GRADY
- Y.U. So Shady? (Alternativetentacles.com)
With an opening salvo of electric blues that
pays tribute to Howlin’ Wolf’s
magical slide guitar work (“Rollin’
and Tumblin”), “Ride Like Hell”
is just that - a glorious excursion from sinner
to saint and back again, with ZZ Top and Blue
Cheer-like, heavy-duty riffs supplying the
backbeat. Originally released in Europe in
2005 and now available in America, this is
a hook-laden 13 song rocking rockabilly collection
that reveals Grady as an inventive, under
the radar band with a wealth of ideas, and
a fresh lyrical perspective. The simple but
powerful riffs are defined by sparkling guitars,
and a boozy backbeat, that even the Stone’s
would be envious of. “Three Minute Song”
is a charming, whacked-out and trashy tune
about the virtues of what a wallop of music
you can pack into three minutes. And the funny
thing is, the song clocks in at 2:40! The
band’s use of feedback, slide, fuzz
box, and twang-bar are excellent noisemaking
effects that helps propel every song into
Link Wray/ Dick Dale stratosphere! This a
not a fad, it’s a life style! - Phil
Rainone
ARTICLE A - Stay Now (785records.com)
Article A takes the current pop punk genre
and brings it into the future, starting afresh
with finely honed pop punk craftsmanship.
With both grandiose production numbers like
“When You’re Gone,” and
“Find a Way,” and straight ahead
rockers like “What’s the Point”
or “Oh Yeah,” you’re sure
to find something you like if not all of them.
With maximum-hooks-per-groove, “Stay
Now” will become a classic, with Green
Day and Blink 182 being a few of the band‘s
touchstones. Almost every track could be a
potential single, and their cover of INXS’
“Don’t Change” (I hadn’t
heard that amazing “back wall”
song in such a long time that I had to look
it up), turns the songs mid-tempo, passionate
plea s into a jingly rocker, without losing
the songs original redemptive quality. The
three-piece lineup of lead singer/ guitarist
Christian LaGrotteria, bassist Joe Haight,
and drummer Evan Gallipoli play straight ahead
pop punk without the coy preciousness that’s
seems to be over-flowing in the genre these
days. A solid hybrid of tunes, blazing guitars,
speedy tempos that will not quit, make this
a highly accessible album. Article A are the
type of band that, back in the day would have
been happy jamming to “Louie Louie”
or “Twist and Shout” all night
long if they hadn’t been able to devise
their own alternatives. This is a band that
will go the distance, and than some. The songs
on “Stay Now” contain imagination,
tension, and killer rhythms. This is Top of
the Pops material! - Phil Rainone
COMIC BOOK HEROES - “Take a Seat”
EP (cbhmusic.com)
LA’s Comic Book Heroes did their growing
up in public. The band formed back in 2004
when the guys were 11. At the ripe old age
of 16, they’re released their first
EP, and this debut is a smart mix of rock
and alternative music, with deep punky roots.
Melodies (a few border on power pop), and
substantial lyrics drift around the edge of
obnoxiousness without entirely giving in o
it. In other words they friggin’ rock!
“Catch Me if You Can,” “Here
and Now,” and especially “Move
Out of the Way” with it’s trippy,
hard, psychedelic vibe, are mini, rock opera
masterpieces. They not only tell the story
, they draw you into in minute details, and
rockin’ cadences. The interplay between
Ned Goldman on lead vocals (deep, passionate
and extraordinary), and guitar, Steve Kosiusko
on lead guitar and vocals, Collin MacGregor
on drums, and Steve Kowalski on bass and vocals,
create agile bass lines, near-perfect guitar
riffs, and die-hard vocals, propelled by a
steady, propulsive backbeat. Hyperactive California
pop punk the way it should be! - Phil Rainone
CD Reviews 
