Deep Jimi And The Zep Creams - Funky Dinosaur 1992

Ultimately it all had to be a joke of some kind -- but what kind is unsure. After all, the quartet was from Iceland. Somehow managing to get a major-label deal after building up a semi-cult reputation in New York, the snarkily named foursome would probably have gotten treated with more relative attention had they been from, say, Seattle. Certainly the four acts referenced in the name were reasonable enough starting points, and while they really don't get beyond the bounds of a really good tribute act, they at least deliver enough flash to crack a smile here and there. Guitarist Thor -- just Thor -- has spent enough time with his Guitar Player magazines, or whatever the Scandinavian equivalent is, but the emphasis is on chunky hooks and quick solos rather than simple wank. As for singer Sigurder Eyberg, it isn't a glam wail or classic rock gravelly howl he has, but there's something here that suggests playful jokers like Disneyland After Dark in his high-pitched ways. He certainly isn't Robert Plant, but who is? Keeping everything sounding at least professional enough is cult producer/musician Kramer -- things sound a lot crisper here than his usual work with the Shimmy-Disc stable, possibly because the mixing wasn't done by him in turn. The most successful track on the album comes right at the start, with "Haia Gurusah." With a torrent of astoundingly ridiculous lyrics delivered with the correct level of shout/scream enthusiasm -- "There are horses wearing bras/Making love in applesauce," for instance -- the song itself is catchy enough to work on its own. Beyond that great moment, it's a little more up and down -- blooze traditionalism amped up here and there, proto-metal sludge, even flute-led pastoralism. Uneven, but still worth a good smirk or two. AMG.

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KBC Band - KBC Band 1986

The KBC or Kantner-Balin-Casady Band was formed in the mid-'80s by three former members of Jefferson Airplane: guitarist/singer Paul Kantner (b. March 12, 1942, San Francisco), singer Marty Balin (b. Janurary 30, 1942, Cincinnati), and bassist Jack Casady (b. April 13, 1944, Washington, D.C.). The group was filled out by Mark "Slick" Aguilar (guitar, vocals), Keith Crossan (saxophone, vocals), Tim Gorman (keyboards, vocals), and Darrell Verdusco (drums, vocals). The KBC Bandreleased one moderately successful album in 1986 before breaking up. AMG.

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Ekoostik Hookah - Ohio Grown 2002

Ohio's Ekoostik Hookah manage to pull off the miraculous on the first few songs of Ohio Grown: they make their derivative sound entirely palatable, even downright good. The opening "Dragonfly" manages to take the old jamband trope of "surprising" alternations between rock and bluegrass and infuse it with a rich energy, mostly courtesy of a satisfying "Good Vibrations"-like chorus hook. Unfortunately, after a few more semi-solid tunes, the album heads swiftly downhill, finding it's nadir in the forgettable "Dancin' Outlaw". Most of the songs call on back-to-the-earth imagery - music made on back porches, wine, dancing, pure places (Colorado, mountains, long roads, the "country") and folk-influenced music - and the band's arrangements, featuring fiddles ("Dragonfly"), a gospel choir "Deal With It"), and other staples of Americana. Good or bad, the band at least works in a unified world. AMG.

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Blurt - Bullets For You 1984

Blurt is a new wave band originally consisting of Ted Milton(saxophone, vocals), Pete Creese (guitar), and Jake Milton(drums). Herman Martin (keyboards) replaced Creese after the release of Bullets for You (1984). Steve Eagles (guitar) replaced Martin after Six Views in Black (1985). Paul Wigens (drums, violin) replaced Jake Milton as of Poppycock(1986). Nick Murcott replaced Wigens on Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hit (Take 2) (1989). AMG.

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Zen Tricksters - The Holy Fool 1998

Those who have only heard Zen Tricksters' reputation as a "jam" band and not its actual music might expect the songs on its debut album to be longwinded or dominated by extended instrumental excursions. Instead The Holy Fool is surprisingly soulful with tight, though involved, song structures. In a couple of words, downright poppy, though in a skewed sense of the word, and, in comparison to their concert interplay, rather succinct. Some of the songs seem like melodically slight excuses to play a certain style or utilize a certain musical touch, but mostly the songwriting maintains a high standard. The music is certainly varied: beginning with the jazz-fusion of "Victim of Circumstance," the Trickstersswitch from bouncy world music ("Arise") to rootsy folk-rock ("Shine Your Light") to the vaguely gospelish "Not Quite Enough," and "Mother Found a Gun" downright swings. "Done Is Done" riffs on a chunky, country beat, but theZen Tricksters seem incapable of playing something as straight as country without twisting it into something much more involved and fun. Though all the instrumentalists are stellar, the star of the show is Rob Barraco, whose nimble-fingered keyboards always enhance the songs in just the right way. If there is a musical point of contention on The Holy Fool, it may be that the album has an overall studio sheen that doesn't entirely reflect the band's complex, sometimes gritty, musical interaction onstage. Of course, it is natural, even expected, to soften the edges of a live show in the studio, and, if anyone's listening experience is affected, it is most likely to be someone who is already a longtime fan of the band and, thus, more used to the band's live sound. The album also might have benefitted from a consistent lead vocalist. Each member is a solid (though not scintillating) vocalist in his own right, but former lead vocalist Jen Markard (who co-wrote four songs on the album) lends her wonderful vocals to "Homesick," making that song one of strongest efforts on the album. Her presence on the rest of the songs might well have taken The Holy Fool to an even higher level than it has already reached. Still, for most listeners, The Holy Fool is bound to be an enjoyable experience because it is a solid, fun album full of vigorous melodies and beautiful playing. AMG.

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Deva Premal and Miten - Soul in Wonder 2007

Soul In Wonder sees Miten going back to his roots, combining the rock and blues of his youth with dance rhythms, mantras and heartfelt songs of wood smoke, banyan trees and holy rivers in the moonlight – from a true soul in wonder.
Miten’s tales of awakening, discovery & wonder are enhanced by Deva Premal’s divine vocals & the bansuri flute of Manose, along with harmonium, kora, violin, Hammond organ, slide guitar and mandolin.

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Big Head Todd & the Monsters - Midnight Radio 1991

Midnight Radio is Big Head Todd & the Monsters' second indie album. The group was inspired by listening to board tapes of their live shows and decided to record their second album at concerts.Midnight Radio is not a live album as much as it is a record that captures the band in their element. It ended up in Top Ten lists for many national publications, before the band signed a record contract. The two-track live recording created a wonderful ambience, which is much different than the band's major label debut, the gold Sister Sweetly. Though Sister Sweetly is the better sounding album,Midnight Radio is often considered the band's best by many Big Head Todd & the Monsters fans. Song highlites include the original version of "Bittersweet," which was re-recorded for their debut and is the band's most popular song. "Vincent of Jersey" is the one-minute solo song that opens the album. Despite its brevity, it is one of the album's better songs. "Midnight Radio" is also a strong song, with vocals similar to Mark Knopfler and blazing guitar solos. This album prioritizes Todd Park Mohr's guitar work more than the bass or drums, but it is his skills around which the band -- and its songs -- is based. The stark recording sounds a bit tinny at times, but the material and performances makeMidnight Radio one of the best of the jam band genre. AMG.

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Husky - Forever So 2012

With Forever So, Australian indie folk quartet Husky present a collection of labored-over tunes, full of heart-on-the-sleeve sentiments and the combination of doe-eyed wonder and log-cabin existentialism that defines so much of the subsect of indie-based acoustic rock that followed freak folk. Opening with the softly building "Tidal Wave," Husky layer acoustic guitars, organs, shimmering electric guitar flourishes, and an ever-so-slightly psychedelic breakdown, resulting in the same kind of soul-searching arc Fleet Foxes regularly achieve, only minus that group's signature spot-on harmonies. Many of the album's 13 tracks follow closely in the footsteps of an already established act, with nods to Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear, and Midlake, and the entire album brims over with woodsy imagery and vague allusions to storms on the open sea, late-night city scenes, and uneasy emotional partings. All of the elements are placed meticulously, but when in motion, the album feels cloying, derivative at best, and boring in the most sterile of ways.
Lifeless production blends all the various instruments into a solid single color and pushes bandleader Husky Gawenda's reserved vocals into the grey blur. The album feels broadcasted in from across a canyon, reaching for emotional depth and autobiographical heaviness but never with lyrics, melodies, or performances direct enough to establish or even intone meaning in all of the void spaces left for the listener to fill in. Without making any overtly direct statements, bands like Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes broke through with the palpable, audible embodiment of heartbreak that characterized their earliest albums. Husky are lacking any of those raw nerves or experience and you can tell just by listening. Husky's naive approach is most apparent when they're trying their hardest for intensity or connection. "How Do You Feel" opens with the echoey sound of footsteps down a hallway and the lyrics "How do you feel?/I feel like I just killed a man/It doesn't feel real." The heavy-handedness is embarrassingly green and so serious it can only feel insincere. WhenHusky let their guard down somewhat, inspiration starts to show through the cracks, as on parts of the album's closing suite, "Farewell (In 3 Parts)." Classic rock harmonies à la the Beach Boys or CSNYsupport three partially finished and strung-together song fragments, and these salvaged afterthoughts are the most honest-feeling moments of the album. But sincerity isn't the main issue with Forever So. While the album has its share of pretty melodies and even some gently beautiful moments, it's mostly a string of unremarkable songs built on platitudes, searching for reason and resolution but ultimately coming up empty-handed. AMG.

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Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band - Bird Heard Song 2009

Bird Head Son is a 2009 album by poet Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band. It was recorded in just two days in March 2008 in Meudon, France and produced by Antoine Rajon. It is the bands sophomore studio album following 2007's Leggo de Lion. During the sessions, 20 songs were recorded live in the studio with no overdubs. The album features an expanded Spasm Band line up, a septet instead of the quartet that recorded the previous album, as well as guest performers Keziah Jones, Defunkt founder Joseph Bowie, David Neerman and Jamika Ajalon. A 3 track EP La Diablese was released by Heavenly Sweetness in July 2008. It included the tracks Vero, Robberman (both included on the Bird Head Son album) and a version of the Mighty Shadow's Poverty is Hell. The album was released in January 2009 by Naive/Heavenly Sweetness. Joseph's 3rd collection of poetry, also entitled Bird Head Son was published by Salt Publishing on February 7, 2009 to coincide with the UK release of the album, it features all the lyrics from the album.

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Grant Green - Blue Breakbeats 1998

Blue Breakbeats is an essential collection of six of the funkiest breakbeat heavy songs in Grant Green's deep Blue Note catalog. Prolifically sampled by beat thirsty hip-hop producers and stylistically influential in separating Green from Wes Montgomery's ever-looming shadow, these songs were compiled from Green Is Beautiful, Visions, Alive!, Carryin' On, and The Final Come Down by DJ Smash. While certainly nothing new here for the collector, it's a great starter piece for newcomers and those seeking out the original breaks sampled over and over on late 20th century hip-hop records. Playful grooves and classic drumbeats thump underneath some of the slickest jazz guitar work of the 1970s, while stellar instrumentation alone is worth the price of admission. With it being said that these groundbreaking Blue Note soul/jazz records are the foundation of hip-hop, these cuts are brick-by-brick testimonials. AMG.

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Deep Banana Blackout - Live in the Thousand Islands 2002

The group Deep Banana Blackout, who started in 1995, displays a wide variety of influences: rock, funk, soul, jazz, Latin, and psychedelia. On a more general level, because of their following, busy touring schedule, and skills at improvisation, they are considered a jam band. The group's albums include Live in the Thousand Islands (1997) and Rowdy Duty (1999). The band released 2001's Feel the Peel on Flying Frog Records, the label founded by Allman Brothers drummer Butch Trucks. In fact, Deep Banana Blackout has toured with the Allman Brothers, with several DBB members joining the legendary group for their set. In 2000, Hope Clayburn (saxophones, flute, vocals) and B. Smith(trombone, tuba, vocals) joined the collective. The rest of the band consists of: Fuzz (guitar, vocals), Rob Somerville (saxophone, vocals), Cyrus Madan (keyboards, vocals), Benj LeFevre (bass), Eric Kalb (drums), and Johnny Durkin (percussion). AMG.

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Boris Garcia - Once More Into the Bliss 2008

Philadelphia, PA-based progressive bluegrass band Boris Garcia began as a recording unit rather than a performing ensemble and was really more of a lark than a serious project at its inception. The five musicians -- Jeff Otto(ukulele, bass, guitar, slide, and vocals), Gene Smith(recorder, harmonica, guitar, and vocals), Bob Stirner (lead guitar, bass, and vocals), Stephe Ferraro (drums and percussion), and Bud Burroughs (mandolin, bouzouki, and accordion), sharing a love of bluegrass, decided to make an album together. It was called Boris Garcia's Family Reunion, and they released it in 2005 on their own Porchwerk Music label. Only after the disc's release did the band began taking gigs in and around Philadelphia and building up a following. They released their second album, Mother's Finest, on June 27, 2006, by which time they had been invited to play on the main stage of the Philadelphia Folk Festival. AMG.

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Tumbleweed Junction - Outlaws Forever 2007

Jam band Tumbleweed Junction was formed in northwestern Pennsylvania by Mark Benson (guitar, vocals, mandolin, harmonica), Peter Haver (guitar, vocals), Justin Meyers (bass), and Dave Stephen (drum, percission). They worked the regional frat and bar circuit before relocating to Atlanta, GA in 1995, where their unique mix of rock, blues and jazz (with just a tinge of acoustic bluegrass) earned them a reputation as a live act. Their self-produced debut album, Out of Ford City, was released on their own Tumbleweed label in 1998. AMG.

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