MACROTONES, MIARS, HOLLY HANSON AND ASK THE ICE TAKE THE PHIL MCNAMARA CD TEST

SPRING INTO WORMTOWN

I held off this one a few weeks because it seems that every sunny spring like day in April was followed by two days of chilly crappy downpours, but now it’s time. It’s that time of year again. Through the heavy coats and hoodies into storage, break out the shorts and t-shirts and get ready to enjoy nature as it should be, somewhat warm. Put aside gloomy memories or thoughts of the extra weight you may have gained in the off season and get ready to rock…or do whatever it is these bands do. – Phil McNamara

ASK THE ICE – TWO SONG DEMO – SELF RELEASED (RECORDING CREDITS UNAVAILABLE)

From the ashes of Clinton’s Orange Island comes a couple of great working class blues-rock tunes. Thematically they continue where Orange Island left off, working shit jobs and getting in petty little battles in their local bar. If it weren’t so catchy, it would be pretty sad. The disc kicks off with wailing guitar of “Relapse in Blue”. It’s got a stark acoustic beginning before an electric guitar howls up a blues rock boogie not far from the bluesier tunes on T.Rex’s “Electric Warrior”. Over a heavy blues guitar solo and wailing harmonica, Charles Young sings about quitting booze to win back a lost lover only to sadly conclude, “You can’t quit what you love the most even when it’s for the ones that you love”. “Signate Matter” starts with a similar acoustic beginning that keeps on for half the song. On this tune, Young sings about a drinking buddy who thinks that their bar room encounters are something more. The two songs are both pretty self-explanatory tunes about alcohol and drunken hookups to follow up Orange Island’s album and EP about alcohol, drunken hookups, negativity, desperation, and pessimism. These two tunes are just the alcohol and drunken hookups without the chaser. Perhaps when they come up with a full-length album they’ll come up with songs about…whatever else there is to do in Clinton.

For more information, visit: http://www.myspace.com/asktheice

HOLLY HANSON –STONE WALLS AND FENCES- SELF RELEASED (RECORDED AT A HOME STUDIO IN RAYNHAM, NH AND WSCA - FM 106.1 STUDIOS PORTSMOUTH, NH)

What we’ve got here is four pretty acoustic songs from this New Hampshire newcomer and her musical partner Steve Hayes. The title track opener is a winsome song of memories of the family farm. It’s simple, but catchy and memorable. “Full Moon Night” is one of those subtle songs with dual meanings. One can visualize exploring the woods and falling in love in the lyrics, “Uncover me, discover me. I’m a full moon night”

By “Sparks” Hanson is in full love song mode. It’s a simple kind of love, something less complicated than the feelings found in say…a Huck song. The simplicity is nice though. The two guitars intertwine in strumming and finger picking for a pleasant effect. The finale, “In the Blue Room” has a pleasant deliberate pace of an old English folk ballad, showing that she’s not only romantically inclined, but literate too. That always helps when you’re writing lyrics. Without them this would just be four songs of pleasantly strummed guitars. You might think that I’ve gone soft, appreciating something like this and not calling it syrupy, sappy pop folk music, but hey, it puts me in a good mood when I hear it. That’s a good enough standard for me.

More details? Contact Folky1@mac.com

THE MACROTONES – LIVE FROM WAYNE MANOR – SELF RELEASED (PRODUCED, ENGINEERED, MIXED, AND MASTERED BY JASON BUHL AND ANDY BERGMAN AT WAYNE MANOR STUDIOS SHUTESBURY, MA)

What we got here is a jammin’ disc of jazzy, funky, rockin’ jamming tunes that bring to mind a college auditorium as much as they bring to mind any bar scene. That’s not meant to be an insult. This music is tight, so tight that it could be being done by Berkley College or Mass Conservatory Musicians. The college auditorium comparison comes from the fact that these tunes sound like jazz orchestra standards and don’t quite have the looseness or unrehearsed feel of your average rock band. They get down to business with “Book It”. The title might signify the antsy anticipation filled pace of the song or be a message to club owners. The song starts with a full regiment of music, four horns, a drummer, conga, and two miscellaneous percussionists. They go into a jam that’s tight enough for the auditorium, but loose enough for the club dance floor. “Conversations” has an opening that makes it sound like something out of a jazz band class textbook, but gets into a funky groove that tosses the academics aside. Within that groove one can hear funk as modern as Wu Tang Clan and as jazzy as old Chicago and Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Congas and keys take over for the samba influenced “Hitching to Bristol”.

“Clave Fury” has a classic Superfly / Shaft soundtrack feel to it, complete with fluid bassline, phlanged out guitar, and classically orchestrated horns. It’s definitely urban adventure soundtrack material. “Flood” slows things down to smooth soulful reggae speed, transporting you to a beach in Jamaica. It’s good chill music. “Can You Here Me Now?” kicks off with a Flea / Red Hot Chili Peppers heavy funk bass line that propels the song. After the opening it settles into a conventional but catchy groove. “Architecture” has an abrupt beginning that makes it sound like someone turned on the tape recorder mid song. The jam’s a little repetitive but catchy nonetheless.

“Emergency Room Lullaby” begins with the closest thing to a rock drum solo on the album before drifting into a percussive jam. The keyboardist comes up with some cool sound, sort of like a harmonica being played through distortion effects. They rap it up with “Brazil 9” throwing in more of that harmonica sounding keyboard, guitar lines that run from James Brown funky to Grateful Dead psychedelic and a loose wailing horn jam where the band lets it all hang out. What can I tell ya’? This one sounds just right for a 45-minute drive where you don’t have to do much thinking.

As I write and read this I realize, on paper “Live from Wayne Manor” doesn’t look so exciting. When you actually hear it, it’s a different story. All sorts of surprises come out of the horns, the guitar, the bass, and the percussion around every corner. It’s when you chill and listen to this as background music that the surprises sneak up on you. That’s how jam music should work…or jazz…or whatever this is.

More information at http://www.themacrotones.com

MIARS – THREE SONG DEMO – SELF RELEASED (PRODUCED, ENGINEERED, AND MIXED BY CHRIS MACDONALD AT AN UNKNOWN LOCATION)

It was a good month for jam bands. First that Macrotones CD kicks my ass, then I get these guys CD that jams with equal fervor, only with much more improvisation. These three tunes serve as a snapshot that will merely wet the appetite of jam band fans. I assume that they stretch these songs out live. I have yet to see them play out as I don’t get out of the house enough. The opener “Myers” (a play on their name…no?) will get your body movin’ with a funky jammin’ bassline, spacey high-pitched guitars, and Kayla Daily’s soft seductive vocals. None of this is easy to describe in a few words. The guitarists have a feel for Phish / Grateful Dead like but also for heavy groove reggae and hard rock. The bass player sounds like he’s listened to lots of the speediest and most technical parts of Primus along with jam and reggae.

“Another Joke” keeps this groove going with a heavy stomping bass opening. I wish I had a lyrics sheet here because it sounds like they’ve written a good song, I just can’t make out what it is. “Wasting Time” finishes up with a jazzy love song that switches speeds throughout. Though Phish is an obvious influence, I can’t place what Daily’s unique voice reminds me of. At times it’s one of the softest prettiest sounds and at times it’s one of the heaviest and most powerful. The jam that goes with it shows the band at their most improvisational. The title of the song could indicate a pessimistic tune, but it’s actually a love song where Kayla asks, “Will you waste some time with me?” Well, I’m down for that.

With the tough times of the rest of the nation trickling into Wormtown we can all use something to give us hope, and this does the trick for me. According to their MySpace page they’re working on a full length to put out in the fall. That’s something to look forward to.

More info at http://www.miarsmusic.com

A lot more time elapses between these CD reviews, but I’m still writing them. As long as bands keep making CDs, I’ll keep reviewing them. When bands stop making them and start distributing their music strictly via computer, looks like I’m done writing about them. After all, I have a desktop computer and can’t carry it around on my shoulder like I was Radio Raheem in “Do the Right Thing” (Obscure reference that only old people get). If your band still engages in the arcane tradition of making CDs, drop me a line at spaceguy3@charter.net or phil4rock@yahoo.com, get me a copy, and I’ll let you know what I think. Now get outside, it’s nice out there.
Coming in May – Reviews of new CDs by A Pony for My Birthday, One Lane Bridge, Singuya, The Sift and Traphiq