Local CD Reviews

“Around Hear” is a monthly feature where a stable of IE writers review albums sent to us by local musicians. If you are interested in having your CD (must have a minimum of three songs) reviewed and are Illinois-based, mail it and any other media materials to 657 A W. Lake St., Chicago IL, 60661. Everything that meets the aforementioned guidelines will be reviewed in the order received. This may take several months.

LaPorte, Indiana’s Midwest Hype draws from a vast array of musical influences, and ironically, none of them come from anywhere near the Midwest. It takes a seven-piece band to produce this complex, multi-layered sound and at least that many adjectives to describe it. Think funk, ska, reggae, jazz, and hip-hop, and you’ll begin to get the idea. All of it is great summer-party music, especially the Snoop Dogg-style rap of highlight “Sunset Livin’.” (www.midwesthype.com)
– Carter Moss

Steve Beyerink, the lone man behind Miss Autopsy, cites beat writer William S. Burroughs as an influence, which, upon listening to The Hill, seems right. Some may hail the album as a work of great disjointed genius, and others may revile its meandering and lack of discernable melody. Taken as a spoken-word exercise, Beyerink succeeds in presenting interesting, if not graphic narratives (“The Doctor”). But the words and music complement each other about as well as oil and water. (www.miss-autopsy.com)
– Janine Schaults

From the opening bars of chunky power chords drenched in thick, driving American-style distortion, one might expect some ’80s-style metal, but Pipe actually veers closer to that other vaunted American tradition – grunge. Shovelmouth features a sludgy, hard- rocking edge with a soulful, bluesy crunch, not unlike Soundgarden. “Sever The Ground” burns with a churning bite, and “Riptide” lives up to its name with a ferocious pull of syncopated riffs and rumbling drums. (www.piperocks.com)
– Patrick Conlan

With its second release, Music They Don’t Want You To Hear, Rubber Clown Car displays the same witty exuberance of last year’s full-length debut as the trio continues to successfully mine the two-to-three minute song-as-narrative vein, loaded, as before, with obvious nods to pop forebears. But again, Clown’s ambition exceeds its execution. It’s time for the band to move beyond the DIY ethic and secure an engineer/producer that would let it concentrate on achieving pop perfection. (www.rubberclowncar.com)
– David C. Eldredge

Shot Baker‘s second full-length (11 tracks in 28 minutes), Take Control, is a tight package of aggressive, riff-driven punk worthy of a place next to Chicago legends Pegboy and Naked Raygun. Lyrics are chewed with a heavy dose of pessimistic bristle on “All Paths Lead To Nowhere,” “Death Of Illusion,” and “Short On Time,” with a brief let-up to the frenzy on the opening of album-closer “Littlebird,” which commands the listener to “take control” of life. (www.shotbaker.com)
– Jason Scales

There’s nothing particularly captivating about Lesley Spencer‘s piano solos throughout Moments Musicaux, thus restricting its audience to those in need of placid background music. Though she’s clearly capable of tickling the ivories, several pieces are destined for either elevators (the dreary “The Lost Baby” and the out-of-place “Ode To Harry Potter”) or department stores (the elegant but yawn-inducing “Dance Of Life”). (www.lesleyspencer.com)
– Andy Argyrakis

Nightmarish Slumber is perhaps a more appropriate name than Sleep Without Dreams for this 13-tune power rock travesty from 2*Sweet. Though soaring vocals keep listeners conscious, trite lyrics and overlong melodies on tracks like “Give Me Your Gold” and “Dateless For Armageddon” render the entire effort stale and soporific. Hopefully its next release will be more imaginative; in the meantime, hit the snooze button. (www.sleepwithoutdreams.com)
– Jeff Berkwits

Likely named after the “Addams Family” character (though spelled differently), Wednesday Adams plays a trio of energetic hard rock songs on its Damn Glad To Meet You sampler. Lead vocalist Billy Kirby effectively conveys the emotionally charged lyrics, particularly on the anti-war “Between Love And Religion.” Guitarists Ben Spotora and Justin Vittori keep things sizzling, but they also guide the band through some sophisticated instrumental passages. (www.myspace.com/wednesdayadamsrock)
– Terrence Flamm

Alaska-native Brett Wilder’s Vanishing Point documents his time on the streets living as a teenage runaway, and it’s a harrowing tale to say the least. Unfortunately, the same description can be applied to the album’s 12 tracks. The serial hitchhiker also self-released Everything But Why under the moniker The Brettster, which doesn’t fare any better. The sweet “Baby, Close Those Big Brown Eyes” shows Wilder’s ear for melody, but those urges get pushed aside in favor of droning noise and odd vocal expressions. “Tuesday (Everything But Why)” is a head scratcher, while “My Worst Nightmare” really does mimic a terrifying dream. (www.myspace.com/welovethebrettster)
– Janine Schaults

The Young Hustlers are a pair of teenage rappers/vocalists – Oralee “Pumpkin G” Brooks and Corenthian “Baby C” Wiley – who, on their self-titled debut, are carefully directed by Baby C’s mother, Tunisha Wiley. When talking about chasing paper, like on the trite “Hustlers,” the “get money” theme sounds forced. But standout single “Take Over” is a more believable take on the “dream big” mentality because here these girls aren’t trying to role play. (www.talent2k.com/html/younghustlers.htm)
– Max Herman

Category: Around Hear, Columns, Monthly