The Demands
Play For You

(Deep Eddy)

www.deepeddy.net

Having long been a fan of this delightful garage soul band of New York/New Jersey who I interviewed last year here in Fufkin, it gives me great pleasure to finally have a full length Demands CD to blab about...the group's inclusions on compilations only so much scratching the itch. And I'm happy to say that The Demands Play For You is as enjoyable as I hoped it would be.

Jahna Rain is the primary vocalist in addition to playing bass and co-writing most of the original material. Julia Rogers, who unfortunately has since left the group, also takes some lead vocals and co-writes many of the songs, and provides excellent keyboard playing. John Pardo adds some highly impressive guitar playing, while Jimmy Farrel keeps a strong and solid drumbeat.

Fans and collecters of The Demands likely already possess a recording of the first track, "All Right," as said track was their contribution to Enoch Records' 2003 compilation 'Gotham Garage'. This rerecording moves at a slightly faster speed, allowing for Julia's keyboards more to the fore, and more noticeable harmonies. Great garage pop...catchy, danceable and strong.

No less tough, but switching to 6/8 and a minor key, "Sidewinder" brings Julia to the mike for a third-person story song about someone too hot to handle. The song grows in strength from start to finish, with effective pauses. Though just under two minutes in length, "Sidewinder" wastes not a second of that time and covers more ground than that which some bands take five minutes to do less successfully. In less than two minutes you feel you've been somewhere and back...you've met two characters, learned all about their problems, and no doubt by song's end you've taken a side.

I've seen The Demands in concert many times, and "Running Out Of Fools" is always a show-stopper...It's a slow minor-key torch-soul number, a soft number but one that bites you when you're not expecting it, courtesy of some sudden moments of loud attacks about two and a half minutes in. (I've seen several attendees at the live shows startled out of their wits when these moments have come up.)

Julia gets the spotlight again with "Here With You," both as lead vocalist and keyboard player, her very 1960s-ish playing dominating the musical backing on this track, which is pure pop fun, and one that drums up a mental image of enthusiastic dancing.

So does Jahna's admonishment "Didn't I Tell Ya," which features some classy saxophone from former Demand Steve Greenfield, helping underscore the soul and Motown influences the Demands wear proudly.

In last year's interview, Jimmy called "She's Something," an ode to a rather promiscuous one, his favorite Demands song, citing its R rated lyrics as one of the reasons. I too must admit I chuckled aloud at the line that referred to a girl as the kind you bring home to Mama..."if Mama likes to watch porn." But she's also "dancing to this song," and you will be too. The song ends abruptly while things are hot...and I can't help but wonder if that was symbolic, as I imagine that's exactly how relationships with the song's protagonist would end as well.

Jahna then takes us all on a Holiday...Billie Holiday, that is. Featuring some of the most intense guitar strumming of the entire disc, "I Want More" presents very heartfelt and soulful lead vocals over angry backing, as if the band is there to fight for Jahna's right to have more.

But Jahna must have wanted more a little too badly, as somehow she got herself locked up in jail for 99 years, as the "closing" track, "Long Time Woman," tell us. The sense of isolation she feels in this rocker is emphasized by vocal effects such as tremolo and phasing.

And so ends the CD...sort of. There are still four more songs left, but a dividing point is drawn after "Long Time Woman," distinguishing that song as the end of the "recording studio" portion of the disc. But like the "extras" disc of a DVD, or bonus cuts on a CD reissue, a few additional treats round out The Demands Play For You. On June 29, 2004, The Demands appeared on the popular "Three Chord Monte" radio show, hosted by Joe Belock of New Jersey's beloved WFMU-FM, performing a live set and being interviewed, and it's that set featured here. They admirably tackle four of their live staples: Chris Clark's "Love's Gone Bad," Etta James' "Seven Day Fool," and their own "Gimme Gimme" (their contribution to the Garage Justice compilation) and "Right Here's Where It's At." It's almost like a The Demands Live At The BBC collection. Bravo!

Recorded at Brooklyn's Uncle Mitro's Studio, where several New York area garage bands have seen fit to record, The Demands Play For You is a Demands concert in your living room, or car, or workplace. A Demands concert is right here where your CD player's at.

But first you need the CD itself, and a quick trip to www.deepeddy.net or http://www.powerandvolume.com/TheDemands/musicandreviews.htm should take care of that.

But it. You'll want more...you'll want more...you'll want more, and then some.

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