Reviews
27 Down, Annika Bentley, Lee Totten
27 Down
Music Takes You Away
By Alex Masse
There will always be a place in people's hearts for classic arena rock. When it first started, the seventies seems to be the origin, bands like Ted Nugent, Styx, April Wine and Loverboy would pack stadiums all over the world with people who loved testosterone-filled rock and roll, turning the musicians into Gods with the f;ick of switch that would trigger smoke machines and many, many pyrotechnics. In the eighties, it was Guns and Roses, Poison and Cinderella who filled those same arenas. Today, that tradition continues with bands like Pearl Jam, Korn and Metallica, who seem to be able to make people raise their lighters high above their mullet-heads in some strange rock and roll religious ceremony. Will this strange fascination of sitting in row ZZZ and seeing the inner conflict of Eddie Vedder from 300 yards out ever end? Probably not.
Who knows in today's ever changing music industry. 27 Down makes that testosterone rock that makes you pump your fists in the air, if you are an arena rock fan, or turn away in disgust if you are an opinionated indie rock fan who expects everyone to be breaking new ground.
Put me somewhere in the middle.
27 Down's first CD, Music Takes You Away, is a solid debut from an upcoming rock band. A little weak in someplaces like in the lyrics, some shaky vocals and some overplaying... but oh well. Words that pop into my head after listening to the CD: grunge, alice, in, chains, pearl, jam, seattle, frat...
You get the idea.
Alex Masse hopes that he can do something with his B.A. in religion.
Annika Bentley
see you around lifegaurd
By Christopher Parizo
Oh, I am sorry... was there a CD playing? I fell asleep!
You know, it's one of those Tori Amos meets Jewel things and you can't seem to escape as it blasts out of almost every college girl's open dorm room door (Why don't they shut their door?).
Acoustic guitars, a cello, a violin and an acoustic bass are the backbone for all the music found on see you around lifeguard, a ten track CD where each track sounds like the last track (you know, that really depressing one) on other female folk-pop albums.
'Nuff said.
Christopher Parizo hasn't liked Tori Amos since she released Little Earthquakes.
Lee Totten
could have been king
ninibudu Records
By Michael Forgione
It's about time that a singer/songwriter came out with a CD that isn't boring or embarrassing. Have you ever heard one of these folk rock singers who just come off conceited or too damn pretentious that you don't want anything to do with them. They sing a lyric and you are like: "Oh God! I wouldn't be caught dead saying that!"
Lee Totten is not one of those people. He comes off as talented songwriter who writes cool songs that don't sound like a solo artists work, but more like a collaborative of musicians. I don't know, it's hard to explain.
I like the song "Searching For Something," a taste of Americana with smart lyrics and great vocal hooks.
Could have been king is a cool rock CD that deserves a spin or two. Check it out.
Michael Forgione likes jagermeister.