Kevin Mathews:
February,
2005

So Much Music, So Little Time

No time to chat…extremely late with this column, with the "so little time" aspect catching up with me, so this one's gonna be shorter than usual. Though, I've heard that size isn't everything…

Blurb-O-Rama: The Next Generation

Third Dimension Permanent Holiday (Parasol)
This Swedish quartet does a convincing approximation of post-90s British rock. You know, where the melodies are ethereal, the instrumentation electronic and the beat is always danceable. Thus, the catchy "Mondaymachine" recalls Blur, the melancholy "Save Me" is reminiscent of Coldplay and the raucous "Ex-Song" raises the ghost of Oasis - good reference points all. www.parasol.com

Roger Salloom Eventually (Florence)
For every singer-songwriter that manages to flirt with the spotlight, there are too many who get lost in the madness we call rock 'n' roll. Salloom has been described as "America's best unknown songwriter" and whilst many will dispute that claim, there's no denying that the man is a gifted artist in the folk-pop style and if you can imagine a hybrid of Dylan and McCartney, then you might come close to imagining the music of Roger Salloom. www.rogersalloom.com

Jam Camp Black Hills Jam (Self-released)
Whoa! This self-pr0fessed jammin' band of prog, rock & jazz stylings certainly lives up to its stated objective to produce "fusionesque rock improv in the vein of The Allman Brothers, Zappa, Crimson, Soft Machine, Brand X and Traffic." Anyone who has enjoyed going into a studio to just 'jam' will appreciate where Jam Camp is coming from. Sophisticated yet down-to-earth, this is an album all rock musicians will love. www.jamcamp.com

3 Kisses Wings (Self-released)
Essentially the husband and wife team of Tish and Tony Meeks, 3 Kisses is a pop-rock outfit that is predicated on having as much fun as it can. So, Wings is indeed sweet - especially with Tish's heartfelt vocals and the selection of light-hearted songs - and should have every fan of earnest, tuneful and vibrant pop-rock singing its praises. www.3kisses.com

Claire Moss S-T (Self-released)
This five-track EP is a superb showcase of Claire Moss's unique talents. Genre-wise, you might describe the music here as um "emo." Personally I prefer to think that Moss delves deep into the guitar rock revival of the late 70s and synchs well with the "in-your-face" dynamics of Patti Smith and Chrissie (The Pretenders) Hynde. "Just Let Go" is a fabulously passionate ballad. An impressive debut. www.clairemoss.com

Townhall American Dreams (Self-released)
I must admit that I panned the previous Townhall release but I must say that the band has returned with a vengeance on American Dreams. Could it be something to do with the fact that Townhall has eschewed the pseudo Caribbean influences and have decided (rightly) to follow a more classic rock approach? Definitely tracks like the wistful "Communicate," the folky "Sweet Abilene" and the ambitious (and mildly prog) title song. Something for the pop underground to savour and yes, call its own.

Tony Koretz Kicking Cans (Self-released)
Not often do I get a CD sent to me from New Zealand (despite its proximity to where I reside) but I suppose that when I do - it's an event! From the moment the 10cc-like chorus hits on "If Love Was A River," you know that this is something special. The rest of *Kicking Cans* doesn't stray from the winning formula - basically classic rock 70s style! So, if you're a fan of any of these bands - Be Bop Deluxe, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Free, (early) Jethro Tull, Deep Purple - then you must get in touch with Tony now!!! www.koretzmusic.com

Call Me Alice All Againt 5ive (Arkhive)
All right, so there's a sci-fi thematic thread running through this album, which, I must say, tends to distract from the strengths of the music. Whether that is a good thing depends very much on what you think of the music to begin with. Ah, it's goth rock meets industrial electronica e.g. Nine Inch Nails, latter-day Smashing Pumpkins, Rammstein etc. A little too mannered for my taste, a pity, because there are seedlings of good tunes here. Still, Bowie/Numan followers may want to investigate. www.callmealice.com

Ryan Michael Galloway Also Known As: Ryan Michael Galloway (Self-released) I love the Internet. How else would a musician like Galloway be able to get someone like me to listen to his fine musical contributions to the world of rock? Much of this album is frozen in time - the 70s to be exact (think: CSNY, the Eagles, Boston & James Taylor) - and why not?!?! A bit of a crime that radio has turned its back on such great melodic rock 'n' roll but honest, that's *their* loss. Don't make the same mistake. www.ryanrocks.com

Plasmabat Compost (Self-released)
Warning: Compost is a collection of demos from the library of Hugh Caley aka Plasmabat and some of it works and some of it doesn't but when it does, there is a gleam of rock brilliance at work here. "My Best Gilmour" is true to its word, "5th Street Bells" is a poignant piece, "I'm Your Dentist, Girl" veers into Andy Partridge territory and "Loopy" is well…you know. Certainly interesting, if nothing else. www.plasmabat.com

Ok, that's all folks!

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