Bilbozo - Baby Baby Ft Carol Sue and TLT50

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The massed hordes of guitarists over at Mixposure are a somewhat greener shade whenever the name Bilbozo crops up in the conversation. Yes, he's an excellent guitarist with impeccable taste in his own music, and the endless collaborations he seems to feature in but that isn't the reason for the envy. That reason is simple and can be summed up in one word Stratage. Bilbozo, lucky son of a gun that he is, won his very own slobber fodder in a recent Mixposure competition, and he's been using it to devastating effect ever since. I've heard loads of his tracks on Mix Radio but I've only ever reviewed one track, and that was a collaboration with Devodale (another well known Mixposure musician) on Magic (November 2009) which got a well deserved rating from me as a very neat blend of styles.

Baby Baby sees Bil teaming up with TLT50 and the lovely Carol Sue Kirkpatrick who I first came across with I Am Invisible (July 2006) on MP3 Unsigned who even then struck me as a good, strong songwriter. It helps that she has the voice to put the song across of course, and if anything the years have only improved her style. She's always had that smoky quality about her voice and this is put to decisive use on this amazing R&B track. I use the term R&B here in its original sense; music with soul and heart. IMHO the current use of the term, and the music it covers, just doesn't come up to scratch. Baby Baby is how good R&B should sound, and it should be given out free to any wannabee singer to show how to do it right. Abso-bloody-lutely right, mind. Not a hair out of place.

Amazing thing is that this a ballad, and you know I shoot them nasty things on sight.

Two words: heart and soul. Between them Bilbozo, TLT50 and Carol Sue poured all of theirs into this track and it shows big time. From the incredible production job to the spine tingling vocal treatment this is a modern R&B classic, about the best thing I have heard this year in this category. OK sure, it veers well to the jazz side of R&B rather than the more sprightly soul sound but the grit is still there, and I'm probably gimping purely because its a ballad. Even I am not so hard hearted that a track with this much effort, love and attention devoted to it couldn't melt it, and it did with the first few notes. When Carol Sue starting singing I just puddled up immediately, and I mean that in a nice way. Awesome stuff, I kid you not. Serious style, and wait until you hear Slap Johnson's sax solo :)

MUST HAVE soul ballad.

Bright Midnight - Count Me Sold

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Bright Midnight has become almost a review staple since I reviewed Floating Feather (Sleepy Mood) (July 2009), in fact I think I have reviewed a track a month since then and - at that rate - it's going to be difficult to impress me. Fact of life. You would have to be a really outstanding musician in every way to score big with me every time or even, for that matter, once. It's never about quantity, only quality counts in my books. Bright Midnight haven't done badly though, I have taken a shine to one or two of their better tracks and even had good words to say about some of the not so hot tracks.

At least Bright Midnight always prove an interesting listen and truth is, I'm probably not going to be the one the music is aimed at anyway. The one really important thing to say here is that this is a band that truly deserves its indie tag, their inspirational range is pretty decent running through classic rock, indie and punky material. Count Me Sold is, according to the song comments anyway, 'a personal favorite' and I can see it would track to play on, but would it do the same for a listener? Well, Bright Midnight have one major selling point in their favour and that's the Jim Morrison soundalike who supplies the vocals (Hillis I believe). I know I keep going on about it in review after review but damn, it's eerie.

I actually think that Bright Midnight write good songs, where it often falls down - at least for me anyway - is in the production and, very rarely, the delivery. Pretty much every Bright Midnight track has a tendency toward the lo-fi as, I guess, is to be expected with indie. Well, yes, but not when it interferes with the final result, as happens with a lot of this bands work. For sure, people who have already found the band to their liking will find much to enjoy with Count Me Solid but personally I itch to hear the track that I know these guys are capable of. Still, this will certainly do in the meantime.

Recommended, if a bit sloppy, Alternative.

Gabriel Sabadi - Hey You

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Damn, what is it with these Mixposure guys, they are getting to be everywhere! However, to be fair to Gabriel Sabadi, he did get on this list through Soundclick, a site he has been becoming more and more visible on. Mind you, the list of musicians who collaborated on some of the tracks that make up the bulk of his Soundclick page is an absolute Who's Who of active Mixposure musicians. Try this on for size; KED, Dazed, KOR, Michael Nunley, Warren Peece, Robert Smith, Peter Mercer, RWK, Gina, Wherewolf, Budrumming, Luke Davison, Neil, Rob Grant, Gary Powers, Chris Moore, Kephas, Chris Georgiou. CSK, Peter Tamdog. Chris Moore is the name that comes up more often linked to Gabe's and both are members of the entity known as GSM whose Time Will Cure Us All (March 2010), a stunning track and not a hint of prog rock (Ed: is that an inside joke Gilmore? I thought we had discussed that kind of behaviour)

I have known Gabriel for a while and Hey You could in fact be his signature greeting, so making a track about it was a fairly obvious conclusion. The only rotting flower in this cosy picture is that Gabriel (and friends) have an endless fascination with progressive rock which has been known to test my patience. Mind you, if I HAD to listen to prog-rock then Gabriel Sabadi (and his collaborative efforts) are where I would head first. What may prove even more surprising is that Hey You is, essentially, ballad to boot and yet here I stand, unscathed and non-fuming. How is such a thing possible, you may ask? Especially if you know anything about my longstanding antipathy towards the genre.

The fact is that when musicians like Gabriel do prog-rock in its time honoured fashion, they not only pay attention to the detail, they also give a respectful nod to the musical roots. Moreover, although Hey You has some undeniably proggy moments, it is still essentially a rock ballad with elongated instrumental sections - the orchestral one being of particular not. Co-written with Chris Moore, who also contributed the vocals, the lyrics and the piano, Hey You shows exactly why Gabriel Sabadi is a cut above most wannabe proggies. This is music of depth, sonic quality and interest whatever label it may be wearing and yes, I even forgive it its balladic leanings. However, don't take that as a sign I am turning soft or I'll have to kick sand in your face. And grrrr, btw.

Highly Recommended (curse it) prog rock.

Farrell Jackson - Forever Endlessly (slack key tuning)

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First track up from Mixpo this month (Ed: Mixposure obviously) is from our old friend Farrell Jackson who we last encountered with Your Hat's On Way Too Tight (June 2010) so even the most mentally challenged of readers can remember that far back. Now, where was I? Ah yes, Farrell Jackson, an American rock musician who have come across as himself, as part of Jackson-Hart, as part of Rayon Vert and probably 20m other projects I've lost count of. hey, what can I tell you, Mixposure is that kind of place and one of the reasons why it is so special. It's a great site for interaction for other musicians, especially if you like your music to be made with six strings and a strong whammy bar.

Having said that Farrell has also had a couple of Must Haves from me - Last Day (September 2009) and Gypsy Princess (October 2009) - although I should note that Gypsy Princess was in fact a Jackson-Hart track. Like a lot of guitarists, Farrell likes to dabble with different string tunings (it makes your guitar playing look REALLY flash) and as a consequence Forever Endlessly (slack key tuning) is played in a Cmaj slack tuning. Which, if you are not a total machinehead/plankspanker, sounds looks and smells like you are speaking Martian. I've found that played with altered tunings like this to be tremendously liberating, especially if you've never tried it before, but it's actually quite difficult to compose with or at least that has been my experience.

What it does, at least for me, is for me to get within (but still a lifetime away) striking distance of sounding like Christopher Martin Hansen. What Farrell has with Forever Endlessly is the kind of guitar arrangement I love from musicians as accomplished as CMH, allied with Farrell's unerring rock sensibility to come up with a track that - although yet another guitar instrumental - stands tall and strong as a masterful performance in its own right. Mind you, as the owner of a 'fat bottom' acoustic guitar as well, I am bound to love that full, rich sound. Nonetheless, if I wasn't such a guitar nerd, and had to evaluate this as 'just' a piece of music I'd still be shouting the odds about how good it all sounds. As we all know, to our cost, the net is awash with guitar instrumentals of all stripes and colours, it takes a rare one to stand out. This is that rare one.

MUST HAVE acoustic guitar track.

Maddie Jones - Dirty Little Secret

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I started off this month with Eject Pilot Eject, a three piece band from South Wales, and now here comes Ms Maddie Jones - also from South Wales. She heard about me, apparently through Steff Adams whose excellent and highly recommended Blue Pathways CD (April 2010) lit up the early part of the year. Steff, as you may have gathered, is also a member of the South Wales musical mafia (or is that taffia?). Actually, as I said in EPE's review, all of these people are treading in very familiar footsteps because this area of Wales (Cardiff and its immediate vicinity) throwing up stars as diverse as Dame Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Shakin' Stevens and - from a modern perspective - Manic Street Preachers, Super Furry Animals, and Bullet for My Valentine. So, knowing all this, I know that no musician from this part of the world can be taken lightly, an area with a strong musical history is a hard nut to crack.

Dirty Little Secret is a track from Maddie's 6 track EP Let It Out recorded with The Jones O'Connor Group and that's about it as far as general information goes, Maddie won ViperMusic's 'Songwriter' Competition and Dirty Little Secret will go some way to show why she did. Not at all what I was expecting, but I'm not sure now what I expecting from Maddie. What I got was a VERY polished performance, a nice spine tingling vocal style and, the highlight for me, an incredible arrangement of an excellent song. All of which, I might add, will make you work for your money to take it all in and that's good because this is most definitely a track you will grow into.

Most of the credit for that has to go to Maddie's songwriting talent, although it has to be said that the band are no slouches either. The backing track they supply is tasteful without being ornate, and perfectly fits the style and delivery of the song. It is the content and texture of the song that got to me though, and that doesn't happen often enough. The main reason you will have to give this track some time is because it's an intelligent song, full of nuance and detail that only surfaces over time (like the little echo overhang on the vocals for example, a lovely touch), as well as being musically adventurous in a way I found very refreshing. Definitely worth checking out.

Highly Recommended intelligent rock.

Schizotic - Locomotive Arms

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A new name to me from Soundclick Dustin Jurkaulionis, who goes by the bandname Schizotic is - apparently - an Alternative Experimental musician so two big ticks right there from this reviewer. More to the point, it's a good job the man lives in Canada and not here in the UK otherwise I'd be mugging him for his Gibson Les Paul Swamp Ash Studio Model. (Ed: Sheesh, machineheads, who'd have 'em) I don't, of course, care about the model or colour, just the Les Paul would be very nice thank you very much. Sorry about the bruises. Anyway, clambering back from my evil daydreams, Dustin is aided on this track by bassist Emilio Bonito who he also credits as co-author but that's probably way too much information for you lot anyway.

You guys are more the See Jack Play Drums type innit? ;)

I am, as you know, a big fan of WTF music. Experimental in all its forms has fascinated me, but nowhere more so than with my long stint reviewing at Soundclick where, IMHO, some of the finer (or madder) exponents of this genre hang out. Having said that I had a problem getting my head around the idea of an 'Alternative' experimental, the very term meaning something spontaneous and off the cuff which, to my mind, is about as alternative as its likely to get in this universe. However, that's by the by because Locomotive Arms is good enough to state its own case admirably. I'm struggling here to remember which impressed me first: the solid, seamless arrangement, the dedication to sound fidelity, or the faultlessness of the performance.

Whatever it is, it worked like gangbusters. Locomotive Arms is that infinitely rare beast; a coherent, and often beautiful musical piece with just enough WTF juice to make things really interesting. At base, when all is said and done, what this track is a guitar instrumental. Yep. But what a difference a day makes. See, here is a guitar instrumental that makes sense to me in every way. Moreover it works strongly enough to stand on its own two feet as an instrumental that texturally and technically is head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd. Absolutely knockout introduction to a musician I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye on, clever and original.

MUST HAVE guitar piece with added wtf-ry.

333maxwell - Dooby Doo (when you walk into the room)

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Mr Punctuality himself, and his (probably specially made) review track for this month. Mr Indefatigable too because if he keeps this up he will have submitted a track a month for a whole year non-stop. I'm serious!! This (mumble) guy, whats not to hate about him? If the rest of us keep up this kind of artistic pace we'd burn out in a couple of hours, and if that isn't hateful I don't know what is. You may be judging by my tone that I don't particularly like Chas Holman (aka 333maxwell) and you couldn't be wider of the mark. Not only does the man have a string of must haves a mile long, he was also my Artist Of The Year 2009, an award most people seemed to agree with. Even my Mum likes a bit of 333maxwell, especially when he's in his retro mood, Nope, the reason I hate him is because he is just too good, makes the rest of us look like snails. Slow and steady wins the race, my ass!!

So, Dooby Do whatsit? Whatsit?

'More like a session than a presentation' Chas informs us in the song comments, but there again this is a musician with a Masters degree in Self-deprecation, so I usually advise taking whatever he says with a bag of salt (mixed with the weed of course). The one thing you can be absolutely 100% sure of with a 333maxwell track - of whatever stripe - it is going to be well worth the listen. This, for example, is a musician who knows what a brush kit is. Think about that. Most people would be reaching for the broom wondering if we were reverting to the bedroom pose, but our Max applies it in the best possible way; to lively up a terrific - if very noisy - slice of the coolest jazz this side of N'awlins...

Personally I LOVE it when 333maxwell plumbs the depths of his musical knowledge and experience. Take Dooby Doo whatsit for example, it's a beautiful blend of 1940/50's jazz, piano bar arrangements, smoky blue-horn jazz, wartime crooners and the male version of The Andrews Sisters - although I do have nasty images of Chas dressed as a 1950's sweetheart and I'll probably pay for that down the road somewhere. Oh, and Jimi Hendrix pops in to deliver a couple of clean licks too. OK, Chas, you got me. This is (probably) your loosest, ramshackle affair yet, and yet.... and yet... As I say, I love it when you are on this kinda groove, and I'm sure that some people will disagree with me but... YOU might not think this is that good, and you'd be right to say 'I'll be honest, I'm not happy at all with how it is coming out' but only, I'm afraid if you were a DAMNED PERFECTIONIST!! :P

MUST HAVE for clever clogs.

Andrey Mishchenko - Metal Lullaby

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Third time up for Russian musician Andrey Mishchenko who, if judged by the previous two tracks, seems to be a classically trained and influenced pianist with much talent and expression. You hear a 'but' in that sentence don't you? and well you should because Metal Lullaby is a significant step away from the drama and passion of September 29 (Window to the Fall) (May 2010) and Little Sadness (June 2010). 'I bought (an) electric guitar in January' he said when asking for this review 'and trying to express other emotions I have to tell to this world'. Well OK, but can a pianist play the guitar? Especially one trained in the classical arts. It has been my experience of classical musicians (I have known a few) who flounder when faced with a jam session. Can't work outside the structure as it were.

Or maybe that's just me being Mr Crabby.

Now obviously Andrey has been playing guitar for more than a few months, or that's his innate link to the music he creates on piano coming out on a different instrument. As a guitarist myself, I would have been surprised by this amount of musical activity after (counts on fingers) six months, especially the delicacy and taste of the intro which to be honest lulled me enough so that when the rock side of the track kicked in, it made a big difference. On a strictly musical level, and speaking as a guitarist, I would have been extremely happy to have made something this complex within that six month space of time. Playing the guitar, despite how easy it looks, is anything but and to play it with skill takes a lot of time and practise.

On a more commercial (if unsigned level) as good as Metal Lullaby is as a rock instrumental, at the end of the day it is just that. A rock instrumental. Another rock instrumental. There is nothing wrong with that, and certainly nothing wrong whatsoever with Metal Lullaby - if rock instrumentals are your thing. One thing I do require from instrumentals though, being a hard bitten sound cynic, is that they grab my attention. Other than the respect I accord Andrey as a budding guitarist, I'd want a lot more meat on the bones if I were honest. Mind you, this was a quick take, and a first one at that so if it interests you go have a listen.

Recommended Rock Instrumental.

Artificial Wonders - Snow

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As I was saying in my last review of American electronica musician Artificial Wonders, I had just got used to his style when he went and changed it on me. Why should that matter anyway right? Wellllll (waggles hand)... We are talking about a previous musical existence making (hastily downs anti-vomit juice) game soundtracks and you know how peevish that makes me. The good news is that he clambered out of Console City and moved to....the rustbelt?? That may, or may not, be the bad news depending on which way you look at it I suppose. Green Bottles ushered in a new Industrial age for Parker Files (aka Artificial Wonders) and was a surprisingly convincing Ritalin trip and - obviously - something to be avoided if you are of a nervous nature. Sudden movements are the epitome of this particular drug, but lets not dwell to much on drugs because that always gets me into trouble.

Now, will you pass that fat boy on?

So, fresh from beating swords into plowshares - as it were - Artificial Wonders through yet another musical curveball and comes up with...an acoustic piano. Say what you like about his music, the man is on a instrumental trail and can't be stopped. There I was, nice cup of calming tea, comfy armchair, eyes closed.. Start the track. Start. Yes, the famous double take that translates into the modern idiom as wtf. See, don't forget who we are dealing with here. Artificial Wonders has always been on for the cantankerous, the splendidly odd as the goings on in Green Bottles amply testify.

So when I said start, it actually surprised the crap out of me. I expected, fool that I am, a lovely, air-filled sonic prayer to the joy and beauty in life and what I got was the equivalent of razored ears and a bad case of PTS. (Ed: surely you mean PMS, definitely would fit your condition). My own fault, should have known that this musician wouldn't do it the easy way so again, best avoided if of a nervous nature, Funny thing is, I actually grew to like this track a lot once the initial surprise had worked off and no, it's not just acoustic piano, there are some suitably dramatic strings, all of which add to the tension the track carries, Mind you, that first time was a bit brutal but maybe that is a sure sign I am getting old.

Highly Recommended weirdo piano...

Eject Pilot Eject - Jump At The Right Time EP

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Eject Pilot Eject are (apparently) an exciting three piece indie rock band from South Wales, or so their official website informs us. Surprisingly enough, South Wales (not New South Wales which is on an entirely different continent) has a long and proud history of churning out really good musicians and singer and - in particular - amazing trios. As an exercise in dating myself, I first noticed this effect when a band called Love Sculpture sliced my head off with a track called Sabre Dance. The guitarist at the time was a very, very young Dave Edmunds. See, it isn't just confined to people speaking in a strange language and bellowing songs at the top of their lungs and - while we are about it - at the drop of a hat. It's a Celtic thing, ya see. Us cold blooded English still don't get that completely free, liberating sense of what music means for your spirit. That'll be the effect of the steel rod up our collective English butts no doubt.

So, enough of the yakky da bollocks, lets get to rumble!

Jump At The Right Time is, in fact, a three track EP recorded at Machineroom Studios by Paul Durrant so I'm already expecting a fairly polished affair and No Hero nails that very nicely. Got to like a bit of lively rock though and, to my ears anyway, a liking for the more straightforward kind of no nonsense indie that is almost a staple of the small gig circuit the band operate in. No Hero shows the bands tightness and coherence. It is, as they say, a rattlingly good yarn but not - to my mind anyway - anything really startling. Mainstreet was much the same animal, snarling out of the gate, and yet - when you give it time to sit right - is a surprisingly soft rock pop song with more than a touch of charm.

Don't Make This Harder Than It Needs To Be completes the trio and, to my ears anyway, sounds a bit more lax than any of the preceding tracks; especially vocally. Some level problems with the main vocal too, although the backline (on all three tracks) sounds chunky, tight and on point. You may also notice the female backing vocals, courtesy of drummer Sarah who - it has to be said - knows how to kick the crap out of a set of drums. All told, and in complete honesty, I think these tracks DO highlight how good the band would be live (where they will gain mucho experience anyway) but when put up against some of their competition what they have may be too lightweight. That is not, in any way, to say that these tracks are not very good, they are and then some but I didn't hear anything that struck me as out of the ordinary but time will see to that.

Recommended pop rock trio WITH a trio (of songs duhhhh).

In Memoriam: Louise Hudson

Finally this month, a personal note. Three years ago I met a vivacious, uplifting young lady of 33, who entered my life and made it better in so many ways. We became friends and slowly I discovered that she had a brain tumor. We met regularly once a week over the past three years , and I'm going miss her and our meetings. She died last Saturday night at the age of 36 after a long and courageous struggle and my world is a poorer place because of that. Rest in peace, Lou lou, the pain is finally over. When I play my guitar I know you'll be right there with me.

Cameron Pierce - Double Edged

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It was kind of apt that Fear 2 Stop and Cameron Pierce should end up back to back in my playlist this month, although musically they have nothing whatsoever in common. What they have in common is of being around what seems like forever. I first met Cameron Pierce then known as Latmat when I reviewed the excellent (and eerie) Beatles-alike The Road Is Long (I Need You) (November 2003) and - like Fear 2 Stop - has consistently come up with tracks that are worthwhile on a regular basis. I just had a quick skim through past reviews and counted at least four must haves and I know for a fact that Latmat scored a few too.

OK, I think I've made myself clear now, I like this guy and I like his music which IMHO has grown and matured tremendously over the years. Nowhere is that maturity and experience more noticeable than in the overall sound and feel of this track; here is a musician who has (almost, just a whisker away) perfected his way of projecting himself to best advantage - and it shows. Don't let that splashy piano into fool you for second, this is not a simple track, or one to be taken lightly either.

Cameron established early on that he was a good songwriter and that side of his music has come on in leaps and bounds; the detail and diversity of sounds and feels/textures on Double Edged show that so well - although it will need many plays to get to the root of it. Like a lot of his tracks, the initial impression is good, but that always but always deepens as you get to know the music and its twists and turns. So, if you like intelligent indie, with a definite pop rock feel, then Double Edged is the ticket to aural nirvana. Personally, I could have done with more vocal in the mix, but that's just me being a nerdy nitpicker so what else is new.

Highly Recommended Indie pop rock

Fear 2 Stop - Afterglow demo

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Is this really the end for Madames et Monsieurs Billy Castillo, Raymond Proseus and Dana Castillo, who are jointly responsible for the entity known as Fear 2 Stop? For those who don't really care whether it is the end or not (and who the **** are Fear 2 Stop anyway?), then you are a little lacking in the Soundclick history department or - conversely - you have a life. I first noticed them on Soundclick in late 2003 although I didn't actually get to review them until Science Friction (January 2004) and I finished the review by saying 'An artist who I am definitely going to hear from further methinks'. Little did I know what I was letting myself in for, nor I suspect, did Fear 2 Stop. At this point they have released hundreds of tracks of their very personal brand of electronic/analog experimental, and I feel like I have reviewed every single one. Their demise will feel a bit like the passing of an era. Well, yes, a very NOISY era, I'll grant that, but interesting and challenging in equal measure.

Now stop, otherwise I'll start puddling up ;)

Speaking of interesting and challenging (always accurate words when applied to listen to this Houston based threesome), Afterglow delivers exactly what I have come to expect from this band - and then some. Apparently this is just a demo version and the real thing is going to appear on their upcoming album (probably a swan song) and I personally can't wait to hear this finished. Matter of fact, if this was presented to me as yer typical Fear 2 Stop track, I'd have said yeah, but still would have added 'and then some' See, funny thing about F2S, and one that has always niggled at me, when they are on they are ON, when they are not it doesn't have anything like the same power.

More than once Fear 2 Stop has managed to get me to bend my critical knee to them, acknowledging this fact with much praise. See, I am quite a johnny-come-lately fan of experimental electronica, although like many of my generation I grew up hearing what used to be called ' avant-garde'. Pioneering musicians like Throbbing Gristle had a lot to do with my initial experience and some of Afterglow reminds me of that. Mostly, however, it puts me in mind of a bunch of 1980's electro-pop musicians being dragged back to the era of acid, dosed up and then forced to come up with a tune. We'll see when the album version comes out but IMHO this one of the strongest Fear 2 Stop tracks I have heard in a while.

Highly Recommended Experimental electronica.

Twisted Angel - Sippin' On Venom

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Got to love that title eh? but why is it that we always realise that AFTER we've tied one on? One of life's enduring mysteries. Twisted Angel, in case ya didn't know, is an interesting artist from Canada, not that Canada isn't wall to wall with interesting artists, it's just that they ALL seem to be on Soundclick. I've reviewed about a half a dozen of this musicians tracks and they have always proved to be worthwhile listens, if not anything that's going to set the world on fire. Mind you, the interesting thing is what kind of music he does, veering from goth rock, through rap and hip hop and even a touch of punk n grunge, Twisted Angel definitely mixes it up more than most.

Sippin' on Venom is a track from The Dirty Bazement mixtape which you can download for free from Twizzie's Myspazz page, and contains the immortal line 'sippin on this Hennessy,and such helps me see'. The only thing it ever made me see is woozily but there again I have a known defect, alchohol does me in for days after a binge (Ed: that's when he has a beer the wuss) Still, each to their own. Music this time is from the mighty Shadowville Productions one of the very best Soundclick beat factories. I've probably heard most of their output one way or another and they have never delivered anything less than excellent music tracks.

Twizzie fills in as many gaps as he can, and doing a fine job of of it too. What is particularly noticeable is the ease with which he syncs up to the track - not an easy track let me tell you - and, of course, his words and rap. I noticed that another familiar rapper is involved with this project too, so maybe I'll go and have a listen to the rapper known as E.J.A.Y and Twisted Angel mixing it up. A pretty potent combination in my books. So, while Sippin' On Venom isn't as adventurous as some of Twizzie's previous tracks, its right in the hip hop pocket, showing the the whole mixtape would be worth downloading.

Excellent indie hip hop. Highly Recommended.

Papa Baloo - Must Be In Love

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What constitutes 'bass slappin, funky beats, original freshness and trippy guitar'? Well Papa Baloo if you go by the keywords on their Soundclick page but I'm not sure all that goes with what I know of Papa Baloo, at least judging from the two tracks I have reviewed already. Mind you, I apparently spent the whole of one review spouting about drugs but anyone who knows me knows I likes a good rant. While I would go along with the trippy guitar comment, the rest meh... The impression I have gathered so far is a decent, straight ahead rock bent but - to be honest - nothing that I found adventurous or interesting outside the box it started in. The last track I reviewed was Keep It dDown (July 2009) and I wrote 'It doesn't therefore say anything new to me, but I guess I am not the one this is aimed at'

My first impression of Must Be In Love reinforced that Rolling Stones feeling that came across most on Keep It dDown; a certain sloppiness that the Stones perfected if you know what I mean. However, as I discovered with prior Papa Baloo tracks, continued plays often paid off and it definitely does with Must Be In Love which, over time, emerges as quite a clever rock piece with some excellent, if shambolic, rock riffing. Certainly, forgiven its flaws, this is a very good rock song and one I think would benefit immensely from a slightly less - how do I put this - over the top vocal performance.

That wasn't the least of the problems, the sound overall is pretty awful, sound levels between different elements were jagged and - all told - it takes work to coax out what is good about it. As I say its a good song, delivered with a sing-sneer that was pioneered by punk musicians, although the vocal is either popping out of the mix or buried in it. Thinking about it, I suspect this has more to do rootswise with punk than rock, it has that sort of rough and ready charm. So, technical problems notwithstanding, this is a pretty good track that may grow on you in time.

Recommended proto-punk.

Thomas J Marchant - The Feather demo

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Oh God, is it that time already? The weather is uncertain, the economy is (excuse my French) fuqued, England is losing at football but you can always bank on Thomas J Marchant time, comes round every month regular as clockwork. Such dedication is not without its pitfalls however and Thomas has just suffered the curse of the exploding computer (one we are all familiar with) so consequently he's back at square one again. Not sure how much material he lost but I for one hope it wasn't too much because these monthly treats are most welcome - even at their most basic. Like, for example, The Feather.

Not so much a demo as a live stand up and sing folkie thingie.

OMG!! Did I just say the F word??? Well, in my world, folk can cover a HUGE amount of ground and it can certainly cover a highly convincing singer/songwriter like Thomas J Marchant, not for nothing was he my Artist Of The Year 2008. As much as I like the increasingly dense sounds he has been getting in tracks like It's A Hard Life (That We Are Living) (April 2010) and the awesome Keeping Up Appearances (also April 2010 as it happens), what really seals the deal every single time is the song the music is delivering. Ever since he turned his hand from electronica to a more natural form, Thomas hasn't put a foot wrong and The Feather (despite its lo-fi, very rough folkie side) shows exactly why.

Its not easy trying to get peoples attention when its just you and a guitar and it takes a special skill to make them sit up and listen, Thomas has done that time after time because of the quality of his songs. Even something as simple and basic as The Feather carries far more power than some musclebound, floor-shaking breakbeat simply because it speaks to us directly. Right into the centre of our brains. I was lucky to grow up with music that spoke directly to me and yes, affected my life and I thank God every day for that blessing. There aren't many songwriters that do that these days but Thomas is definitely one in my books. Try it and see and have the lyrics in front of you when you do.

Highly Recommended Folk song ??

Ska Rapples - Drop Dead Beautiful

Hear The Track Here

I'm surprised to see this is only the second Ska Rapples track I've reviewed, seems like so many more. Either that or the Canadian musician known to all and sundry as Road Apples has been appearing before my eyes a lot more lately. Mind you, I have reviewed him in a plethora of disguises before (Cry Of Hounds, Sad Hill Cemetery etc) so maybe that's it. Wind Divine (February 2010) was my first brush with the Ska Rapples identity and it were bloody great, a wonderful mix of reggae and ska and pop that got a well deserved must have from me. Given its composition though, all the main food groups as it were, it's a dead cert someone like me would love it. My immediate impression of Drop Dead Beautiful wasn't so positive.

There again, being a persistent bastard pays off, and the more I listened to this track, the more I became used to its raw, wide open rock sound and that - I suspect - is why I was wrong-footed in the initial plays. After the glory of Wind Divine, I think I was expecting more of the same, and this track is rock through and through, despite its Indie listing. Actually, thinking about it more, this is the kind of music I expect from Road Apples and I guess Wind Divine was the odd man out. Whichever way it works, it's OK by me. Road Apples has proved time and time again that he is a musician to be taken seriously.

Professionalism will out in this game and it shines out of this track like a beacon; from the painstaking attention to sonic detail (the ultra wide guitars, subtle stabs of blue sound) to the technical polishing needed to bring out the very best in this track. So? Does it work? I should coco although as I say, be best to give it a few plays for it to work its magic on you and it would help if you like rock with a classic bent. If you doubt the veracity of that, this track has four comments so far. The commenters are extremely well known guitarists in their own right and all of them are unstinting in their praise - as they should be.

High class Classic Rock. Highly Recommended.

Max-Motion - Jugganaut

Hear The Track Here

Max-Motion is a brand new name to me from Soundclick but look behind the name and you'll find another English SG (Ed: eeek God no!!) This time in the guise of Steve Gibson (Ed: close, so close) so 1) he's English, 2) he's a Steve ergo he must be a very nice guy. Aaaaahh, and then the fly starts buzzing around and you notice these words 'Dance music is my genre ' Aarrrggghh indeed. Not one for the old four-to-the-floor unless I'm out there banging around with my Zimmer Frame - today's must have fashion accessory for really old farts. Even though I don't particularly like the genre, I do know what I like to hear from it and it's that, as usual, that will tell the tale.

Now whether Jugganaut has something to do with dance music, I don't know but where I come from the term is 'juggernaut' and means something almost unstoppable. OK, it's dance so that would be a good thing. Relentless rhythms I am more than a little into, so long as its not all that sun-kissed, lets-all-love-Ibiza slop. So what is Jugganaut then? Well, thankfully it avoided the sunburn, sounding as if it were a track being pumped out of some dark, dingy techno basement club, so I guess the four to the floor and the irritating pssst psssst psssst of the hi hat would suit that crowd.

Despite the fact that there is a lot going on, not really noticeable until you have heard it a few times, I kinda liked the insistent synth sequences and its those that register over the long run. Sounds a lot like the kind of toys that have Roland stamped all over them but is probably much more likely to be some variation of Rebirth - or even Reason, so if you like electronica dance music then I guess this may very well float your boats. More to the point, Max-Motion has another 33 tracks on his page so obviously he's been a busy boy and I hope there is something more my style - I live in hope.

Recommended dance electronica nonetheless.

Bodiesmusic - Shaking Hands

Hear The Track Here

Yeah but whose body? Anybody? More to the point, can bodies also sing the blues? Stick tight, these and other important questions await your eyeballs. So Jon Partelow? (Ed: eh? eh? how did he get in here?) Jon Partelow has a body (at least I presume so) and the last we saw of it, it was performing with the excellent - but sadly deceased - Can't Stop The Daggers. Time proved that you could indeed stop them, and more is the pity because they were - in my delusional world anyway - one of the brighter sparks in the unsigned scene and one that had so much potential it was stupid.

Ahhh, c'est la vie.

Jon Partelow and I have crossed paths many times since I first met him on Table Fate (January 2006) as the solo (and magnificent) HELLbus. It was obvious from that first track that Jon was a man of many talents and chief among them was a particular style and sensitivity when crafting his involving pop music style. Big ******** words eh? Well, I know Jon can back them up so nrrr. So, we've established that Bodiesmusic is the new Partelow vehicle and guess what, CSTD's Emily Shahlick is another main mover behind the project so on paper, it should prove worthwhile listening...and then your ears are blown off.

Absence, the old saying goes, makes the heart grow fonder and that proves to be the case here sure enough. I'm surprised how much I missed this direct, uncluttered but utterly listenable musician and songwriter and I wish him and Emily the best of luck. Not that they need it. To my ears, Shaking Hands, merely simplifies what CSTD was all about: the song. That's about all you'll get with Shaking Hands, although its accompanied by some spirited acoustic guitar playing and some very tasty vocal licks. Sometimes, to be honest, its a bit too spirited if you know what I mean but hey I am not complaining. Class song, if a bit demo-ish.

Highly Recommended Alternative Indie.

Ron Gragg - Traveller At The Broken Gait

Hear The Track Here

I'm amazed at the number of Ron Gragg reviews I seem to have done but, to his eternal credit, he takes a licking and he keeps on ticking - an admirable trait for an internet based musician. Skin the thickness of rhino horn. After all, why should we care what people think of what we do, it isn't why we do it, is it? Take Ron, for example, a musician I am obviously familiar with. Like any guitarist fully bitten, Ron collects the instruments and the sounds as he goes along, refining and honing what they are doing until it's good enough to place before their audience. That's me and you. And what do I do, after all that effort? Piss and moan about this or the other all to no avail because Ron wouldn't change a note anyway.

It is what it is. Another admirable trait.

As a lifelong acoustic guitarist myself, I am bound to like others of that brotherhood and in that respect, Ron Gragg has been one of the better finds in this area, and not because he specialises in Christian Rock either. Surprising then that the reviews I have given have been overwhelmingly critical or at the very least negative. Looked at properly, I think most of the blame for that has to be the fate of internet musicians who work according to what they have to work with, and that obviously isn't fair to the musician struggling under those restraints.

I think I've only mentioned performance from this musician in a positive light, and Traveller At The Broken Gait only shows clearer how inventive he can be. Love some of the progressions in this, the kind of guitar track that you know would be fun to play, to get right. Nothing like the buzz you get when something you've been working on for months in bits and pieces finally appears as a fully finished track. All the more so if it happens to be an instrumental. For sure, Traveler At The Broken Gait isn't going to storm any barricades and why should it. As Ron says in the song comments 'This is just a whimsical Instrumental' to which I can only say aye!!