On and off the record
By Michel Cicero 03/10/2010
The Generator
Full Throttle Volume
Strong vocals, juicy guitar solos and a rhythm section that drives it all home proper-like, make this debut CD from The Generator (formerly Fearless Vampire Killers) a nice addition to anyone’s collection of hard music. The songs are not necessarily anthemic, but there is a battle cry quality to them — a call to action, even if that action is simply to head bang. Balls-to-the-wall, riff-driven, loud and proud, Full Throttle Volume is the kind of record you feel somewhere in your solar plexus chakra, sort of like a train approaching or a thunder clap overhead. These guys have taken more than a few courses in Sabbath and the Stooges. Lyrically, there’s not much original, but this isn’t the kind of music you listen to for the words. An excellent first effort.
Available through iTunes, cdbaby.com, amazon.com and local retailers.
Whiskey Glass Eye
Whiskey Glass Eye
After more than a decade playing guitar for various Ventura bands, Ed Kasper decided to try his hand at writing and singing, which put him front and center of Whiskey Glass Eye — a position he’s quite comfy in. It turns out Kasper’s got a knack for crafting catchy, heartfelt, rootsy songs, and the voice to perform them with. On this four-song EP, the band’s first recording effort, threads of Mike Ness, Ryan Adams and the Old 97s weave in and out of guitar-driven, post-breakup songs. There are enough interesting pop hooks to keep it fresh and just outside the alt-country pigeonhole. Whiskey Glass Eye (the name comes from a Slobberbone song), which features members of Luck of the Draw and Blazing Haley, lucked out by scoring production assistance from Angus Cooke (Fat Wreck Chords). Enduring style without all the grease, from a band that’s on its way up.
CD available in April at live shows and at www.myspace.com/ whiskeyglasseye. See them on Saturday, March 27, at the Dirty Vinyl.
Tall Tales and the Silver Lining
Fall In
An apt title for an immersive record. Trevor Beld Jimenez (Franklin for Short) and his tribe make music that beckons the listener to escape into its sonic happy place. Seductively soothing and earthy, these are songs to lie in the grass and watch cloud formations to. Life must be good for the people who make up Tall Tales, or they’ve mastered “acting as if” (a vastly underrated spiritual practice). Whatever the case, it’s positive, dreamy, introspective pop for lovers and seekers, that manages to sound new and natural despite its obvious roots and distinctly coastal SoCal sound. Imagine an early morning drive north on the 101, the Pacific Ocean glistening, you and Neil Young passing a flask and singing folk songs, 100 percent in the moment.
Available at www.myspace.com/ talltalesmusic or at the CD release party on Wednesday, April 3, at Zanzilla in Ventura.
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