Levi Massie: ‘Sunrises and Cigarettes’

January 5, 2011January 23, 2018 Pop Martzoo Levi Massie, review, Sunrises & Cigarettes

If you think death, longing, heartbreak and coming to terms with one’s own mortality sound like bad things, think again. All of these subjects are explored with great depth on Nashville singer-songwriter Levi Massie’s superb new album Sunrises & Cigarettes. Although this description may sound bleak, Massie manages quite successfully to underscore these issues with a surprising amount of hope and optimism.

Hailing from Springfield, Ohio, the guitar-playing vocalist must have been born an old soul in order to be capable of writing such dark and introspective lyrics found in the 10 tracks offered here. Throwing his hat into the acoustic/folk/country genre, Massie brings to mind a modern-day John Prine and Kris Kristofferson with a little of Bob Dylan’s influence thrown in for good measure. These songs, which were recorded in Nashville, are presented in a stark, bare-bones, acoustic setting, which allows listeners to feel as if they are eavesdropping on private conversations.

While legendary Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie McCoy’s excellent harmonica work is featured prominently throughout the set, Massie’s haunting lyrics command center stage during the album’s entirety. A perfect example of this is the accordion-soaked, “In My Time, Dear,” which is pure poetry set to music. “So if you should wonder when love may come your way/remember true all the places you’ve been,” Massie sings eloquently.

The chilling, introspective confessions of “Wounded Bird” is beautifully augmented by the previously mentioned McCoy, as Massie reveals “I’m gonna find myself a wounded bird and probably give him my name/maybe it’ll teach me/I’m not flying too good/I’m not that well/I’m too weary and filled with shame.”

The compelling “Grey Old Cloak” finds Massie in fine storytelling form as he sings “son do you pray/’cuz I know God better than you/and all those other stiffs I’m afraid to say,” that brings to mind Kristofferson’s classic, “Why Me.”

Also noteworthy is “Smooth Sailing,” which is a heart wrenching, yet affectionate tribute to Massie’s grandfather that tells the tale of the naval sailor’s death. “I never saw that man/no not once/ever back down from a storm/and I heard when he thought the ship was going down/he said don’t worry boys I’ve got it/it’s smooth sailing now,” Massie caringly reminisces.

The title track “Sunrises and Cigarettes” closes out the album with such heartfelt and profound lyrics as “we all want more/but more or less/we settle for our second best/sunrise again over me.” This song provides a fitting end to this collection, and sounds as if a beautiful painting has been appropriately captured in words and music. Peter Young’s organic production style perfectly enhances the material without overshadowing Massie’s masterful lyrics. For those who are in need of a refreshingly honest, laid back musical fix, Levi Massie’s somber, yet reeling Sunrises & Cigarettes may be just the thing your ears have been anxiously awaiting. This is great songwriting in its purest form.

Essential tracks include “Wounded Bird,” “In Time, My Dear” and “Sunrises and Cigarettes.”

Sharon Van Etten: ‘Epic’

January 2, 2011January 23, 2018 Pop Martzoo epic, review, Sharon Van Etten

Former Middle Tennessee resident Sharon Van Etten’s voice is a pure delight on her latest musical statement epic. The singer-songwriter, currently based out of Brooklyn, recorded the seven-track EP at Philadelphia’s Miner Street Recordings, which is currently available on Ba Da Bing Records.

The subdued, yet intense emotion contained in the set’s lead-off track, “A Crime” immediately defines Van Etten’s musical identity when she declares, “I will write these songs of things I’ll never say to you again/but you know why/never let myself love like that again.”

“Don’t you think I know/you’re only trying to save yourself/just like everyone else,” Van Etten urgently repeats in the exquisite, mid-tempo masterpiece “Save Yourself,” which is easily the EP’s standout track. Here, Van Etten sounds vaguely reminiscent of Kim Richey and Aimee Mann’s most powerful songs.

There are also subtle hints that bring to mind the folk-country stylings of Patty Griffin, which can be heard throughout the abstract and slightly experimental numbers, “DsharpG” and the set’s final “Love More.”

This collection of highly personal songs, takes the listener along on a cathartic musical journey of heartbreak and healing, which is told from a distinctly female perspective. Although this genre of music may not be for everyone, Sharon Van Etten’s epic, is definitely worth exploring. There are moments of sheer brilliance displayed here, and that bodes well for what lies ahead for this talented and promising artist’s future. Learn more about this compelling performer and her music at sharonvanetten.com.

Turtle Bangs: ‘Mountain’

December 20, 2010January 23, 2018 Pop Martzoo review, Turtle Bangs

Unsuspecting listeners who aren’t familiar with Turtle Bangs’ music might get the impression they are a country act upon first glance at the cover art of their new album Mountain. However, that notion quickly disintegrates as the ear-splitting fuzz of electric guitar rips into the heavy rock sound of the opening track, “Desert Stone,” which continues relentlessly throughout the set’s entire duration.

Guitarist and vocalist Greg Stephen and drummer Casey Carter formed Turtle Bangs in the fall of 2008 while both were residents at Murfreesboro’s notorious Country House. The local duo released their second full-length recording earlier this year, which is a follow-up to their debut, Give Me Your Daughter.

Co-produced with Hank Parker Pruett, the album incorporates a profusion of post-grunge, alternative and garage rock elements slightly tempered with hints of punk to create a powerful and beautifully chaotic musical statement. Stephen’s raw and gritty vocal style is at times reminiscent of Kings of Leon’s Caleb Followill, as he delivers each song with reckless abandon that never eases up during the 12 tracks.

“Lost in West Virginia/roaming in the cold/mountains overwhelming/waiting for the calm to come,” Stephen intimately reveals in the closing track “Mountain Song.” However, listeners should be forewarned that calm is not something easily heard anywhere on this strikingly frenzied indie rock release.

While plenty of passion is evident, these songs are presented in a rough and unpolished, almost demo-like quality that at times becomes monotonous. This fact could hinder some listeners from completing the entire musical journey the duo may have ultimately envisioned. Also, the somewhat less-than-spectacular songwriting contained here only hints at the duo’s promise that is anticipated after hearing the initial tracks.

Although Turtle Bangs’ sound may be an acquired taste, the band certainly deserves credit for creating a bold and aggressive album, which is sure to permeate astute rock fans’ ears and give them something to sink their teeth into.

The Great Affairs: ‘Ricky Took the Wheels’

December 3, 2010January 23, 2018 Pop Martzoo review, Ricky Took the Wheels, The Great Affairs

Nashville based pop/rock band The Great Affairs’ latest album, Ricky took the wheels.., is a great affair indeed. This newly released collection of well-crafted songs picks up where their 2009 eponymous debut left off, yet raises the musical bar significantly.

Lead vocalist Denny Smith penned all 12 tracks contained in this instantly likeable and highly memorable piece of musical ear candy, which was produced by the band and recorded by Michael Saint-Leon at his Antioch recording studio The Switchyard. The album sounds instantaneously fresh and familiar, as it includes ever-so-subtle hints of Tom Petty and Bon Jovi, which are most apparent in the songs, “Bastard Son” and “Last Good Memory.”

The first track, “Feels Like Home,” instantly demands the audience’s attention with its highly addictive chorus, slide guitar, exquisite background harmonies and catchy melody. This is a perfect choice to open with, as it sets the mood for the rest of the album and gives the listener fair warning that great things lie ahead. “In this moment/we’re as young as we’ll ever be/and this feels like home to me,” sings Smith, which sounds as if he is welcoming new and returning fans alike to this musical jaunt.

The amps are cranked up on the outstanding “Inside Your Head,” which sums up this album perfectly as it slowly works its magic inside the listener’s head before transitioning to the stripped down “My Apologies.” This somber yet beautiful ballad’s acoustic-based delivery suits Smith’s delicate and heartfelt lyrics perfectly, without becoming overly sentimental, and sits nicely between two rockers. This balance of hard and soft continues throughout this set’s fine assortment of songs.

The appropriately titled final track, “Last Good Memory,” provides the perfect ending as the pace alternates between fast and slow, which allows the intensity to build throughout its five-minute duration. “Everything makes me anxious in this dead end town/sometimes I wish the kids would burn it down/I can watch my last good memory fade/and leave me here with just this mess we made,” confesses Smith before bringing the album to a fitting close.

Ultimately, it’s the sum of all the parts that make this highly enjoyable album a success. From the inspired lyrics to the excellent guitar work, Ricky took the wheels.. is guaranteed to leave listeners satisfied and anticipating what’s to come from this highly promising band. This praiseworthy recording sounds like a major label deal should be waiting just around the corner. If this album isn’t perfect, then it’s damn close.

Recommended tracks to download: all of them.

Flea Market Hustlers: ‘Free Demo For Sale’

November 3, 2010January 23, 2018 Pop Martzoo Flea Market Hustlers, ReverbNation, review

Flea Market Hustlers has been sharing its brand of country-flavored bluegrass with Murfreesboro audiences and satisfying their fans’ musical fix with their weekly shows for the past four years. By playing local venues such as The Blue Rooster and Mellow Mushroom, the band has built a local following with their unique and inventive interpretations of cover songs as well as their own originals.

The five-piece group delivers a brief but accurate sample of what they have to offer during their live performances on their seven-track EP, Free Demo For Sale. This self-produced mini-album was recorded at The Chicken Ranch in Bradyville and features three of the band’s originals along with four diverse cover tunes, which are all delivered in its distinctive jam-grass style.

The group slams through the brief set beginning with “Drive,” which was written by lead singer David Preston. This standout track includes an incredibly catchy chorus that seeps into the listener’s long-term memory and refuses to let go. The collection also includes such interesting choices as Black Sabbath’s “Sweet Leaf,” which includes a very nice saxophone solo, and late country-folk artist Townes Van Zandt’s “Waiting Around to Die.”

The Hustlers are even bold enough to attempt a remake of Culture Club’s “Karma Chameleon” with mixed success. While the song choice would seem to be a likely fit, the chorus suffers from the rapid-fire tempo, although the excellent harmonica playing included here works brilliantly.

Throughout this oddly eclectic and disparate mix of material, band member John Furbush’s exquisite mandolin playing is especially noteworthy. Even if country or bluegrass is not your usual cup of tea, this collection is worth checking out for the highly enjoyable take on Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls.” Whether consciously deciding to save this pure delight for last was intentional or not, Flea Market Hustlers deserve a big “two thumbs up” for choosing to include this number. Their excellent reworking and masterful delivery of this familiar rock song was nothing short of genius.

Tetsuo: ‘These Crystals Don’t Burn’

October 20, 2010January 23, 2018 Pop Martzoo review, Tetsuo

Hardcore rockers Tetsuo announce their arrival into the music scene loud and proud on their debut album These Crystals Don’t Burn. The post-punk psychedelic sounds of the local 4-piece band slam through 13 tracks with fierce and reckless abandon akin to the Beastie Boys possessed by the Sex Pistols. Listeners should be forewarned: this is not an album for the faint at heart. It is a jarring, rough and raucous ride that starts with the opening track and doesn’t ease up until the final note of the closing instrumental.

Kicking things off is the frantic thrashing of “Banshee Mansion,” which cuts through the musical landscape like a sharp, jagged knife complete with angry lyrics and crunchy power chords. Tetsuo seem to subscribe to the do-it-yourself aesthetic of punk rock combined with a generous helping of drugs, sex and rock ‘n’ roll included in the mix to create a style of their own.

“I don’t give a damn about this life/I ain’t no Kurt Cobain/but I can’t complain,” the lead singer proclaims in the set’s most hook laden, accessible track, “Smoking Cigarettes with Famous People.”

They also include plenty of local shout outs in “Approaching Nashville,” which contains such lyrics such as “she puts out for the Christiana/Antioch/Harding Place boys . . . she’s too busy in Smyrna, Tennessee,” making sure the listener is well aware of the band’s regional locality.

Two of the more notable and interesting selections found here are “Horse Girl” and “God’s Announcement.” The almost danceable “Horse Girl” clocks in at just over six minutes during its multiple tempo changes and is quite possibly the most original and inventive of the songs presented here. The latter, “God’s Announcement,” includes an infectious chant-like chorus that is repeated just enough times to ensure the listener has no other choice but to surrender and shout out “guard your heart” again and again.

Although this is clearly an album aimed at a specific audience with a taste for aggressive, hard rock, it is truly a bombastic aural assault that will satiate fans of that genre. What the band members may lack in musicianship, they more than make up for with plenty of attitude and swagger, not to mention an ample amount of explicit, riotous lyrics and out-of-tune guitars thrown in just for good measure.

Awake! Awake!: ‘Bittersweet Horizons’

September 30, 2010January 23, 2018 Pop Martzoo Awake! Awake!, review

Hailing from Murfreesboro, indie band Awake! Awake! returns to the music scene with its newest release titled Bittersweet Horizons. This latest set, which follows the 2007 debut We’ve Been Strangers, combines their own contemporary approach with elements reminiscent of ’80s new wave. The band manages to successfully pull off a unique style that simultaneously sounds current and nostalgic. There is no evidence of any sophomore slump to be found here.

Bittersweet Horizons begins with the brief and dream-like instrumental, “Colors,” and promptly fades into the fast driving opener, “Distance,” which more than signals the start of something great. “The words all change, scenery remains the same/go nowhere ‘til you learn, start listening,” insists lead singer David Johnson. This is good advice to all who may be listening because this is an album music fans will not just want to hear. They will want to invest the time required to immerse themselves into its entirety.

“I can’t hear you because my ears are ringing,” Johnson powerfully declares in the guitar-heavy rock of “Firing Squad.” While it may not be enough to make all ears ring, its chorus is so catchy it is sure to become permanently etched inside the audience’s consciousness with just one listen.

As the album continues, each song flows seamlessly into the next. “True North” is but one of the many high points and is full of highly emotive vocals drenched in an endless sea of droning guitar. Another standout track is “Sight,” which sounds like something that should be heard in heavy rotation on alternative radio’s current modern rock playlists.

Finally, “Red” adds the perfect finishing touch and includes just the right amount of synths and guitar power riffs. Clocking in at just over five minutes, the album’s closing track sounds like the sun setting on the horizon, if such a thing could be heard in music.

Bittersweet Horizons is a complete album of well crafted pop songs that is sure to provide a very enjoyable listening experience for fans of modern rock with a slightly retro sound. Obviously recorded with the intent to be listened to in its entirety, it includes a plethora of catchy choruses and memorable melodies within its top-notch songwriting and production. This locally produced example of pure pop/rock perfection deserves some national attention and recognition.

Key tracks not to be missed include “Sight,” “True North” and “Distance.”

Kris Bell: ‘Turn It On, Turn It Up’

August 30, 2010January 23, 2018 Pop Martzoo Kris Bell, review

Rock is alive and well and can be found in abundance on Kris Bell’s new album, Turn It On, Turn It Up. The singer/songwriter/guitarist, originally from San Diego, moved to Nashville in 2005 and was soon hired as American Idol runner-up Bo Bice’s lead guitar player. Now Bell is focusing his attention on his solo career with his recently released new album. True to its title, the record is a mix of straight ahead, full throttle rock anthems and power ballads. All 11 tracks included here were written and co-produced by Bell.

Starting things off with the amps cranked up is “Livin’ for Tomorrow,” which sets the tone for the rest of the album. “I’m livin’ for tomorrow/I’m not lookin’ back on yesterday/And I’m movin’ forward today,” Bell declares on the fast-paced opening song. From this moment on, listeners are given ample warning to expect plenty of catchy hooks, sing-a-long choruses and copious guitar solos. Throughout the record, Bell mixes modern, alternative and Southern rock to create his own American rock style.

While the majority of the album is filled with up-tempo, all-out rockers, a handful of slower power ballads are sprinkled throughout as well, including, “I Know The Sun Will Call.” Enhanced with a sparse but beautiful string arrangement and its catchy chorus, the Creed-like song is one of the albums’ finest and most memorable moments.

Another highlight is “Destined,” which is the album’s only stripped-down acoustic number. Here, Bell is accompanied only by acoustic guitar and strings as he delivers the heartfelt lyrics that sound as if he is reading a letter to his parents about his son and all he is destined to become. This somber ballad, which suffers from being, at times, too sentimental, slows things down drastically, but is a welcome reprieve from the tension found in the rest of the album’s heavy and hard-driving rock.

Throughout the album, time, faith, love and loss are recurring themes in the lyrics. And while the album doesn’t explore any territory that hasn’t already been covered extensively in music, it is exactly what the title suggests, which is a no-frills rock record. No more and no less. That being said, it is a solid effort by a talented musician and composer that provides a most enjoyable listening experience for fans of rock music. So put it on, crank it up loud and sing along.

Ben Sturgell: ‘February Blue’

June 30, 2010January 23, 2018 Pop Martzoo Ben Sturgell, review

Local singer-songwriter Ben Sturgell combines elements of pop, rock and jazz on his independently released debut album, February Blue, which explores love, loss and relationships. But don’t let the title fool you as Sturgell takes listeners on a feel-good musical journey of happiness and heartbreak that is a genuine treat for the ears. The album’s nicely tempered and perfectly balanced production values by Sturgell and David Wilson make this a highly enjoyable listening experience throughout the entire 48 minutes.

Starting things off is the hyper energetic opener “Crazy,” where Sturgell is backed by a full band and a kicking horn section that is guaranteed to get listeners tapping their toes upon hearing the first few beats. The album’s feel-good beat continues with “Deepen My Heart,” which includes white soul vocals reminiscent of Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine’s smooth falsetto.

While the fast-paced “Twisted” is a good listen here, it seems as if it would really take flight and come to life when given room to breathe during a live performance.

The jazz flavored “From Here” is an ultra smooth mid-tempo number which has a Maroon 5 vibe that recalls their previous hit, “She Will Be Loved,” and is wrapped inside a warm acoustic sound with a highly memorable chorus.

Another highlight is the title track which includes a tempo that alternates between fast and slow as Sturgell passionately sings, “everywhere I look I see your face/February blue skies are gray,” while longing to be reunited with a loved one.

“Drive” is the album’s full fledged heartbreak ballad and begins with stark accompaniment before the full band kicks in during the powerful chorus where Sturgell sings, “Driving down this road while I’m missing you.” This refrain seems to really stick in the listener’s mind above all the others. The vocals are extremely passionate and heartfelt here. Pain, longing and heartache have rarely sounded this good.

The sentimental “Change My Mind” ties it all together and provides a perfect ending for such an impressive debut effort. As a special bonus, the CD includes a hidden gem of a piano and vocal only version of “Drive,” which should not be missed and is worth the extra effort to seek out.

Although Sturgell doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel lyrically, February Blue is a consistent and solid album with plenty of hooks and sing-a-long choruses in which listening ears can immerse themselves. There is not a dud to be found among the 12 strong tracks presented here. Ben Sturgell has described his music as “being and sounding real,” and in these days of studio tricks and manipulation, that sounds “real” good.

To find out more about this artist and his music, go to bensturgell.com. February Blue is also available to sample and purchase on iTunes.

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