The Dream Logic-My Black Arts

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Their backgrounds include touring and performing with the likes of D’Angelo, Les Nubians, Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera and their friends include guitarists Eric Krasno (Soulive, Lettuce) and Vernon Reid (Living Color). Meet New York city's The Dream Logic. Made up of  band leader/vocalist Charles Compo and his longtime collaborators Jerry Brooks (bass) and Camille Gainer (drums), with the aforementioned friends/guitarists both helping out on this wild fourteen track LP, The Dream Logic is a fantastic new project just begging to be discovered by the older generation and today's young and hip crowd! The follow-up to 2013's "Dream Logic", "My Black Arts" is a bridge between the past and the present built with love and care by this eclectic jam fusion band. My first sampling of The Dream Logic came courtesy of the first single, "Drunken Monkey". With it's (FUNKY!) southern rock meets Steppenwolf's classic "Magic Carpet Ride" vibe it won me over something fierce! But for these New York born and bred musicians/friends there is so much more to the story when it comes to this fifty minute new album! Under the watchful eyes of multi- instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Charles Compo The Dream Logic comes alive on "My Black Arts". Never mind the funk as we're talking blues, soul, jazz, roots rock and even classic rock all gathered together for an impromptu jam session where there is only one rule-make it real. And by God it is as real as it gets when it comes to this New York-based band! Dripping with passion and integrity "My Black Arts" is a phenomenal release thanks in no small part to the shared chemistry of Compo, Brooks and Gainer. Recorded at The Cutting Room in NYC, "My Black Arts" never sways from it's mission statement and for young and old alike The Dream Logic roll out the red offering carpet. Whether you have a "few" miles to your body like some of us (wink wink) or you are still young enough to let down your hair this one will make you shake and move and feel alive! When the title cut rolls in and calls it a day you actually feel as if you've not only gotten your money's worth, but that you've been treated to one of the best shows that you've ever been to in your life! Sure there are good albums and even great albums. But when was the last time an album made you feel as if you've just witnessed a wonderful evenings worth of high-class entertainment? Until you hear "My Black Arts" for yourself chances are you won't be able to relate to the heartwarming afterglow of a release like this one! Not just for those into jazz-funk or fusion (listen to the excellent "Headlight's Into Darkness" for a sampling of soulful rock and roll) "My Black Arts" caters to all while still maintaining it's own identity. For some readers though an album like this one will require a leap of faith. That's understandable. If you've never branched out before on your own to sample all of the deliciousness that life has to offer it can be unnerving. The thing is in this case I must implore you to try out The Dream Logic. Offering more than you could ever imagine, "My Black Arts" is a soundtrack to a story just waiting to be written! One filled with love and adventure, twists and turns where you might know ahead of time that the ending is going to a happy one but you still delve in out of anticipation and child-like enthusiasm. And it can all be yours by simply clicking on this link: http://thedreamlogic.bandcamp.com/   

Flutronix-2.0

Flutronix Records
2014

Sometime (long) ago, back in 1992 or 1993 to pin-down a more precise time-period, I was a younger man from a small town mindset, setting off for college. That was Kent State and, circa the early nineties, it was a move that served as an (eyes wide open) awakening to the full richness that was "alternative" music. As I listened to "2.0" I couldn't help but think back to that time when I began to observe music as a movement (if not as a means of revolution, as it was in a time not that long ago at Kent State, then at least with one's own internal battles) and I slowly became aware of the beauty that was to be found in music that didn't fit into a neat little package. Those days are so long ago that I find the memories are but mere flickers of a fading light and yet it taught me the valuable lesson that you should try everything once (otherwise think of the wonders you might miss out on in this thing we like to call life!). Still, with twenty years or so now having past since I wore a much younger man's wardrobe, even I find that (music-wise) there is always something unexpected, new and fresh new, and (now and then) something that will really catch you off guard! Enter Flutronix. As boldly as I like proclaim that  "I've heard it all" I have never heard Flutronix. And with that I hereby suggest that a new classification of music be established that will simply be known as "Flutronix"! Composed of Natalie Joachim and Allison Loggins-Hull, a critically-acclaimed flute duo, Flutronix is unlike anything I have ever had the privilege of experiencing! Modernizing classical music by way of electronic programing, Flutronix, with the help of (co-) producer Tony Maimone, hip-hop producer Ski Beatz ("They Ain't You"), drummer Joe Blaxx and the Melodia Woman's Choir of NYC (on the memorizing "She Is"), takes on the challenge of finding common ground between not only classical music and the sounds of modern electronic elements, but soul and hip-hop. As "2.0" proves the pair (easily) achieves this task with a graceful presence that borders on heavenly! A soulful, R&B-inspired cover of "Sweet Dreams" (Eurythmics) only adds to the elegance of "2.0", but be aware that this is still very much in tune with today's pop/dance scene. There are no dubs to be found among this CD's nine-tracks as opener "Everything Begins" and closing number "She Is" simply hold in place a collection of endearing numbers that will find you walking on clouds as the sensation that everything is right once more with the world returns to your spirit. This is a simply enchanting collection of music that makes Flutronix a name to watch as they challenge the world's perception of classical music and, more specifically, the supposed limitations of the flute as an instrument!

MACH22-Sweet Talk Intervention

Self-Released
2014

"Sweet Talk Intervention" is the the full-length debut album from Philadelphia-based MACH22. Although a relatively new name to the hard rock scene the band has already managed to play alongside the likes of Slash (who named MACH22 Grand Prize Winner in Guitar Center’s Onstage with Slash contest!), Cheap Thrill, Steel Panther and Tom Keifer. Additionally, the band, which is fronted by founding member Lamont Caldwell (a soulful front-man who toured with Bilal Oliver as a saxophonist and has also played with artists like Erykah Badu, Common, Kirk Franklin, Dave Matthews Band and The Roots) and plays (highly-addictive) adventurous hard rock, performed for an audience of 75,000 at Jay-Z’s "Made in America Festival"! With the Rock 'Em/Sock 'EM after-effects of this Jeff Labar (Cinderella) produced album still nice and fresh in the air it's pretty easy to pick up on just why a group like MACH22 can crossover from a crowd made up of Steel Panther fans to those of Jay-Z. That's of course assuming that that their live shows are even half as good as what was laid to tape on "Sweet Talk Intervention"! With a backing band that features Sebastian LaBar (son of Cinderella guitarist Jeff LaBar!) on lead guitars and vocals, Ted Merrill* on rhythm guitars and vocals*, Jaron Gulino** on bass and vocals and Damian MonteCarlo on drums you had the making of something special, but "Sweet Talk Intervention" goes above and beyond anyone's expectations! It certainly seems as if no expense has been spared (as far as talent is concerned!) when it came down to making sure that this ten-track release sizzled! And that's just it. What makes this recording stand out is how it crackles with electric energy! Lamont Caldwell stands up front and, just like a revved up preacher about to deliver a sermon of a lifetime, he leads the cavalierly in a chorus of soulful hard rock and heartfelt blues rock and it's more then a little crazy how it all seems so simple in MACH22's hands! There's more than enough in the way of good times to be had on the band's debut and while this house of rock might have been built on hard rock and roll and blues rock MACH22 never rests on it's laurels! The group's base sound would have been more then enough to carve out a niche in this rock market of ours, but by making frequent pit-stops in more out of the way places like AOR, funk and even hip-hop(!) they transform themselves into a all-encompassing band for the ages! It's an odd combination to be sure (hard rock and hip hop?) but here it really works as these different elements (AOR, hip hop and funk) live right next door to drop-dead hard rock riffs and those noisy neighbors of theirs (especially Sebastian LaBar who was trained by the one of the best when it comes to rock-based leads!) are always around to lend a helping hand in keeping it all on track! For MACH22 this (locked and loaded!) 10-track debut album (due to be released on May 6th so mark the date down in your calender!) is a great place to start off their (sure to be long) career! And with an appearance scheduled for this year's Rocklahoma festival (May 23-25 in Pryor, OK so be sure to check out  http://www.rocklahoma.com/ for more information!) MACH22 should be winning over a legion of new fans in no time at all! Both this disc and getting a chance to hear this group live are recommend!

 www.mach22music.com 
www.facebook.com/mach22


* Besides being voted a finalist in the Mark Tremonti shredding contest by Baltimore's 98 Rock radio listeners and having officially been sponsored by PRS Guitars, Ted's previous band (The Euphorics) performed with Dizzy Reed (Guns N Roses), Smile Empty Soul, Uli Jon Roth, Ionia and Charm City Devils.

** In addition to being an in-demand bassist (he recently played a handful of shows with Charm City Devils) Jaron Gulino fronts the very cool On Top whose 2011 debut-album, "Top Heavy", is highly recommend thanks to it's blend of classic heavy metal (Judas Priest, Saxon, Accept and Dio) and sleazy hard rock (Ratt, Twisted Sister, Dokken and W.A.S.P.).    

***Prior to joining MACH22 as it's drummer, Damian MonteCarlo fronted and played guitar in numerous bands that opened for the likes of Ratt, Skid Row,Warrant, Vince Neil and Dokken. He also self-produced three full-length albums and one EP.

Forgotten Gems: Lucy Brown-Lucy Brown

Released in 1991 on Megaforce/Atlantic Records, with producer Joe Blaney (Soul Asylum, Jack Bruce, Children, Bernie Worrell, Donna the Buffalo, The Beautiful, etc.) twisting the old knobs (or whatever you choose to call it kiddos!), "Lucy Brown" was the first major label release from the D.C. interracial "funk/metal" band of the same name. Originally formed in 1987, with lead vocalist/bassist Scott Llewellyn, guitarist Luis Peraza Jr. and drummer Chris Neuberg (reportedly) all serving as the founding members, Lucy Brown first hit the scene in 1988 with an entirely different self-titled affair. From what I've been able to gather (or per Wikipedia if you will!) that release was issued thanks to the Washington, DC-area label T.O.G. Records. Whether the bands first LP was/is as straight-up dope as this one happens to be is anyone's guess (or at least my guess as this is the only Lucy Brown album that I've had the pleasure of adding to my personal collection!), but for my money this little beauty (released during the heyday of the whole funk rock/funk metal explosion when bands like 24/7 Spyz, Living Colour, Red Hot Chili Peppers and (of course) Faith No More where busy ruling the top of the charts!) is TOTALLY where it's at! Unlike those mentioned acts Lucy Brown was more rock then metal. As the site AllMusic puts it (and they really hit the nail on the top of the head with this one!) Lucy Brown drew from "everyone from Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix to Sly Stone and Funkadelic" with equal access given to punk, classic rock, pop, soul and (naturally) funk! With this 1991 album the band added on a baritone lead singer in Gene Hawkins (R.I.P.) and with Llewellyn being able to full concentrate on (slap-heavy, drop-dead groovy!) bass riffs the band cut their path through and album that is more slick and damn stylistic then anything from the camps of 24/7 Spyz, Living Colour or Faith No More! While bassist Scott Llewellyn would leave the band in 1992 (he was replaced by Jon Papazoglou) Lucy Brown would muster one more (supposedly excellent!) recording in the form of a 1993 EP ("Five Dogs Dead") the group's long-term plans were derailed by the passing of Gene Hawkins in 1994 (his life was sadly cut w-a-y too short as a result of a heroin overdose). This 11-track LP stands as a monumental piece of funk-heavy rock and roll and as a lasting legacy to a band that (unfortunate as it may just be) few have ever heard of. Easily picked up on Amazon or Ebay from less then $10 (a total steal if you ask me!) "Lucy Brown" is a rock-steady, soulful, funk-filled and downright emotional ride which, for those looking to add something more dynamic to their life (only without necessarily indulging in thrashing guitars), seems like a surefire winner!