Around Hear
Local CD Reviews
On his 10th studio album, East Side Soul, it’s obvious Phil Angotti has logged an awful lot of hours writing, recording, and playing folk music.
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The four guys in Feature Presentation seem destined to do their small town of Manteno proud. The 10 tracks on their sparkingly produced debut CD, To You The Past, And The Questions Left Unanswered, bristle with energetic, ultra-tight pop power-punk. They separate themselves from the Fall Out Boy aesthetic with more technical guitar skills among […]
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O’Neill And Wean are so syrupy with their acoustic, barstool wisdom, but they’re also tricky, convoluted popsters. The You Are Beautiful EP plunges through the sweet of the heart while mining for bile. “I Found Out” spits deranged eulogies for the still-breathing: “We’ll be dead,” cries lead singer Billy O’Neill (oh my god) before “Na […]
Local CD Reviews
Doug Bistrow’s sly upright bass on Akasha‘s self-titled EP stands out as the quartet’s key ingredient. “Sideways” combines the band’s reggae/blues influences with a touch of INXS, while “In Defining” runs along the blueprint laid out by Bob Marley. Lead singer Cosmos Ray sounds vaguely reminiscent of Shaggy sidekick Rayvon, especially on “Affliction.” The record’s […]
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Despite the album’s title (The Panties Your Mother Laid Out) For You, mom isn’t likely to get her panties in a bunch listening to the latest aural assault from Egnaro. It’s innocuous, middle-of-the-road metal, with now-and-again insightful lyrics interspersed with pile-driving beats. While there are some self-indulgent moments, the 10 tunes – most notably “The […]
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Those who have Pete And J‘s Dressed For Conversation playing in the background might mistake the pair for a present-tense Simon & Garfunkel. Though that may be a turn on for fans of the folk duo, the similarities are so close (especially on the ballads “Sweet Cecilia” and “Sentimental Love Song”) that it comes off […]
Local CD Reviews
Led by ex-Caviar lead guitarist Dave Suh, The Assembly offer bright, powerful pop on their sophomore EP, Paranoia Will Destroy Ya. “Never Even True” is the standout cut, but all four tunes (plus a remix) are first-rate, helping cement the group’s growing reputation (recently validated by their selection as a Q101 “Local 101 Band To […]
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Although technically proficient, Finneus‘ Superstar & The Ballerina may be a bit too testosterone-fueled for some, due in no small part to ’70s/’80s vocal stylings of bassist Dave Bucher. Blues-tinged in some areas and metallic in others, Finneus even incorporates a little ska. Despite this bucket of influences, the end product leaves a rather bland […]
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Taking bits of free jazz, modern classical, and acid rock, Random Touch truly lives up to its moniker. On its CD/DVD combo, Alchemy, the trio takes an experimental, albeit sleepy, instrumental stab at the icy “Abandon,” the choppy “Bound For Escape,” and dreamy “As Above, So Below.” While not incredibly worthwhile in audio contexts, the […]
Local CD Reviews
The August scored some national buzz in 2005 with a spot on the Aware 11 compilation, though the group leans much closer to country than it does college rock on Thistle, Sparrow, And The Tall, Tall Grass. Female fronted songs such as “Drunken Picture” and “Sugar Mama” recall Nickel Creek or Dolly Parton, though there […]
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Indie rock foursome The Gnomes carry a sound as understated as the title of their sophomore album, The Gnomes II. There’s no showboating or posturing on songs like “Whiskey Is Misery” or “Ho-Chunk Casino” – just sincere and slightly quirky tunes that pull you in with their pleasant undertone. Amid a couple underdeveloped tracks (e.g. […]
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Elmhurst singer-songwriter Dean Milano has been part of The New Seekers and opened for Cab Calloway, but it seems his biggest achievement is his latest CD, Songs About Stuff, which manages to be tuneful, intelligent, sometimes humorous, and well-executed from beginning to end. Milano’s songs are streetwise and smart, a welcome addition to anyone’s collection […]
Local CD Reviews
Young indie rockers The Alpha Couple carry a sound that’s primed for major radio and “TRL” play. Of course, working with an established producer like Dan Duszynski has helped this Frankfort quintet perfect the polished pop rock the band provide on The Alpha Couple & Me EP. While not entirely distinguishable from their suburban counterparts, […]
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The three-man band Doses offers a trio of unnamed bass-guitar-drum tracks on a no-frills demo focusing on solid rock instrumentation. Recorded in November 2006, the tracks are non-linear alternative rock jams that stress grooving rhythms and frequent time changes instead of noodling guitar leads. The resulting indistinguishable compositions prove to be either a marketing ploy […]
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With a keen ear for pleasant acoustic pop, Mighty Joe delivers a bountiful suite of winsome tunes on Balance. Violin, harmonica, and congos add subtle accents to Joe’s precise, crisp strumming and provide tonal complexity and dimension to otherwise straightforward arrangements. The melodies are uniformly sweet, even if the stories are occasionally drab and the […]
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