Keith Caputo - A Fondness For Hometown Scars

You creep & you crawl, on the edge of it all…
With the opening lyrics of “Crawling” Keith’s vocals just floats you into his music like an absinthe haze.

Some of the tunes reminds me of STP such as “Troubles Down” and “Devil’s Pride.” I heard Keith was considered for Velvet Revolver or maybe just a rumor. If that’s that is the case I hope he doesn’t except it.

Most of the CD is very low key and morose lyrics which is fine w/ me.
2 great tracks “Got Monsters” and “Son Of A Gun”.
“Got Monsters” Keith sings in his heart wrenching voice just makes you sink in.
This is a remake from his 2003, Perfect Little Monsters and live version in the 2004 “Live Monsters” CD. This latest version is my favorite.

I got monsters, how about you,
Was born a monster, do you hide your monster too…

W/ Zae Rae’s piano reminds me of Godspeed You Black Emperor.

As for “Son Of a Gun” it reminds me it could of came from The Beatles White Album.

I would compare this to Keith’s first solo CD “Died Laughing”. When I heard that CD I played it non-stop for 3 months straight everyday. I couldn’t listen to anything else. “A Fondness for Hometown Scars” comes very close to that CD.

You can listen to some of his songs at
http://www.myspace.com/keithcaputo

You can also check out his homepage at
http://www.keithcaputo.com/site/media
Which includes his video of “Crawl” as well as plenty of other footage from concerts to videos.

You can order his CD at Keith's site or at amazon.com.

"Fondness for Hometown Scars" Produced by Martyn Lenoble (JANE'S ADDICTION, DAVE GAHAN, PORNO FOR PYROS, THE CULT).

Guest musicians include:
Zac Rae (PEDESTRIAN) - Keyboards
Gerry Leonard (DAVID BOWIE) - Guitars
Craig Ross (LENNY KRAVITZ, SHERYL CROW) - Electric Guitars/Acoustic
Flea (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) - Trumpet

Blind Melon – For My Friends

Blind Melon took time off from their moniker & decided to comeback w/ a new singer Travis Warren. It’s good to see the whole band were in agreement w/ reforming Blind Melon and the new singer Travis. Now you wonder if they sound like the same band & yes I would say they sound exactly like Blind Melon. Does Travis sound like the late Shannon Hoon? Yes in some ways. Now what makes him sound like Hoon? I would say the band itself. You have all the members so the sound is still there just need vocals. I think anyone couldn’t help but sound like Shannon. Even down to the humming before the songs or the laughing after song is over like "For My Friend".
I initially heard “Wishing Well” on their myspace page & loved it right away.
This CD takes off right were “Soup” left off. Yeah I know ‘Nico” was their last CD but it was a collection of rare & live performances.

I wish them well on their tour & if you are wondering yes they dedicated this CD to Shannon. I think he would love it as well.

http://www.myspace.com/blindmelon

Happypill - HappyPill EP

Ryan is an amazing guitarist that played w Alice cooper for over 10 years. Being a good showman and the meaning of Rockstar Ryan formed a number of bands such as Dad’s Porno Mag, Roxie 77, and Glamnation , a tribute band of Glam songs.

Ryan decided after his marriage & starting a family of residing in Sweden. Happypill is one of his latest projects. Still glam related Happypill is one excellent band. This EP is only 4 tracks and out of those tracks you have only 2 songs "This Year" and "36 Hours".
Bonus tracks are 2 versions of "This Year". You have the Stadium Mix and Bonfire Mix. Stadium sounds like the actual cut w/ only an audience intro. The bonfire acoustic and just as good.

Now “This Year” and “36 Hours” are both great tunes w/ catching lyrics & good hooks it leaves you wanting more. Unfortunately that’s it.
I hope they come out w/ a full recording soon.

This EP was signed by the band & includes 2 Ryan Roxie 77Guitar picks.

The band consist of
Ryan: guitar, lead vocals, Johan: guitar, keyboard, background vocals, Magnus: bass, background vocals, Anton: drums, background vocals.

Happypill's myspace page includes 2 or 3 new tunes I hope will be appearing on their debut release soon.

http://www.myspace.com/happypill07

Raine Maida – The Hunters Lullaby

I just found out about this release that actually came out in November. Raine Maida vocalist from Our Lady Peace put out his first solo CD. The Hunters Lullaby named after a Leonard Cohen song, Hunters Lullaby. Raine saying when a hunter goes out it’s only him w/ his thoughts and compares that to doing his own solo album. Being influenced in The Beat Writers, Raine states this solo is more of his poems put to music. That it isn’t poems being forced into music and compromised that the meaning changes.

This is different from Our Lady Peace but I would say if you are a fan of OLP you would be happy w/ this solo release. I know sometime when you hear the lead singer of a band do a solo album it may be completely different from his band. But I would say it is different but not completely there are some similarities w/out being obvious.

Of course w/ Raine singing right away you think OLP but this is more acoustic and you hear the vocals up front and not drowned out by electric instruments. Since Raine mentions these are his poems the lyrics should be upfront to listen too. I find some of the strings like the violin or cello a great complement to the songs.

There are some spoken words/Rap lyrics that he pulls off plus Rap artist Jared Paul guest on “The Less I Know”. Also Raine’s wife Chantal Kreviazuk who’s a well known Canadian musician who plays Piano/Vocals on this CD and co-wrote “Careful What You Wish For”.

This single is “Yellow Brick Road” which you can view the video on youtube.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHdHSmAuk-k

Sex Love And Honey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zte2ONHChEY
this isn’t an official video just someone creative but you get to hear another track from his solo CD.

This is a live recording that’s pretty good quality to hear “Careful What You Wish For”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io-CA_mtUow&feature=related

in closing here’s a short humorist video on Raine Maida to show he’s not always that serious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZIqZqPRHUA&NR=1

Jim White - Transnormal Skiperoo
Jim White explains the title of his new release:
Transnormal Skiperoo is a name I invented to describe a strange new feeling I've been experiencing after years of feeling lost and alone and cursed. Now, when everything around me begins to shine, when I find myself dancing around in my back yard for no particular reason other than it feels good to be alive, when I get this deep sense of gratitude that I don't need drugs or God or doomed romance to fuel myself through the gauntlet of a normal day, I call that feeling 'Transnormal Skiperoo.

Growing up in a Pentecostal preaching town of Pensacola, Fla., Jim White’s songs are from his pulpit of an alternative folk rock platform. Following his last CD "Drill a Hole in That Substrate...”, "Transnormal Skiperoo" is in the same style more or less. It’s not a big jump as it were from his "Wrong Eyed Jesus" to "No Such Place" CDs.
Jim seems to be happy w/ himself w/ songs like “A Town Called Amen” he sounds a bit like Petty in the begining but more so like John Prine which I’m more towards leaning too.

These songs remind me of little vignettes from Jim’s hometown. Like most of the CD it’s laid back but “Crash Into The Sun” Jim is more upbeat w/ a background vocals & handclapping I can see this being a single. “Take Me Away” is an interesting tale from this little town. Who knows what the character was saying or who that stranger was before he was run over by the train.
One of my favorites is “Diamond To Coal” and “Jailbird”.