|
 What
We’ve Got Here
Reviewing
some of the Capital Region’s recent recorded offerings
Bryan
Thomas and the Buggy Jive
1369
Lights (self-released)
From
the moment the “needle” drops on 1369 Lights, you know
you’re listening to a different kind of Bryan Thomas record.
Though Thomas has recorded with a band before, most recently
on the acoustic Babylon disc, this is the first (its
his fifth overall) to include a band name beside his own.
Of course it’s all a ruse—the Buggy Jive is really just a
multi-tracked Thomas—but it gives him license to rock harder
than he has up to now. Opener “Muse,” which (perhaps unwittingly)
borrows a verse melody from Springsteen’s “Blinded by the
Light,” lays out the band mentality from the get-go—it’s one
of the most “rock” tracks in Thomas’ great catalog. The sound
of the electric guitar, a staple of his live sets over the
years, has never been as front-and-center as it is here; wailing
Stratocaster solos simply dominate some songs. He is as self-referential
and Capital Region-centric as ever—characters, and entire
musical phrases, from elsewhere in his career make cameos
here—but that’s what makes him such a compelling artist. Few
performers could maintain such a thematic through line in
their material without actually copying themselves; Bryan
Thomas continues to blaze new trails (besides the one that
leads to Delmar) while staying true to himself, and to his
hometown. On that last note, the entire Capital Region music
scene is celebrated in “MotherJudge,” which does a fine job
of re-creating the party atmosphere of the Lark Tavern’s weekly
open-mic night in song. (Disclosure: I’m in the song, though
it’s unlikely that I’ll pick on anyone for their rhymes.)
—John
Brodeur
 Ike
Snopes
Reshaping
a Dream (Collar City)
Ike
Snopes, a character from a William Faulkner novel, falls in
love with a cow. Ike Snopes is also an assumed name for local
singer-songwriter D.J. Miller, best known for fronting the
lead-heavy rock band Small Axe. There’s no discernable cattle-amore
on Reshaping a Dream, Miller’s exceptional first solo
release, but there is plenty for lovers of Small Axe to get
off on. “In a Vision Hidden” and “A Strange Hibernation” have
the momentum of classic Small Axe head-bangers, minus the
usual rhythm section but propelled instead by layers of Miller’s
effects-laden and crazily intricate guitar work. Mellower
tunes like “The Rows of Pine” and “Genevieve” are powered
by Miller’s characteristically dystopian lyrics and gruff,
yet evocative, vocals. One of several local releases from
Round Lake’s Collar City Records this year that is worth seeking
out.
—Kirsten
Ferguson
 The
Black Fuel
Hell
Is Cold (self-released)
Those
who have tracked the progress of Albert “Albie” Von Schaaf
these last 15 years or so know the magnitude and depth of
the rock renegade’s talent. On guitar, he’s a blazing flamethrower,
some unholy concoction of Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and
Billy Gibbons that leaves even seasoned guitar vets quaking
when they happen upon him fiercely jamming at some open mic
or barroom gig. What sometimes gets lost in the maelstrom
is that Von Schaaf is one hell of a songwriter and lyricist
as well. Hell Is Cold, the sophomore release from Albie’s
power trio the Black Fuel, is a take-no-prisoners tour de
force of hard-rock fury and blues-soaked pizzazz, equal parts
sweat, blood, vinegar, and mojo grease. Lyrically, this is
the hardscrabble world of the long freeze, rough alleys, warm
drink and hot times with your mate. Proving themselves as
one of the area’s finest rock rhythm sections, bassist Shawn
McCann and drummer Mike Weirich swing like Black Sabbath at
a P-Funk convention. From the opening anthem “Blues for God’s
Daughter” to the tender, Chris Whitley-esque “High Wild Flower,”
all the highs and lows of upstate living are measured and
drawn true to life, then sent spinning with blues, wisdom,
and not just a little bit of grace. Buy this for that Guitar
Hero/Rock Band-addicted kid in your life so he
or she can get a taste of the real deal, a guitar maestro
and his rock hounds residing right here in the little old
Capital Region. Special kudos to the striking album art by
local artist and musician Shawn Snow.
—Mike
Hotter
 Strange
Faces
Strange
Faces (self-released)
Strange
Faces, though not technically a local act (the band’s three
members all live in North Carolina), have deep roots in the
Capital Region rock scene: Ryan Barnum, Art Pierce, and Mark
Connor were three-fifths of well-loved local outfit the Wait
for many years. This new band finds Barnum moving out of the
sideman role he played in his former band, and his debut as
a singer-songwriter is damn near a revelation. Dude can sing
his ass off, it turns out, and the trio play together like
they’ve been doing so for years and years (because they have).
Emotional, keyboard-driven tracks like “Stare at the Sun”
and “Aren’t You Proud” might have felt right at home on a
Wait disc, but this is without question a guitar record.
That point is driven home by “Back of Your Mind” and “Panic,”
which mine the same straight-ahead hard-rock vibe that made
superstars of the Foo Fighters (with whom the track “Learn
to Fly” shares only its title). Produced and mixed by industry
vet Eric Sarafin, Strange Faces is a national-level
rock record.
—John
Brodeur
 John
Scarpulla
Blue
Ruin (self-released)
Local
singer-songwriter John Scarpulla makes acoustic music rooted
in a deep burnished groove, with intonations of blues, pop,
and soul. And even in the music’s darker moments—when staring
down the past through a once-full beer glass in “Something
in a Brown,” for example—there’s a cautious optimism that
lifts his muse upward. The Cobleskill resident has a big soulful
voice and some dazzling poetical chops to bolster his fine
melodic sensibilities. Scarpulla’s deft songwriting touch
particularly shows through on the potently soulful “Wednesday”
and the breezy, comfortable “No Reason.” From Woodstock to
Ballston Spa to Schoharie County, Scarpulla’s been making
his live presence known in the area this year, and Blue
Ruin shows him to be a singer-songwriter and performer
(in the greater John Hiatt neighborhood) who is well worth
your time.
—Erik
Hage
The
Foy Brothers
Time
(self-released)
Plying
the deeper waters of blues-tinged soul and R&B, Kevin
and Mark Foy (on vocals and drums, respectively) have surrounded
themselves with some of the cream of the local blues-player
crop for their latest release, a satisfying collection of
well-written original songs about keeping a steady pace and
a clear head while on the path to love. The tasteful blues
guitar solos of Joe Pennisi and Mark Giammattei, along with
Kevin Foy’s burnished, relaxed singing, are reasons enough
to keep this one in repeat mode, but the true diamond here
is Charee Hendricks, whose soulful harmonies help the music
stand out from what can be a homogenous pack. Highlights include
the opener “Go With Me,” a dead ringer for classic Isley Brothers,
the finger-snapping groove of “Old Faithful” (fortified by
a very tasty wah-guitar solo), and “Oh Yes,” where guest percussionist
Brian Melick (of the McKrells) reminds us why he’s considered
one of the best and most versatile musicians in the region.
—Mike
Hotter
 The
Erotics
Rubbish
(Trashpit)
Hang
around the music industry long enough and your style is bound
to roll back around. Mike Trash and the Erotics have been
playing Sunset Strip-inspired hard rock since shortly after
it went out of fashion the first time; the pendulum having
recently swung back in that direction, the band could be poised
for long-overdue breakout. (Hell, if Buckcherry can do it
. . .) The band’s new eight-song EP Rubbish, released
on U.K. label Trashpit, trades away some of the Mötley Crüe-inspired
glam overtones of past releases for a more sinister snarl,
a la Alice Cooper, with Trash’s lyrics taking on a cheeky
self-loathing tone that, believe it or not, shows actual growth
as a songwriter. Granted, songs like “Push Comes to Death”
and “Get Away From Me (Motherfucker)” may be little more than
conduits to bring their titles to life, but what’s wrong with
writing songs around titles? Guided by Voices made an entire
career of it. A raucous cover of AC/DC’s “Walk All Over You”
closes the record, with Trash doing a convincing Bon Scott
impression as the band pound away with even less subtlety
than the Aussies themselves.
—John
Brodeur
|
Site
Search 
