“Disappearing Act” from the Telling Secrets To Strangers CD jumps out of the speakers to tell the listener that Self Against City is making its way as another young, ambitious rock/indie band. Hailing from the California capital city of Sacramento, Self Against City sends out a tune that is driven by solid drumming, along with above average vocals.

Band members Blake Abbey, Jonathan Michael, Justin Barnes, Jack Matranga and Jeffrey Latour scheduled a few California dates in December 2007, including a show in the hometown and a couple along the coast, down to San Diego. If nothing else, this band is “Ready and Willing” (to use one of the titles from the CD).

The angst and desire of youth is clear in “Tequila Moonlight,” a good song, if not a great one. The musicians do some of their best work on this tune and it will grab listeners among the late teen/early 20s crowd. “Becoming A Monster” may be one of the best tunes on the CD, because of the musicianship demonstrated, for sure, but also because of the honesty of its lyrics.

“Speechless” gives the listener a slightly different feel (Take It How You Want It EP). This tune is a classic “I’m telling you how it’s gonna be” effort. If the girls will only listen, things might be better.

Self Against City at MySpace

[tags]self against city[/tags]

On a personal note, I’ve never been one to be attracted to band names like Lovedrug. I have always wanted bit more obscurity and word play for the bands I followed. (I was turned off by some of the band names in the 1960s. That hasn’t changed.) Coming straight out and announcing your intentions will turn away some potential listeners. But, as is always the case, there are plenty of people among rock audiences who will only be reeled in by such in-your-face statements.

Getting beyond the name, however, the listener will find that this is a group of accomplished musicians. “Thieving” from Everything Starts Where It Ends is good listening, with average lyrics that somehow fit. Now “Salt Of The Earth” is a horse of a different color, to be sure. The keyboards are elegant and simple at the same time. The “non-musical” sounds incorporated in the tune make it work.

“Casino Clouds” begins as an understated rock ballad and occasionally threatens to break into a screaming rocker. But it never does, and that makes it a much better song. This might be the best tune of the ones that first-time listeners can sample. It’s hard to say though. It may take a few sessions with this CD to make that call. The “best” award may go to “Pushing The Shine.” It’s sort of scary!! Lovedrug is Michael Shepard, David Thomas Owen IV, James Childress and Korey Christopher Jones.

Lovedrug at MySpace

[tags]lovedrug[/tags]

Fine listening music, with something of a Nashville feel – that is a start when describing Dave Barnes. With professional instrumentation behind him, Barnes gives songs such as “More Than A Man” (Chasing Mississippi) great treatment with his plaintive voice. Billed variously as a rhythm and blues singer, a pop singer and a rock ballad artist, Barnes is all of these. “Until You” (Brother, Bring The Sun) fits into the pop genre of other individual vocalists who have found comfortable ground between the rock-and-roll crowd and the lounge singers.

Backed on recordings by Justin Rosolino (guitar), Matt Mangano (bass), Ben Shive (keyboards) and Josh Robinson (drums), Barnes has put out some good songs that will find a niche with some in the easy listening audience. The Two Birds/One Stone tour with Matt Wertz should help this vocalist pick up a few more fans.

From November through February, Barnes travels from Atlanta through Florida, then north to Chicago and Michigan, before returning to Florida and Tennessee. His tune “Greyhound” has some good harmonica sounds and a nice handclap rhythm that sets apart from many of Barnes’ other songs.

Perhaps the best thing to say about Barnes is that he has gathered a significant number of fans among fellow singers and songwriters. He sells records and brings people into concert venues of all sizes and shapes, but in the best tradition he has caught the ear of several long-established artists who will help carry Barnes career along.

Dave Barnes at MySpace

[tags]dave barnes[/tags]

Now what? How do we separate all these good, young bands from one another? Really, how do we do this? Single File’s “Zombies Ate My Neighbors” is not The Flaming Lips, with their “fighting robots” tales. This Single File tune is closer to the streets and kids with trash can lids, and buckets on their heads. Don’t get me wrong. That’s not a bad thing. It’s just different from the more animated Lips stuff.

But with both, the message is clear – the kids are not all right! (Decades ago the classic rock bands tried to tell us the kids were just fine.) We’re finding out now, in the 21^st century, that the younger generation is scared, frustrated, angry, joyous and ambitious, all at once. Thus we have songs such as “Zombies…..”

So where do Sloan (vocals, guitar, bass), Joe (bass, guitar, keys) and Chris (drums, backing vocals) go from here? Well, the marketing phrase of “bittersweet indie-pop from Denver” is a great start. “Melody Of You” is a nice song to listen to. The vocals are soothing. How did that happen?

To paraphrase a rather average movie, there is something about “Velcro” that draws the listener in. The same could be said of “September Skyline,” though both are just samples of what Single File could do with time and effort. As the song says, I like the way they comb their hair.

Single File at MySpace

[tags]single file[/tags]

In the interest of full disclosure – I like Ani DiFranco’s music. That makes it a bit more difficult to write any sort of objective review for this veteran folk/rock ballad singer. After all, she rose to the front lines of the recording industry in short order about 17 years ago and became a household name among a section of the intelligent listening public.

So what can be said about this latest work, Canon CD (2007 Righteous Babe)? “Both Hands” is well, pretty good, to put it simply. “Millennium Theater” is, in the best DiFranco style, a mix of good lyrics and good music, telling a story that would stand by itself as words. But the guitar treatment would be fine as a background sound track too.

She goes to her energetic place with “Fire Door,” running words at the listener as quickly as her tongue and lungs will allow. I think it works, just as it did for another great veteran, Joni Mitchell. DiFranco takes these new tunes and some of the standards from her career on an extensive tour (November through March). She travels from Atlanta and Durham, N.C. through the northeast, including New York. The tour moves south again, to Philadelphia and eventually on the Langerado Music Festival at Everglades National Park in Florida.

By the way, check out “Hello Birmingham” from the new CD! DiFranco does her some of her best vocal work here. This tune also has some of that good old simmering frustration about the world. Oh, and if you are not familiar with DiFranco as a singer, check out some of her past albums. There are plenty to choose from.

Ani DiFranco at MySpace

[tags]ani difranco[/tags]