Bloggerhythms

Hilary McRae is the first new artist signed by Hear Music, the label affiliated with Starbucks, the giant coffee shop chain. The piano playing composer won a scholarship from the Berklee School of Music so we know this quite attractive 21 year old must have an abundance of talent. She also appears to have an affection for one of my favorite bands from the 70s, the famous horn band, Chicago. McRae's debut CD, Through These Walls became a surprise hit. It peaked at # 17 on Billboard Magazine's Heatseekers chart and #22 on the magazine's Hot Adult Contemporary chart. Charlie Callelo, who in the 70s worked with both Blood, Sweat, & Tears and Bruce Springsteen while at Columbia Records, did the arrangements. Considering all of the above I assumed I would like this CD more than I do but, unfortunately, I don't. It also appears that I am in the minority. The main reason I can only marginally recommend this popular disc is because it was recorded too loudly. I know T...

Los Lonely Boys are back with their third studio album in just four years, and fortunately, Forgiven proves there has been no drop off in quality. The Garza Brothers have retained their signature sound that can easily be described as Stevie Ray Vaughan with three part harmonies. This young but now veteran roots trio has made another fine album that rocks your socks while providing lead guitarist Henry Garza with an abundance of opportunities to prove he can wield his axe with any of the best bluesmen on the planet. Garza shows off his stuff on the CD's opening track "Heart Won't Tell A Lie." The whole trio burns on a hard hitting take of The Spencer Davis Group's "I'm A Man," which is just as exciting as the original, and "Superman" rocks out as much as any mainstream music possibly can. The trio's more middle-of-the-road pop songs demonstrate their ability to write memorable melodies with some of the best vocal harmonies on the...

The Smithereens prove two musical axioms. The first one is that not all rock 'n roll bands are rewarded with success commensurate with their talents and the second one is that not all 80s rock was a gigantic waste of time. The latter is true because The Smithereens' music stays true to its roots. They offer the listener real rock 'n roll played with real instruments. You won't hear synths or computers anywhere on their albums. Lead singer and composer Pat DiNizio and his band have an affection for the British Invasion and mid-60s American rock. The Smithereens, now in existence for over twenty years, have remained loyal to the sub-genre without sounding dated because they have always stretched their musical boundaries. What they do best is take their loud, guitar based arrangements, add lots of heavy bass ("Blood and Roses" from their 1986 debut, Especially For you , is an example of their superlative deep bottom sound) and very catchy, melodic, vocal ho...