Rock in PA

CD Spotlight Archive

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Garbage: Beautifulgarbage
November 16, 2001
The first time I saw the video for the new Garbage single, "Androgyny", I was a bit concerned. The song had a little too much hip hop flavor for my tastes, and what on earth did Shirley Manson to do her hair? But that darn song stuck in my head like no other song this year, and the moment the new CD, Beautifulgarbage came out, I picked it up. I've been listening to it almost every day since that day.

Like the tunes on the last Garbage disc, Garbage 2.0, the melodies on this disc will nest themselves deep inside your brain, and you'll be humming them to yourself in no time. There are a wide variety of styles covered, making this disc a very enjoyable listen. Even the tiny bit of hip hop that finds its way into Shirley's vocals from time to time doesn't bother me. And that hair will grow back (right?).

If you like the girl groups of the 1960's, you'll be delighted with the flowing vocals, backup singers, chimes and 6/8 meter of "Can't Cry These Tears". If you prefer some 80's synth, look no further than "Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)". And if you're a old school Garbage fan, you can hear the quintessential energetic multi-layered Garbage sound on "Shut Your Mouth", "Androgyny", "Breaking Up The Girl" and "Parade". As Shirley sings in the latter song, "Let's burn down the factory that makes all the wanna-be's." Wanna-be's Garbage are NOT. This is the real thing, baby. Listen. Enjoy.

Live: V
November 16, 2001
Live has been cranking out great albums since its members were in their teens. Back in '94 the local boys from York hit the bigtime with their mega-successful Throwing Copper album. Yes, you know the songs: "Selling The Drama", "I Alone", "Lightning Crashes", "All Over You", etc. Following that multi-platinum effort, they quietly released two CDs that were very listenable but not overly popular, and by no means brilliant.

Enter V, Live's fifth effort (you remember your Roman numerals, right?). This album doesn't break a lot of new ground, cross a lot of genres or set a new standard for rock music, but it is, in my opinion, Live's best offering since Throwing Copper. "Simple Creed" is the first single, and is also the first song on the disc (after a brief intro that's basically a Rob Zombie-like version of the song's bridge). This song is full of energy and hooks, and although the chorus may sound a little cliche ("We need each other, we gotta love each other"), I can't think of a better message to be sending to the public right now.

Another standout track is "Overcome", an acoustic guitar-and-vocals-and-strings song that eeriely describes the world as "bleeding", and somehow manages to provide a sense of calm among the chaos. This song was written and recorded long before September 11, but Live fans immediately caught on to its relevance, and Live had no choice but to release it as a single! Among the best of the rest are "Deep Enough" (pseudo-rap verse and killer chorus), "The Ride" (a rock anthem laced with a sitar?) and "Nobody Knows" (a great ballad). Don't expect a great departure from the soft/loud songwriting style that put Live on the map, but do expect a musically-solid and very enjoyable album from a group that is surviving the post-alt-rock era just fine!

Puddle Of Mudd: Come Clean
October 3, 2001
I miss rock. Call me a purist. Say I'm stuck in the grunge era. Go ahead. You won't hurt my feelings. Really. Hey, it took me a while to come around when "alternative" music hit the scene. But eventually I realized that "alternative" music was really just a throwback to the way it used to be done. Bass, guitars, drums and emotions.

But alas, the music industry never stands still. In 2001, if you don't like cheese-pop, rap-rock or hip-hop, you'd better dust off those CDs from the early '90's. Even the few remaining "alternative" bands have replaced guitars and vocals with synthesizers and samples. Sorry, Radiohead loyalites, but I think you've been duped (didn't we already reject this synthesizer stuff after the 80's?). And if you prefer rapping to singing and testosterone to emotion, well, have fun with that. I'll be listening to Ten.

Why the dissertation on the dismal state of the music industry? Well, because I believe there is still hope for "my" kind of music. Inexplicably, the backwards-hat-wearing nookie-man himself has introduced two excellent bands to the world. The first was Staind ... and I suspect you may have heard a song or two of theirs on the radio. But the one I'm here to tell you about today is Puddle of Mudd.

With its debut disc Come Clean, Puddle of Mudd has become the first new and undeniably alternative band to break through in the past 7 or 8 years. Lead singer Wes Scantlin evokes Kurt Cobain like nobody else before or since. The tunes are also very Nirvana-ish, although the fact that Puddle of Mudd is a 4-piece band gives it a fuller sound, and the writing has a few more hooks.

The hit "Control" is a pretty good indication of the rest of the disc, but the songs range from Nirvana-ish alt/punk rage ("Nobody Told Me", "She Hates Me") to Alice In Chains-ish harmonious melodies ("Drift & Die", "Bring Me Down") to Pearl Jam-ish polished rockers ("Control", "Never Change", "Said"). Overall, Come Clean is a highly listenable album that gives me a lot of hope for the future of rock and roll. You will undoubtedly read reviews that write Puddle of Mudd off as Nirvanabees who missed the boat by a decade. But I hope you will think for yourself and remember that the reviewers work for the people who put N'Sync on their covers!

Julian Fist: Pushing Audio Platinum
August 15, 2001
There are a lot of great local bands in PA, but every now and then one of them finds that special formula that separates it from the rest of the pack. Julian Fist is definitely in this category. The Harrisburg-area modern rock band formed in 1997, and has spent the past few years playing the local club circuit and refining its sound. In 1999, the Julian Fist's self-titled EP gave us a preview of great things to come. In Summer 2001, the band released its first full-length album, Pushing Audio Platinum, and it is a gem!

Pushing Audio Platinum delivers 11 tracks of guitar-based, vocal-driven modern rock in just under 45 minutes. The band wears its influences on its sleeve: Collective Soul, Stone Temple Pilots and Fuel. Almost unbelievably, these were precisely the bands that came to my mind before I even read the press release that listed the groups as influences. If you like any or all of these bands, you will love Julian Fist!

You may have already heard the radio-friendly "Fly Away", and you can bet you'll be hearing a lot more of it. "Fly Away" is a great tune, but you've gotta listen to the whole disc to get the full Julian Fist experience. "Rain" is a hard-rocking melodic tune that gets the disc off and running. "Denied" starts with STP-like authority and proceeds to evoke the guitar stylings and emotion of Fuel. "How Do I?" experiments with a drum loop that works extremely well (check this one out live sometime!). The disc continues with its share of rockers ("Not Here", "Turn You Down", "Bow or Break") and softer, melodic tunes ("Tim's Song", "The One"). My personal favorite is "Circles", a hard-rockin' track that sounds incredible in your car (trust me - try it!). Folks, Julian Fist is one of the most exciting bands in PA music scene. Catch a show this weekend, and grab your copy of Pushing Audio Platinum while you're there!

Big Wreck: The Pleasure And The Greed
June 25, 2001
Finally, a new album I can really get excited about! On June 5, Big Wreck very quietly released its sophomore CD, The Pleasure And The Greed. With this disc, Big Wreck not only avoided the dreaded sophomore slump, but arguably TOPPED its first effort -- no easy task. Providing the maximum bang for your buck, The Pleasure And The Greed delivers 67 minutes of pure splendor in 16 amazing tracks. Recovering the torch that Soundgarden dropped a few years ago, Big Wreck delivers an even tighter version of sound pioneered by Chris Cornell & co. Ian Thornley's voice rivals Cornell's in his amazing range and emotional delivery, but the band's real assets are Thornley's solid songwriting and absolutely incredible guitar work.

The album begins with the first single, "Inhale", a hard-driving sing-along that leaves you wondering how these guys will have enough energy to finish the rest of the disc. It continues with the heavy but melodic "Undersold", which showcases Thornley's range as a singer and basically kicks your ass. "Knee Deep" initially sounds like the band's lighter side, only to kick your ass in the chorus. The disc continues one amazing song after another, refusing to offer any filler whatsoever. It's hard to identify favorites on such a complete album, but among the rest the standouts for me are "Everything Is Fine", "All By Design", "Mistake", "Breakthrough", "Head In The Girl", and "Broken Hands" (another soft/loud tune with a vocal delivery that almost makes you want to cry). Make no mistake: Big Wreck is THE must underappreciated major-label band out there. If you like rock, you owe it to yourself to check out both of Big Wreck's CDs!

Gas Giants: From Beyond The Back Burner
May 21, 2001
I doubt that many people noticed when the Gin Blossoms broke up. I, on the other hand, posted a sorrowful snippet on this web page on that sad day. You see, the Gin Blossoms always represented something special to me. During a time when it was fashionable to be depressed and sing about it, the upbeat-sounding Gin Blossoms somehow scored two very big radio hits: "Found Out About You" and "Hey Jealousy". They basically defined the genre "Arizona Rock", combining pop (bright guitars, melodic vocals, and drum beats reminiscent of a runaway train) with a distinctive southern flavor (slide guitar, down home bass lines) to arrive at a unique and catchy blend of pop/rock.

So what do the Gin Blossoms have to do with Gas Giants? A lot! After releasing two Gin Blossoms albums and subsequently dissolving the group, vocalist/guitarist Robin Wilson and drummer Phillip Rhodes formed Gas Giants and released From Beyond The Back Burner on the indie label "Atomic Pop". The thing I find most amazing is just how similar the Gas Giants sound to the Gin Blossoms! The new songs are a little edgier than the Blossoms' past work, but tunes like "Quitter", "Stinking Up The Charts", "In Between Two Worlds", and "I Hope My Kids Like Marilyn Manson" (yes, you read that right!) could easily pass as Gin Blossoms tunes. If you liked the Gin Blossoms and have been waiting for that third disc to surface (greatest hits aside), you'll definitely want to pick up From Beyond The Back Burner. You probably won't find it at your local retailer, but you can order it at http://www.gasgiants.com for a mere 12 bucks. ...And I strongly recommend that you do!

U.P.O.: No Pleasantries
March 20, 2001
Please Please PLEASE don't get U.P.O. confused with LFO (the boy band that sings about Abercrombie & Fitch)! Although there are NO similarities between the bands other than their acronym-ish names, there would be no surprise in your confusion, since U.P.O. is one of those bands you'll probably never hear on the radio or see on MTV2. In fact, my latest hobby seems to be finding new bands who don't feel a need to incorporate RAP into their rock or CRAP into their "whatever". U.P.O. was just what the doctor ordered!

From the opening right-channel-only dissonant guitar chord that opens the No Pleasantries album, you can tell that these guys mean business. The song that evolves from that chord is a kick-ass tune called "Circle Of Life" that could easily pass for a B-Side from Soundgarden's 1994 breakthrough album, Superunknown. The Soundgarden similarities persist throughout the album, primarily as a result of vocalist Shawn Albro's familiar-sounding high register. The band itself evokes Alice In Chains from time to time, and even sounds neo-industrial at moments, but its musical roots are clearly in heavy metal.

In addition to "Circle Of Life", my favorite tracks include "Freaks and Pigs", "Godless" (the single) and "The Hurt". To be truthful, the album is pretty solid from start to finish. If you like your rock without the rappy aftertaste, check these guys out. It's comforting to know that rock isn't dead. It's just buried.

Darcie Miner: Down To Earth
February 5, 2001
Talk about a whirlwind. In the Fall of 1998, Darcie Miner was playing open mic night at Shakey's in Hershey. Fast-forward two years, and Ms. Miner is the latest central Pennsylvania musician with a bigtime record deal. But this development is not really all that surprising if you've seen her play live, or if you've heard her independent release, Down To Earth.

Darcie started playing guitar at age 11. She began playing public gigs at age 13. During her Junior year of high school, she secured her record deal. Darcie's songwriting and performances have been compared to those of Patty Griffin. Her voice and passion for her music may leave you asking "Jewel who?". In the past few years Darcie has written an amazing number of songs. Last year she polished up 7 of those songs and recorded Down To Earth with The Badlees backing her up. The Badlees did an excellent job as Darcie's backup band, but she routinely upstaged them with her passionate performances and amazing voice. There's not an imperfect song on her disc, and I bet you'll be humming songs like "He Said" and "My Angel" after just one listen.

And now Darcie Miner is getting her chance to show the whole world that she's a force to be reckoned with. Darcie's managers promise that her new album will be released by "a label with major distribution" sometime in 2001. But we get to enjoy her music before the rest of the world knows her name. Catch a gig while you can, and pick up Down To Earth while you're there!