Steve Pichan’s ‘Am I Here Already?’ is ‘consistently superb’

Reviewed by Kit Burns

Steve Pichan/Am I Here Already?

I had become so fond of singer/songwriter Steve Pichan’s Am I Here Already? that actually writing about it proved to be somewhat difficult; after all, what new words could I use to praise a CD that is now so familiar to my ears? The last decade has seen artists that nobody has ever heard of, many of them musicians who once dreamed of a rock & roll life, releasing their material to the global online community. Of that constantly growing population, Pichan is among the best. Am I Here Already? is the kind of consistently superb record that can create positive competition between regional artists. In other words, it raises the bar in terms of songwriting, instrumentation, and singing. Pichan knocks this baby out of the park like Barry Bonds pounding a 100 mile-an-hour fastball.

Pichan grabs us quickly. The opening cut, “The Line (Voter’s Lament),” greets us with the same winter melancholy vibe that envelopes the pictures on the CD’s packaging. Set to twangy guitars and a shuffling beat, Pichan addresses the State of the Union, namely the confusion and lack of confidence felt by voters during the presidential election due to previous broken promises by politicians. “Tell me no lie/Tell me the truth/Tell me the things I can expect out of you,” Pichan sings, his voice carrying the weight of disillusionment. The powerful “Iron Man” is charged with images of 9/11: “Watch with unbelieving eyes/The scene as it unfolds/Bricks and steel fall from the sky.” The “Iron Man” of the title seems to represent everyday heroism, the courage that bursts from us during times of great tragedy.

Pichan’s haunting, pensive vocals are definitely in the mold of Neil Young, especially on the desolate “Mile” and “8th Day.” There isn’t a single tune here that I would throw off the island; it’s as close to perfection as it gets.

http://stevepichan.com

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Southern rockers Parallel is kick-ass offspring of early ’90s alt-rock

Written by Kit Burns

Hailing from the South, the rock & roll band Parallel probably would’ve have existed if it wasn’t for music from the North. The Pacific Northwest, that is. Parallel’s guitar-drenched style is third-generation grunge, the Seattle sounds of Nirvana and Pearl Jam seeding the likes of Matchbox 20 and Live and giving birth to a commercial yet still kick-ass offspring. And if you think Parallel have no indie cred for being similar to Rob Thomas or Tonic, you’re wrong; this is a band that actually performed at CBGB before it was torn down. Perhaps more importantly, Parallel’s fourth CD, Superhero Madness, is jam-packed with memorably catchy and definitely radio-friendly efforts. 

Kit Burns: Parallel has a definite kinship with commercial rock bands like Matchbox 20 and 3 Doors Down. Given that the group is still independent, but many indie-rock fans are pop-culture snobs, who makes up the band’s fanbase at the moment?

Wil Plyler [lead guitar]: That is a great question. Our fans are college kids to middle-aged rockers. Our appeal is that we sound so commercial, everyone is familiar with our sound. We have the Matchbox songs and we have the Foo Fighters songs. Our goal was to write hits and be marketable to a wide fan base. I love it when little kids come up and get an autograph and their soccer mom wants one to.

Burns: When and how did Parallel get together?

Plyler: Parallel was formed in 2000 by Jack Smith [vocals], John Cunningham [guitar], and [myself]. We formed to just write some songs and go do a demo for fun. It was just to do something fun and new that summer. We ended up writing songs that people seemed to enjoy. So here we are eight years later still writing music and for the most part; people still enjoy them.

Burns: Parallel played at the legendary punk club CBGB, which is now gone. What was that experience like?

Plyler: CBGB was great. We played there in 2004 for the Meany Fest. The odd thing was it was non-smoking. Clean air and tatoos. We met people from around the world who then emailed us back that they loved our music and were fans. That was a great experience. Driving in manhattan was a nightmare and parking a passenger van. How does UPS do it? Very unique experience considering a band from the Carolinas that had never played outside of North Carolina.

Burns: Why did you title the album Superhero Madness?

Plyler: We titled it that way because it sounds like superhero madness. The record was put together in a week. 19 hour days. Songs sound like Mellencamp to AC/DC. We even have a Gospel U2 kind of song. All that togerther gives you a superhero, the good, and the madness which is how different all the music is.

Burns: What rock groups had the most impact on you as you were growing up?

Plyler: All the guys have multitude of influences. Smith: Athenaeum, Matchbox, R.E.M., U2.
John: Dave Matthews, Bush.
Jason Puccio [drums]: Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine.
Plyler: Guns N’ Roses, Stone Temple Pilots.
Joe Hamilton [bass] – Hanson, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill. Oh, and New Kids on the Block.

http://www.parallelband.com

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Diverse singer Mary Fakhoury takes a 21st century look on pop music

Written by Kit Burns

You may think Mary Fakhoury (http://www.maryfakhoury.com) is more than one person. After listening to her EP Universal Worlds, Fakhoury’s unrestrained genre-leaping, cutting through the boundaries of French and Arabic music to vocal jazz and hip-hop, might leave you a tad dizzy. Certainly this is the kind of mesmerizing diversity that Madonna has aimed for throughout her long career; however, Fakhoury achieves it on one CD, remaining shockingly consistent in terms of song quality and vocal performance. Fakhoury could very well be the blueprint of the 21st century pop star, a one-woman United Nations on an iPod.

Kit Burns: Nearly all female vocalists on the scene today can fit into one genre or another; they’re easily labeled. You, on other hand, wear your eclecticism like a badge of honor. Have you always created music that is so varied?

Mary Fakhoury: For me it was inevitable to become so eclectic with my music. Growing up the child of singers, I was exposed to everything from Arabic music to Frank Sinatra. I come from a unique heritage of Greek and Arabic, but of course of American decent that I knew every style of music, stuff people have never even heard of. Music is a universal language that can be communicated in different ways. I have always created music that is so varied because to me I am telling a story or creating something of my expression.

Burns: You have an Arabic tune on your last EP. Do you have Middle Eastern roots? Is that a musical style you intend to pursue in the future?

Fakhoury: Yes, I do have Middle Eastern roots. Do I plan to have similiar tracks to this in the future? Yes, absolutely.

Burns: How much artistic input do you put in your recordings? Does the producer(s) mainly call the shots?

Fakhoury: I have 100% artistic input. It wouldn’t be mine if I didn’t. The producer takes care of the technical side of things but to let them control the direction the album is going, no, I can do that myself.

Burns: What did you want to do first – be a model or be a singer?

Fakhoury: I have definitely wanted to be a singer like my father. I think of him as Mozart in a way, incredibly talented but at the wrong time with the wrong crowd.

Burns: Given your balancing act with music, what is your live show like?

Fakhoury: Right now, my live show has more like a jazzy feel; think of yourself being in a cabaret in paris in the ’20s. If I had the millions that other huge names like Madonna have in their live shows I would do something befitting to every song or “story” I tell, soon, very soon.

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Big Mountain bassist writes powerful single of peace

Reviewed by Kit Burns

The Billy David Band/”All I See Is Hate”

I am hearing a political subtext in the Billy David Band’s intriguing single, “All I See Is Hate.” Maybe it’s because of the upcoming presidential election, but “All I See Is Hate” seems to be acknowledging the hyprocrisy surrounding us, people pretending to care for others just so they could be voted into power. Written by Big Mountain bassist Lynn Copeland, “All I See Is Hate” will creep into your consciousness with its brittle acoustic guitars and brooding Days of the New-esque vocals. It has a timeless message of peace, which is sadly needed again in these violent times.

http://thebillydavidband.com

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San Diego’s Mike Press injects Americana with hop-hop inspirations

Interview by Kit Burns

Singer/songwriter Mike Press is one of the few artists who is both influenced by Americana and hip-hop music – and you can actually hear traces of those radically different genres in his songs. While his tunes are colored by lap-steel guitars and country twang, Press’ rhythmic and sometimes funky vocal delivery is rooted in rap.

Kit Burns: Your music has the rootsy characteristics of Americana but your vocal delivery and spontaneous lyrical style almost remind me of rap. Did you listen to much hip-hop growing up?

Mike Press: I used to listen to a lot of rap.  Not as much anymore but I definitely was and am influenced by anyone with a good lyrical flow.  A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, etc. I must say though I am very influenced by Bob Dylan and a NYC poet named Todd Colby.  I played drums in a band with him called Drunken Boat.  He is an amazing wordsmith, and he taught me a lot about playing with words, not being afraid to take chances. There was a time I wanted to do a rap project, and I have even written song rap songs but the whole white rapper thing got a bit played out; I coined the term Hick-Hop way b4 Kid Rock ever said it.  I have witnesses!

Burns: Some of your lines such as “I have a history of bad credit obligations” seem like confessions. Are you drawing upon your own experiences?

Press: Yeah, I pretty much draw solely on my own experiences.  I have been called selfish; every time I write it comes back to being about me.  What do I know about anyone else? That line, “I have a history of bad credit obligations ” was given to me by Sears when I applied for a credit card.

Burns: You’re based in San Diego now. Isn’t that mostly a punk scene there? Or is there room for singer/songwriters fueled by the alt country of Wilco?

Press: I am in San Diego, and I do feel like a fish out of water.  There are some Americana type acts around but they all seem to be either really traditional or what I like to call “cartoon-country” where they are just playing/acting hicks. Almost mocking redneck culture. I seem to be appreciated much more elsewhere. Boston will always be my home and, as you probably know, American roots music thrives there.

Burns: How long have you been writing songs? What have you learned since you began?

Press: I have been writing songs since I can remember but I was always the drummer in my bands.  Drums came to me faster than guitar.  These days I do both. I have learned that songwriting for me is best when I am not trying to target the music. I have a lot of half-written songs.  When I go to the studio I do not let that hold me back because I always find the words and lyrics best when under the gun.  Right as I am going to do a vocal take, words, rhymes, and concepts will come into my head that I never could have come up with if I was just sitting there a desk trying to force them out of my brain. I guess this harkens back to your first question.  I usually only have the first verse and a chorus when I go to record.  It is cool that you picked up on that.

Burns: You were once in the Boston group Sticky. Why did you split?

Press: Sticky split because I had to move out to California to be near my daughter.  We still do shows once a while and put out two CDs that are still available on CDBaby. I still work with all my Boston musician friends because quite simply they all rock and understand where I am coming from.

http://www.mikepress.com

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Punk-pop no longer a bad word with Vera Zero

Interview by Kit Burns

Vera Zero offers evidence to the contrary that pop-punk is an annoying, amateurish subgenre. Fronted by Rob Kerr, the Minnesota-based group seem to be direct descendants of old Green Day and Superdrag. Thankfully, the group rips through War & Peace EP without the childish tendencies of the inferior acts (who shall remain nameless) that those bands also inspired.

Kit Burns: Would you consider Vera Zero to be a band or just a one-man project?

Rob Kerr: I am a solo artist but the strength of Vera Zero lies within the great musicians I work with, both on stage and in the recording studio.  People like Todd Bergren, Darron Markk, Eric Fenton, Jason Bradley, and Brian Powers did a great job bringing my songs to life.

Burns: How did you get started in the music business? Was it always this kind of sarcastic punk rock for you?

Kerr: I started out many moons ago with a single I recorded on Fraternity Records.  It was the only thing I have done that I did not produce myself, and it was very bland.  I don’t set out to be sarcastic but I like to play with words and maybe sarcasm comes with being kicked in the teeth long enough in this industry.

Burns: “The Heart of Midlothian” is a tender moment on the EP. Were you cautious about taking a less aggressive track on the record?

Kerr: To tell you the truth, “The Heart of Midlothian” is my favorite song on the EP. I think variety is very important for a songwriter.  I would not want to do an album where every song is a thunderous rocker like the title track. I also wouldn’t want to do an entire album of songs like “Midlothian,” either. I love the way Paul McCartney can do “Yesterday” and then turn around and do “Helter Skelter.”

Burns: Superdrag. Harvey Danger. Blink-182. Were they influences on you?

Kerr: Nope.  But I can’t speak for the other musicians who worked on the EP.  I have no idea what influences they brought into the session and I gave them a lot of freedom when we recorded.  I do know, for example, that guitarist Bergren wanted to bring a Green Day sound and that was his influence, not mine. 

Burns: When can we expect a full-length album from you? Have you begun working on it? If so, what will it be like?

Kerr: That is a tough one because as a solo artist recording becomes expensive.  I pay the musicians, pay the engineer, book the studio, and press the CDs all on my own dime.  That doesn’t even include working with an artist on the graphic design of the CD and hiring a photographer as well.  I do have plenty of material for two or three albums at this time, but ideally I would like to get label support before I record them.  The next album would have a lot of the same dynamics as War and Peace as I plan on working with the same core group of guys. I think you could look for some deeper album tracks because with the EP there is pressure to keep everything very commercial and your not taking many risks musically because you want to attract a label.  A future VZ album would have some deeper album tracks that are longer and probably include a song or two that are not my own compositions.

http://www.verazero.com

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‘Quietly pretty songs’ fill Frances Ancheta’s debut album

Reviewed by Kit Burns

Frances Ancheta/Now We’re Here

Filipino singer/songwriter Frances Ancheta may employ an acoustic guitar, but her quietly pretty songs are more coffeehouse pop than folk, which is fine with me. Given the glut of unplugged young lyricists out there, it’s not easy to encounter someone with a voice that is distinguishable from the crowd. At times Ancheta recalls Corrine Drewery of Swing Out Sister; an obscure reference, sure, but there’s no denying the similarity there, especially on “Coming Home.” “Coming Home” is also one of the tracks on the CD which may reel in indie geeks with an insatiable appetite for twee, especially those who love the sadly beautiful sentiments of the Sundays.

“School of Fish” is the most upbeat track on the album as Ancheta’s guitars have a spiky push. Much of the record, though, is rainy-day introspection, and Ancheta reveals her true influences by the perhaps unconsciously given English accents on “Hidden Song” and “Nothing Really Matters,” drawing close to the likes of Frente! and Morrissey. Ancheta offers pleasant summer afternoon listening that is an inviting respite from the noise of the underground.

http://www.myspace.com/francesancheta

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Humorous rock-concert book should be given to emo kids

Reviewed by Kit Burns

Steve Weinberger with Sarah Torribio/No Air Guitar Allowed

If there is one central problem with Steve Weinberger’s humorous book No Air Guitar Allowed, it’s this: Upon reading it, at the next concert you attend your focus might not be on the artist onstage but the kinds of people who are watching. Chapter by chapter, Weinberger breaks them down, exposes the kind of fools you can find in the sweat-soaked whirlpool of rock shows. However, those of you who raise lighters during the power ballads, relax; Weinberger isn’t damning anybody to hell or even complaining. Instead, he’s both laughing at those crazy, sometimes embarrassing antics and with them, too.

You see, Weinberger is one of you. Much of the silliness described in the book could only be remembered by somebody who participated in that kind of behavior himself. Weinberger’s writing is easy to understand yet wickedly funny. His pen does not subscribe to the intellectual analysis of rock-critic poetry; instead, he aims for pure entertainment, making sure the reader has at least five or six giggles on each page. Taken as a whole, that’s a lot of laughing going on. It makes a perfect gig for your fellow music fan, especially those emo kids who haven’t smiled since they were kicked out of the playground.

http://www.noairguitarallowed.com

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Feed the Need aim for tunefulness of the Beatles on highly melodic debut

Reviewed by Kit Burns

Feed the Need/Feed the Need

Feed the Need is a promising group of youthful musicians from New York. Unlike most other acts their age, Feed the Need look to older bands for inspiration and pretty much ignore the likes of Blink-182 and their pop-punk contemporaries. If Feed the Need can be compared to any contemporary act, it might be 311 minus the hip-hop flavas (replace the rap beats with ska and surf spice). The multi-part vocal harmonies of “Ride the Wave” suggest early R.E.M. but that might be pushing it considering how young these guys are.

“Ride the Wave” has a jazzy, laid-back groove that sets the band’s trademark style. The group continually produces highly melodic tunes throughout the CD that aim for the tunefulness of the Beatles, especially “In Flight” and “Sooner Than Later.” Two covers appear, Sugar Ray’s “Someday” and U2′s “Beautiful Day.” The Sugar Ray track is not much of a surprise; Feed the Need shares their sun-drenched island vibe although I’m not sure if the band is yet ready to reach the heights of U2 sonically yet. To the group’s credit, it’s their original material I keep returning to instead of the makeovers.

http://feedtheneedmusic.com

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Alien Alright injects unpredictable twists into classic-rock formula

Reviewed by Kit Burns

Alien Alright/The Exodus Is Here

 

Alien Alright is alien alright as The Exodus Is Here really doesn’t sound like anything being hyped by the U.K. press at the moment. Although the Darkness plumbs virtually the same classic-rock and heavy metal influences that Alright plugs into here, he takes them into a different, more experimental direction. Alright seems to be steeped into the “anything goes” philosophy of the late Frank Zappa, whom he does resemble vocally at times, especially on “Vintage Music,” which stitches together rough-edged guitars, speaker-spinning vocal effects, and an almost Beastie Boys-ish interplay at times. It’s quite strange at first, but then it grows on you, especially when it hits you that Alright is simply having fun.

“Underdog Appeal” is soaked in glam-era flamboyant riffola; I haven’t heard guitars this big since Spinal Tap. However, it’s all unpolished, the rawness giving a true mule kick to your ear. The layers of fuzz and explosive singing on “Make Some Noise” are definitely in the caveman spirit of Iggy and the Stooges. The best cut, the singalong anthem “Unsigned and Proud,” relishes in its garage-rock stomp with a delirious psychedelic pull. It’s not for everyone, and Alright won’t be winning over the short attention span crowd with the nine-minute closer “Record Store Blues,” but Alright’s uncompromising nature and the unpredictability of his songs has me in his corner.

http://www.alienalright.com

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