Saint Blasphemer - Simon Templar

URL: http://www.saintblasphemer.com/ 

Southern California is home to a lot of things and, unfortunately, has suffered from the ills of the same heroin epidemic that’s swept so many areas in the United States. Saint Blasphemer’s debut release Simon Templar is a five song EP that chronicles the lyrical and musical reactions to a plethora of deaths and destroyed lives resulting from this epidemic. Fronted by vocalist and lyricist Thomas Monroe, the band and singer alike create a cohesive vision of a modern American hell. The unsparing language and detail thankfully resist any glamorization of a subject that, frankly, possesses no glamour whatsoever,. John Castellon leads the way musically but he has two able partners in bassist Steve Shell and drummer Steve Ybarra. The production highlights their ability to combine pulverizing power with the ability to move with surprising fluidity and it isn’t every band, whatever style, able to pull it off. 

It kicks off at a high level of intensity and only occasionally lets up. “Nullify” is a particularly churning, tormented song, but Hudson’s lyrics don’t abandon hope entirely. There’s some fight buried beneath the withering depiction of a drug addict’s life and the music does a first class job of sonically embodying that lifestyle. Castellon’s six string work stands out in the song and it never runs on too long. “Simon Templar”, the title track, stretches out a little more in comparison but eschews the guitar theatrics heard in the first song. Despite the fact that the arrangements share similar tempos, it’s obvious that Saint Blasphemer is taking much more care here to invoke atmosphere. The lyrical content is full of imagery, but it is the storytelling aspect that leaps out most vividly. Hudson’s voice often interjects itself into the songwriting and does it again here.

 The third song “Scarecrow” is a much more tightly wound and focused than the preceding tracks, but it also plays more with light and shade. It has a more theatrical air than the earlier songs as well. The writing has painfully vivid detail and Monroe attacks the listener with often repellant imagery that brings home the reality of an addict’s use with more clarity than we’ve heard so far. Their experiments with different textures expand with the EP’s second to last song “A Perfect Rose”. The song’s imagery is somewhat familiar, particularly the rose, but his personality shapes the song in a much different direction than it might have otherwise followed. “Breaking Just to Bend” continues the EP’s tradition of lyrics with strongly physical imagery and the intelligence burning through the text and music alike cannot be denied. Simon Templar is a well constructed and written first release from a band of longtime music veterans who clearly share the same artistic vision. There are few debuts with such a well-rounded sense of completion. Southern California has produced a lot of quality music acts over the years and Saint Blasphemer is ready now to join that august company.  

9 out of 10 stars  

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGRHaA35Ylw 

Scott Wigley

Sterling Witt – Satyagraha

URL: http://www.sterlingwitt.com/ 

Rock and roll hasn’t died by a long shot and one of its many cousins, punk rock music, has fertile ground in these modern times to make the same incendiary impression that has long defined the form. Classifying Sterling Witt, however, as a punk rocker alone is a grievous mistake. Much of this album has an almost singer/songwriter bent, albeit filtered through muscular guitar work and raw, open-wound production work, but these sonic elements never change the fact that much of Witt’s songwriting is engaged with complex themes and thorny philosophical issues that Witt admirably boils down to their essence. The thirteen songs on his fifth full length studio effort Satyagraha gain much from their presentation – the aforementioned production virtues and the physical music – but the burning heart of these songs is Witt’s actual voice and the imposingly intelligent lyrical content that is also brash, street smart, and unafraid. "Perception Deception” starts Satyagraha with an excellent illustration of the musical and lyric excellence dominating the release. It also introduces listeners to the album’s predominant theme of what exactly is truth and who do we hear it from in this modern life. Witt never frames things pretentiously. Instead, these tough subjects are explored with carefully chosen language that somehow manages to shrink their implications into a comprehensible and abbreviated form. “Who Do You Listen To?” continues the theme with an impressive musical performance that finds Witt and his two musical compatriots weaving their way through some challenging tempo changes that never leave them undone or unable to connect with the listener. Witt avoids a lot of the heavy-handedness so common to these sorts of lyrics from other writers – he has a point and makes it with little, if any, excess baggage.  

“Let Love Out” begins with great gentleness, befitting the song’s title, but soon segues into some more fire breathing guitar work that finds the melody quickly and never lets go. Witt is a master of juxtaposing his smart, sometimes denunciatory lyrical content with well-conceived melodies, but the contrast is flipped here with the positive message of the song strongly contrasting the gritty musical attack. On the other hands, “Just So You Know” is one of the angrier tracks on the album both musically and lyrically, but even when the songwriting mood darkens, melody remains the first priority. “Safe to Say” is, arguably, the purest punk moment on the album and easily the peak of Witt’s rage against the modern world, but his aim finds its target and, despite the short running time and fierce musical attack, this remains a coherent track from beginning to end.  

“I Love You More Every Day” is a fantastic power rock number with strong commercial attributes thanks to the ever-present melody and unity of its guitar work. Everything that goes on in these songs flows off of his guitar and never disappoints. There is a solid social and personal message in Satyagraha’s songs, but the musical content wins listeners over at every turn. If you are a fan of intelligent punk rock with balls to spare, this album won’t disappoint.  

9 out of 10 stars.

I-TUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/satyagraha/id1055698195 

David Shouse

TnT Music - Pieces

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/TolbertToz  

New York based songwriter Joy Tolbert and Pennsylvania resident Tim Toz have written more than a dozen songs since beginning their Internet collaboration. A chance encounter and mutual admiration formed on the Soundcloud website led to their earliest efforts and it quickly became apparent to both artists that they experienced an unique chemistry when working together that had no natural antecedent in their lives. The latest release from their partnership, “Pieces”, is distinctly modern, yet the most significant reason for its success is how artfully it obeys rock and roll’s expectations while still peppering the mix with added instrumental voices. While the songwriting embraces fundamentals and makes great use of them, Toz and Tolbert aren’t content produced canned, paint by numbers rock tracks. Instead, “Pieces” has hints of a higher sensibility noticeable in the mix. The production chores, largely handled by Toz, are discharged exceptionally well – “Pieces” never sounds anything less than outstanding. 

A swell of keyboards and voices in orchestrated harmony open the song before exploding in a full-born guitar fanfare. The sound is sleek and sharply defined. Toz plays with a great deal of lyricism and melody before the introduction ends and they move without a hiccup into the first verse. The blaring electric guitar work dissipates into jangling acoustic guitar, but the melody never disappears. Tolbert’s vocal melody is extraordinarily well suited for this work – her voice falls snugly between the spaces and rolls in lockstep with the playing. The lyrics, likewise, weave well around the musical content. There’s something in the arrangement that brilliantly mimics the rise and fall of human emotion and Tolbert zeros in that, particularly on the chorus. 

Her vocal performance is largely understated, but she unleashes the full force of her throat and lungs on the chorus and bridges. Even then, however, she never goes completely over the top – instead, she continues listening to the lyrics and attempts exactly matching her vocal to the drama inherent to the arrangement. She knows when to turn up the temperature and when to back off into a more nuanced approach. Songs like this can easily collapse into total melodrama, but mature songwriters and performers like Toz and Tolbert know exactly how to play such moments. As a result, one never experiences the feeling of being pandered to and finishes the song feeling fully satisfied.  

The musical and emotional fireworks conjured by TnT Music have tremendous commercial appeal, but they are likewise the result of artistic depth. There are superficial things galore to admire about this song, but its truest rewards come with multiple listens. There isn’t a single word or note out of place throughout. TnT Music shows, conclusively, that chemistry isn’t always about being in the same room together – creativity is no respecter of miles or postal code. They’ve captured something quite special with their teaming up and will likely continue to score big with future releases. 

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-TNT/dp/B01KVMTEC6 

Dale Butcher

Kathy Muir - Second Life

URL: http://www.kathymuir.com/ 

The work on Kathy Muir’s first two albums has lead her here. Her third release Second Life is the summit of her accomplishment thus far and improves over her two fine past releases. If there’s any remaining justice in the modern music world, the merits of this effort should catapult her out of the indie scene and onto a much larger stage than she’s occupied so far. Muir’s approach is a blend of different influences and happily difficult to categorize. She’s certainly an advanced lyricist, a writer capable of exploring serious themes and narratives without ever overwriting. The same principle extends to her musical talents. The songs are crafted with an idea that they should do their job with the audience and get out with a minimum amount of fuss and not a single song falls short of that goal.  

The first song assured to grab listener’s attention is “Better Man”. In some ways, the subject matter is rather familiar to anyone who listens to a lot of serious songwriters, but Muir spins it in a different direction. Much of the responsibility for that comes from her skill with characterizations – both central figures in this song emerge full-bodied from the song with the same level of significant detail one expects to find in a fine short story. “Stop Messin’ Me Around” is definitely a throwback number that does a fine job approximating a rockabilly attitude, but it is certainly much more lyrically sophisticated than the typical efforts in this vein while still remain great, raucous musical fun. She pulls everything close for the tender turn she takes with “I Want To Lay Down” and the plaintive wanting of the title is reflected in the lyrics. This is quite a beautifully wrought and patient song. 

“Born by the Water” is certainly a little less sophisticated musically than what Muir has, to this point, spoiled us for, but it becomes clear soon enough that the primary focus here is lyrical rather than musical. Muir unleashes some poetic fireworks here, but they are decidedly low-key and never unnecessarily gaudy. There are a variety of interpretations and Muir’s playful vocal certainly seems to relish not entirely spelling things out for her listeners. She comes close to the blues with the immensely stylish and witheringly honest “Never Felt Like a Woman” – it will be difficult for anyone to not be impressed by the equal parts technique and sincerity required to make this song such a success. The contemplative and yet very proud “Like Warriors” harkens back to Muir’s folkie roots – it’s a nice interlude from the more frequent bouts of Sturm and Drang on the album’s second half. The closer, “Second Life”, is a title song very much from the school of making big statements. Fortunately, it highlights a forward looking vision for her life, and by extension her art, while never disavowing the experiences bringing her to where she is today. This sort of remarkable maturity and wisdom defines Second Life personally and artistically. 

9 out of 10 stars 

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCwD696OqX4 

Aaron Ellis

Angie and the Deserters – You

URL: http://www.angieandthedeserters.com/ 

Not all bands or performers succeed with the EP form. This condensed musical release often leaves those charged with the track listing a challenge in illustrating the diversity and avoiding a release that sounds too “samey” within an abbreviated space. The six tracks compromising You, the latest release from California-based Americana inspired Angie and the Deserters, stretch the definition of an EP release to its breaking point and smashes through any particular obstacles the form might present. This merits the same attention as a full length release. Angie and the Deserters have achieved a stunning balance of diversity with the EP’s jaunt through weighty ballads, inspired singer/songwriter fare, well-heeled honkytonk, a waltz, and even a little peppering of Southern Rock near the EP’s end.  Angie and the Deserters exhibit a wide-ranging confidence as songwriters and performers alike that goes far beyond their comparative few years on the scene. Bruyere, in particular, is more revelatory with each new release. 

Her ongoing evolution is apparent on the opening song. “Stay” is quite well written, but it’s plainly emotional center makes it ripe for amateurish interpretation in the wrong hands. Instead, Angie Bruyere continues here ongoing ascent into the upper echelon of popular music singers with a spine chilling vocal that pushes the song’s emotive qualities just enough and no more. The band creates a perfect musical backdrop for her, especially with their use of mandolin. “Forgetting to Forget” is one of the EP’s songwriting showcases and sounds, to this ear, much closer to the work of Billy Joe Shaver, Guy Clark, and others of that ilk than what it does to the heavy-handed melodramas often produced generations before by Billy Sherrill. A song like this has the artful quality of playing, not too crassly, for the listener’s attention in its clever title hook, but alternating that with just the right amount of restraint in the verses and instrumental treatment. Angie Bruyere’s phrasing is the crucial final ingredient.  

The unusual time signature of the title song gives Bruyere and the band a chance to create a memorable musical and lyrical statement unlike any before. Their ability to pull it off seamlessly, each part cleanly interlocking with the next, helps “You” be one of the EP’s most satisfying performances. “17 Days” and “When the Nighttime Comes” are quite the contrast and certainly show some forethought – there’s a tangible rise in tension culminating with the latter song. “17 Days” gives listeners a gentle nudge from the outset and never relents. This honkytonk number has a light swagger and Bruyere locks in tightly with its swing. Guitar theatrics have a presence on the EP’s second to last track, “When the Nighttime Comes”, and it recalls the way bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd might have employed it. The rock strains never take over, however, and the undercurrent of mandolin and acoustic guitar supporting the song is constant. You will find a lot of favor from Bruyere’s current fans, but this should win over a bunch of new converts as well. Few artists, particularly younger, have tapped so successfully into the spirit of this music while coloring it with their own experiences, ambitions, and personality. 

9 out of 10 stars 

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYGDRluuZVk5HmwG_heU8Ow 

Dale Butcher

The Von - 3nity

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheVon4U/ 

The Von has come a long way since their 2013 formation. The band, led by vocalist/bassist Luis Bonilla, has logged appearances at the SXSW Festival in a showcase slot and made numerous national appearances. Their South Florida home base remains their core geographic area of strength, but The Von are clearly ready for much bigger stages in far flung locales. Any doubt of that should be completely dismissed after a listen to their three song mini-masterpiece 3nity. This explodes on the promise of their debut release Ei8ht without losing a single degree from the heated spark giving birth to their initial emergence in the music community. It might seem easy, at first listen, to categorize The Von, but each additional listen reveals a wealth of influences informing their music to a certain degree. 

The band’s pop inclinations certainly come through on “I Know It’s Love”. The Von are consistently strong songwriters with melodic hooks being one of their stocks in trade. This song is a particularly excellent example of the raw, crackling energy a power trio can generate bringing their talents as rock musicians together with their melodic instincts. The fierce rock and roll side of this song is largely pushed ahead by the thumping rhythm section of Bonilla and drummer Elisa Seda while guitarist Marek Schneider freely moves back and forth from explosive flares of rock guitar and lively melodic fills. They opt for a groove centered approach on “Nature of the Beast” with further coloring from Schneider’s guitar playing. Bonilla’s voice is capable of surprising sweetness within this electrical storm, but he moves away from that characteristic on this track and instead invests his voice with a great of spit and fire. Their indulgences with well-known lyrical stapes, beginning in this case with the song title, shouldn’t hamper a listener’s enthusiasm for the song. Instead, The Von brings them back to full, vivid life by using them in new contexts and unexpected ways. 

“My Love Machine” ends 3nity emphatically with a wide-screen epic confined to a relatively small space. Unlike other bands, The Von seem resolutely focused on keeping their songwriting on point and avoiding all of the musical extravagances of so many contemporaries. Even on this final song, there’s no towering Schneider solo that goes on too long, but nothing feels rushed. They develop the song at just the right pace and, by its conclusion, it is clear why they chose this particular track to close 3nity out. This makes most EP’s sound paltry. The Von do more in these three songs than many rock bands pull off in ten and it certainly leaves you clamoring for more. Bands like this are in increasingly short supply. The aforementioned reasons set them apart from many, but it’s the overall intelligence driving this project that remains in prime, inescapable strength. They may traffic in a popular art form, but The Von’s intentions are far removed from the trival. 3nity reaches for the stars and grabs every one of them.  

9 out of 10 stars 

SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/thevon4u 

Joshua Stryde

Stefanie Keys - Open Road

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/stefanie.keys.5/ 

Stefanie Keys and her San Francisco based cohorts score again with Keys’ third consecutive barnburner of an album, Open Road. This ten song collection hits all of its marks as a convincing slab of electric guitar fueled Americana, but this isn’t merely some elaborate and talented tribute act. Keys uses these time-tested forms as a vibrant vehicle for her explorations of her own life, character studies, and ingenious re-inventions of longtime songwriting tropes and conventions. She’s ably assisted by guitarist and co-producer Dave Shul – his backing vocals, likewise, provides an excellent counterpoint to Keys’ marvelous voice. Keys has endless variety. She’s quite capable of conjuring a desperate, bluesy spirit on some songs infused, as well, with a hard-bitten rock and roll spirit. On the album’s more delicate cuts, she shows off her well honed sensitivity without ever allowing the track and its lyrics to tumble head over heels into sentimentality. 

You know that an artist is confident and on point when they are willing to open their album with the title track. “Open Road” doesn’t tread on new thematic territory for this sort of music, but Keys brings enough of her personality and personally unique imagery to bear that it draws a sharp distinction between this song and others of its ilk. Shul and her other cohorts in the band deliver restrained and eminently tasteful performances throughout all of these songs and the opener clearly announces their intentions. It isn’t easy for a top flight musician to forgo their ego. When you hear a group playing this tightly and serving the song first, it’s a sign that you, as a listener, are in exceptionally good hands. That feeling continues with the album’s second song “No Tomorrow”. Again, Keys’ songwriting doesn’t necessarily find some revelatory new ground to cover with this relatively familiar theme, but the singer and her band mates take the song on with unabashed enthusiasm that makes it an enjoyable experience.  

She hits another peak with the song “3 Hours Till Yesterday”. It’s a song with a hard push on the listener and undeniable spirit resounding from its first minute on. There’s even a lightly raucous edge that she manifests that the band plays off of in very thrilling ways. Open Road takes a sharp turn into the bluesy and soulful with the next song, “City Life”, and the spark for that is one of Keys’ most exceptional vocals to date. It has spontaneity or at least the suggestion therein, as her vocal displays tremendous emotion like she’s engaging it in live performance for the first time during recording. “Amos Cain” has plenty of corresponding antecedents in popular music, story songs about a particular character, but none are quite like this. Keys shows some genuine literary flair with this composition and the band provides her with exceptional backing. 

Open Road marks a new high water mark for Keys and her songwriting. There’s an abundance of accessible songwriting here while there’s an equal amount of material that plumbs much deeper and shows a fearlessness that defines all great songwriting. Stefanie Keys has left her mark, but she isn’t done yet. This exceptional performer and writer continues to grow and her latest effort marks the next inevitable stage in her development.  

9 out of 10 stars.

SPOTIFY: https://play.spotify.com/album/7cwNQDSCrhIh2Ae9VWu3Ju?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open 

Michael Saulman