The first thing you need to know is, don’t
expect a clone of The Shakes roots rock debut Boys & Girls. The new album shifts gears, showing off whole new dimensions within the group’s music. While the band’s powerhouse lead singer Brittany Howard has often been compared to Janis Joplin and Etta James, the new album finds her being compared to folks such as Prince, Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye. The lyrics “Future People,” a song about
meeting deceased family members and friends as spirit guides, are laid atop a bed of what can only be described as heavy bass driven psychedelic funk. “Guess Who” finds The Shakes mining the same musical territory as Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On,” with Howard crooning in a very Prince-like vibe. A total departure from her usual vocal py- rotechnics. Just as you wrap your mind around the fact that this smooth groove really is the Alabama Shakes, they kick you in the crotch on the next number, “The Greatest,” a kind of punk meets Rolling Stones garage band rocker that begs for repeat listenings. I had to back up the needle and hear it at least twice more before moving on. I dig it that much. The title track, “Sound & Color,” may be
the most “radio ready” song on the record, a super-bad slow groove soul jam with Howard in top form on vocals. (As an aside, I recently made a mix-tape and put this song back to back with David Bowie’s “Sound and Vision” and it was instant coolness.) One of the ab- solute coolest lyrics on the record is “Don’t Wanna Fight,” a song for our times that speaks to the fact that conflict ruins every- thing good in life. Think “why can’t we all just get along,” a popular quote for sure, but also a mantra to which we should all aspire.
-Michael Buffalo Smith
The Handful Sons of Downtown (True Rock)
I have been a fan of Mark Duda and The
Handful for many years now, going all the way back to their debut release, but this new joint is the hottest release they have delivered yet. When I got it in the mail, the padded mailer was scorched and still smokin,’ and the shrinkwrap had melted off of the CD! I thought, “Now we are talkin!’ These days the band is made up of original
members Mark and Jason Mischel and their hot new rhythm section Bobby Rondinelli (drums; Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult) and Jimi K. Bones (Blondie, Joan Jett). Add to that a roster of super talented guests including Cheetah Chrome (The Dead Boys), Cherie Currie (The Runaways), Pat Travers, Keith West (The Brats) and Teddy Rondinelli (Vanilla Fudge)! Now it’s a party kids! The boys come out snortin’ and kicking
hard with “Meet Our Maker,” that had the en- ergy of a Dio or Blackmore’s Rainbow rocker. It had me at hello. Mark had always been one of my favorite hard rockin’ vocalists and he is even better on this outing if that’s possible. His guitar is still smoking more than Ace Frehley’s axe (figuratively). And don’t get me started on that drummer! Good God now! Bobby pounds the skins with passion, bring- ing to mind the very best drummers of my lifetime, from Neil Peart to John Bonham, Vinny Appice, Eric Singer - a real powerhouse drummer, this guy! Duda either wrote or co-wrote all of the
tracks here, including the rockin’ title track, “Sons of Downtown.” I love it. Then again, the whole disc is just made to play at “eleven.” Take no prisoners.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93