future.  The last track on this first disc is the Mike Reno, Paul Dean penned track, 'Turn Me Loose' from Loverboy's 1980 self-titled album.  I remember the song and I remember Loverboy.  For whatever reason, I remember thinking Loverboy wanted to take over where Queen left off.  The lead singer hits some powerful, high notes.  I always like the fact Loverboy included keyboards in their band make up and so prominently in their arranging; but they were too much of a hair band for my taste.  E6 takes this wimpy 80's scrapped gel rock number and provides it with a deep and urgent feel Loverboy would kill to achieve!

So I'm very positive and happy with everything I heard on the first disc barring 'The Look', now let's talk about the Memories disc.  This one has more songs, but they're shorter.  This disc is the follow-up to "Sexy Trash".  Another album of demos, outtakes, rarities and more.  I'll go through this one more quickly.  The opening track is the 'Exterminate Tour Intro'.  I didn't see that tour, but this intro makes me wish I had.  It's an interesting blend of various tracks.  I'm assuming the band actually came in right as the track ends with a whomp!  Next up, is 'Dance Epidemic (XFM Session)'.  XFM is a radio station in the UK and bands often go on and play live songs.  This is a track the band played on that show.  No. #3 is 'Typical Sagittarius'.  This is a song that didn't make the final cut for "Zodiac".  I love it!  At one point, the band made the song free to download.  You could've picked it up then, but it's wonderful to have it on a CD.  'The Sheik Don't Lie' is a frenzied number.  There's no information on where this song actually comes from, but it's an interesting number and cool to hear.  'Taxi 2 Nowhere (Demo)' is an alternate version of the one that was released.  It's basically a different vocal take.  The released version of that song always sounded like a demo anyway.  'Shortlove' is up next and this is another song with no information.  I love this song!  The guitar is fantastic and the drum machine is pretty cool here too.  The subject matter reminds me of a song that's similar but sounds nothing like it...  George Michael's 'Fastlove'.

The next track is 'Night Vision (Demo)'.  It's an acoustic demo and it's stripped down to the bare essentials.  Valentine's voice is still stunning and compelling on this track.  There's a frenzy to the strumming that was later filled in with the drum track.  I love this demo!  I actually like this version of the song almost as much as I like the released track.  Taken from the 1968 album, "Aerial Ballet", Harry Nilsson's 'One' is next.  This track was originally intended for the Mimicry disc.  Why it shows up here isn't explained.  But let me say...  The original of this song is very sad and soft.  Three Dog Night had a hit covering it, but they didn't do anything quite like what E6 achieve here.  They take a sad and depressing song and turn it into a rockin' jam!  So much better!  Absolute excellence!

'I Don't Speak French (Demo)' is kinda exciting to see here as the released version of the track is actually from Dick Valentine's solo effort "Destroy The Children".  Very cool to hear a demo of this song.  Love, love, love it.  'I Can Translate' was a bonus download track for "Zodiac".  I think the group also put this one up for a free download but I could be wrong.  I downloaded this song somewhere and I really like it.  Initially I felt uneasy listening to it because the guitar is quite piercing when you play the song loud, but there's so many great elements to the song it's easy to see past it.  The main keyboard line is borrowed from another song, but I'm not quite putting my finger on which one.  'My Struggle With Heroin' is another song we don't know much about.  It's got a demo quality to it, but it's still a fun track.  This song reminds me of Prince's "Dirty Mind" era.  It's got that raw sound and feel.  'Free Samples (Demo)' is a more acoustic rock version of the released track.  Still, this was one of the songs I really loved on "Heartbeats And Brainwaves" so there's nothing bad about hearing this alternate version.  I still love it!  

'Badass' is another song without any information.  It's quite rockin'.  It does feature a drum machine pattern playing under the guitar.  Percussion World's playing would certainly fill this song out and make it richer.  It's still got some potential and I'd love to hear a finished version.  'Gay Bar (Live At Manumission Ibiza 2004)' was actually released on one of the UK singles for 'Radio Ga Ga'.  It's still nice to have it here for those who weren't able to get copies of the single.  Holly Knight and Nick Gilder wrote 'The Warrior' from Scandal Featuring Patti Smyth's 1984 album, "Warrior".  This would be another cover I expected to be on the first disc, but here it is.  This was a big hit for the band and although I really love E6, I have to give props to the original on this one.  Their cover is passable, but it doesn't equal the intensity the original inspires.

'Dancing Like An Idiot' is a Dick Valentine demo.  It's from the Wildbunch days but this demo makes me think he re-purposed it for another project.  Possibly for one of his solo records.  The recording sounds newer with much better production.  'Technical Difficulties' is basically Valentine playing with a song idea while tuning or sound checking his guitar.  It's quite humorous and interesting to hear him in an unguarded moment like this.  A rare treat.  'Slices Of You (Demo)' is an interesting demo.  Once again, you get a fun drum machine track playing underneath a scorching guitar.  Another song I adore and it's terrific fun to hear this demo version.  The funk guitar part in the middle is absolutely worth the listen.

'Turn It Up (Demo)' is an early version of 'I Wish This Song Was Louder'.  There's another demo on "Sexy Trash" with the same title, but I haven't listened to them back to back to see if their are similarities.  'Strike While The Iron Is Hot (Demo)' is another song that appears on "Sexy Trash".  This version is a little different.  Another one I'll have to listen to back to back and see what the differences are.  According to their Kickstarter update page, 'Ziggy' was a song they wrote especially for the "Absolute Treasure/Pleasure" project.  But it was never released.  It's exciting to see it here.  This song would've fit in nicely on "Zodiac".  And I can tell it wasn't completely finished.  Live, I bet this number would've rocked the joint!  It's a strange track and I suspect it's based on David Bowie's character Ziggy Stardust.  I need to listen to it a few more times before I'm sure.

The next three tracks were all songs written for but not included on the last album, "Human Zoo".  'Fucking In Another Man's Clothes' is totally brilliant and I can honestly say, leaving this one off the album was a huge mistake!  It's incredible and would've fit in nicely with the flavor of "HZ".  'Suitcases' starts off sounding like a strange dusty lounge act playing in a dirty bar in Mexico.  But the odd groove and lyrics are oddly intoxicating.  There's a vivid story happening here.  Another song I need to listen to a few times.  'Wikileaks' is the final "Human Zoo" leftover.  This song combines the acoustic and the electric quite seamlessly and it's another track I would've enjoyed greatly on the album.  I find it incredibly sad so many good songs get set aside when a band is recording an album.  These outtakes are strong and well written.  I'm not sure why they decided not to use them.

The last two tracks I'm including in this review are two you actually get as a bonus download.  'White Eyes (October 2008 Demo)' was announced as part of the Memories disc but then left off.  It's basically just an instrumental of the album track.  Same for 'Bleed For The Artist (December 2009 Demo)'.  I think the band decided they didn't add much to the Memories disc so they left them off.  But because they'd initially announced they would be included, they threw them to you as a bonus.

After a long wait, I finally got my new music and I can honestly tell you, I'm very happy with what I've received.  E6 is one group who believes in putting value in their releases.  This really was an effort to give something back to their fans and I must say, they succeeded!  My final words for this already long, long review:  GOLD STARS ON EACH BAND MEMBERS' FOREHEAD!!!!  IT MAY NOT BE #1 ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS, BUT IT'S #1 IN MY PLAYER FOR A LONG TIME TO COME!!  I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU MISSED THIS ONE...

ELECTRIC SIX - MIMICRY AND MEMORIES
MIMICRY DISC 1
01. I Got The Six
02. Easy Lover
03. Ah! Leah!
04. Cat People
05. Do You Love Me?
06. Buckingham Green
07. Everywhere
08. The Look
09. Girls Want To Be With The Girls
10. Stuck In A Closet With Vanna White
11. Rockets
12. Turn Me Loose
MEMORIES DISC 2
01. Exterminate Tour Intro
02. Dance Epidemic (XFM Session)
03. Typical Sagittarius
04. The Sheik Don't Lie
05. Taxi 2 Nowhere (Demo)
06. Shortlove
07. Night Vision (Demo)
08. One
09. I Don't Speak French (Demo)
10. I Can Translate
11. My Struggle With Heroin
12. Free Samples (Demo)
13. Badass
14. Gay Bar (Live At Manumission Ibiza 2004)
15. The Warrior
16. Dancing Like An Idiot
17. Technical Difficulties
18. Slices Of You (Demo)
19. Turn It Up (Demo)
20. Strike While The Iron Is Hot (Demo)
21. Ziggy
22. Fucking In Another Man's Clothes
23. Suitcases
24. Wikileaks
25. White Eyes (October 2008 Demo) (Digital Download)
26. Bleed For The Artist (December 2009 Demo) (Digital Download)

ROMEO VOID - WARM, IN YOUR COAT

For awhile there I was picking up 80's CD's and if there was a song I liked and I found the disc, I'd buy it.  More times than not, I shot myself in the foot spending money on some of these records.  I'd love one song and hate the rest of the record.

This album was one of those.  I loved 'Never Say Never' but couldn't get into the rest of the record.  So now, all these years later, I put the album on and let it go.  I wanted to see if my initial reaction had changed.

I don't think I gave this group a fair shot back then and I know why...  I started listening to this record and there's a saxophone featured dominantly in the music.  Because of this, I almost wrote the album off.  At the time, sax seemed to be overdubbed on everything.  I wanted to tell the band enough was enough.  The sax is overrated and annoying.  I think I'd have enjoyed it more if that damn sax wasn't in the music.  Their music just doesn't lend itself to that instrument.

However, despite the flagrant use of the horn, I actually started listening to other qualities in these songs and I was a little shocked.  Romeo Void fit into the California style of new wave that emerged from late 70's Punk rock with bands like the Go-Go's, Blondie, Missing Persons and the Cars.  This branch of New Wave still relied heavily on traditional instruments.  The new sound came from radical changes in the way songs were written, arranged and sung.  It was innovating.  These groups were constantly challenging the definition of popular music.

Musically, Romeo Void is a band with a lot of interesting melodies and song ideas.  Where they dropped the ball is a debatable topic.  No matter how many bands hired female singers, only those with unique voices convincingly  fronted New Wave bands.  Although she's an interesting vocal arranger, Debora Iyall's voice couldn't drive the band beyond the singular success of the single, 'Never Say Never', (arguably her best performance with the band).  They had one song on the hot 100, 'A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing), but that success fizzled out almost as quickly as it came.  Seeing an overweight woman fronting a band was a shock the band relied on heavily to gain exposure.  But no matter how many people tuned in to see her perform, the interest wasn't there to guarantee the band any long term success.  Which is a shame.  I hear so many great ideas here.  There was just too much stacked against them.

I could try to break down the record for you, but there's not enough to keep me excited in the individual songs.  Instead, my newfound appreciation for their work is limited to hearing potential both in the lyrics and the music.  I will say this much, 'Never Say Never', was the track I bought this disc for and I'm still thrilled I own it.  It's an amazing song.  It can't cover the entire record though.

So to sum it up, different singer, same songs, no saxophone and this group might have stood up to The Smiths.  I think it would have driven them to great heights of fame.  My final words: HEAVY SAX SUICIDE NOTHING COULD SURVIVE!

ROMEO VOID - WARM, IN YOUR COAT

01. White Sweater

02. I Mean It

03. Charred Remains

04. Talk Dirty To Me

05, Myself To Myself

06. In The Dark

07. A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing)

08. Out On My Own (Dance Mix)

09. Just Too Easy

10, Wrap It Up

11, Flashfirm

12, Undercover, Kept

13. Chinatown

14. Never Say Never

15. One Thousand Shadows

NO DOUBT - ROCK STEADY

No Doubt was a huge band in the 90's. Especially in Vegas. Everyone was listening to them. They were a huge band. Despite the fact you couldn't throw a brick without hitting them, I never really got into them. I liked the songs they had on the radio but never enough to actually buy any of their records. The only reason I bought this disc was because Prince works on it. He contributed to one song, so it had the potential of being one of those discs that you fork out the money for one measly track. But 'Rock Steady' survives my one hit Prince collection quagmire and comes on like a one, two punch.

This is quite a different record for no doubt. They were on the cusp of that midway alternative ska movement. Even though this album has a lot of that swing beat to it, it also incorporates more electronica than before and has elements of reggae as well. The band enlisted some serious producers for this record. Whether that was intentional to produce a specific sound, get a hit album or just because they liked the people they worked with; the eclectic feel of the disc makes it truly infectious and listenable.

'Hella Good' starts the disc off with an amazing beat and forceful song. It's easily the most powerful and straight forward track on the album. It's produced by Nellee Hooper who also produces 'Detective', 'Running', 'In My Head' and 'Rock Steady'. Oddly enough, not only is Hooper partially responsible for the strongest song on the disc, he's also on the hook for the weakest... 'Detective' is my least favorite track. It is odd enough to make me think it's one of those tracks you either completely love or hate. In my case, it's hate.

Cars veteran, Ric Ocasek picks up the reigns for a couple of songs, both having that very obvious Cars sound and beat. They're both enjoyable numbers. They're not the most exciting, but they're good fair. William Orbit shows up for a disappointing showing with 'Making Out'. The Sly & Robbie tracks are pretty good. I've never heard of Steely & Clevie, but I really like 'Start The Fire'.

The Prince track, 'Waiting Room' isn't the best track on the disc. Usually, it's the strongest. In this case, not so. However, it is the most unique and pretty good overall. I quite like it and more than some of his other collaborations, I feel this song fits quite well with the diverse material on this disc.

I'm not the biggest No Doubt fan out there, but if they were releasing material like this all the time, I'd be all over them. It's a surprising disc full of wonderful musical moments. No Doubt fans won't be shocked at the excellence of this album, but casual listeners might wanna give the band a shot. At least with this one. They rock steady, no doubt. My final word: YES!

NO DOUBT - ROCK STEADY
01. Intro
02. Hella Good
03. Hey Baby
04. Making Out
05. Underneath It All
06. Detective
07. Don't Let Me Down
08. Start The Fire
09. Running
10. In My Head
11. Platinum Blonde Life
12. Waiting Room
13. Rock Steady